STEVENSVILLE - Things just got a little more crowded near the top of the Southwestern A volleyball standings.
Michaila Funkhouser led the way as Stevensville climbed into a tie with Hamilton for second place in the league standings with a 25-20, 22-25, 25-19, 25-22 defeat of the Broncs.
Funkhouser set 33 of the Yellowjackets' 37 assists and led them with six of the team's 19 aces as Stevensville upped its record to 5-2 in conference, 7-2 overall.
Brittney Chilcott collected 14 kills and two blocks for Stevensville. The Yellowjackets also received 16 digs from Ashley Reid.
Hamilton, which fell to 5-2, 7-3, got 10 kills apiece from Nichole Hood and Penny Gwynn.
Stevensville def. Hamilton, 25-20, 22-25, 25-19, 25-22.
Kills - Hamilton 43 (Nichole Hood 10, Penny Gwynn 10), Stevensville 44 (Brittney Chilcott 14). Blocks - Hamilton 8 (Rebecca Lyons 5), Stevensville 4 (Chilcott 2). Digs - Hamilton 51 (Kennedy Chadwick 22), Stevensville 44 (Ashley Reid 16). Assists - Hamilton 37 (Mary Conwell 32), Stevensville 37 (Michaila Funkhouser 33). Aces - Hamilton 12 (Colleen McGibben 6), Stevensville 19 (Funkhouser 6).
Class AA
Missoula Sentinel def. Helena Capital, 3-0
The fourth-ranked Spartans made quick work of Capital, winning the Western AA match 25-8, 25-23, 25-11 at the Sentinel gym.
Haley Druyvestein led the Spartans with 10 kills. Kimmy Kavran added 16 digs and Maddie McCarthy had all 23 of Sentinel's assists.
Julie Anderson led Capital (1-6, 3-10) with nine kills and three blocks.
Sentinel improved to 5-2, 11-3.
Sentinel def. Capital, 25-8, 25-23, 25-11.
Kills - Capital 26 (Julie Anderson 9), Sentinel 26 (Haley Druyvestein 10). Blocks - Capital 5 (Anderson 3), Sentinel 5 (Krista Hunton 4). Digs - Capital 61 (Maryann Beach 15), Sentinel 44 (Kimmy Kavran 16). Assists - Capital 21 (Quinci Robertson 17), Sentinel 23 (Maddie McCarthy 23). Aces - Capital 2 (Sadie Pilgeram 1), Sentinel 10 (Sadie Ahearn 3, Anna Kirkeide 3).
Helena High 3, Missoula Hellgate 0
At Helena, the top-ranked Bengals used a 36-27 advantage in kills in sweeping the Knights in a Western AA match, 25-17, 25-14, 30-28.
Betsy Pickhardt tallied a match-high 12 kills for the Knights (2-7 conference, 7-9 overall). Teammate Taylor Allen had four blocks and 17 digs.
Helena boosted its sparkling record to 7-0, 13-1.
Helena def. Hellgate, 25-17, 25-14, 30-28.
Kills - Hellgate 27 (Betsy Pickhardt 12), Helena 36 (Kaitlyn Oliver 11). Blocks - Hellgate 6 (Taylor Allen 4), Helena 6 (Oliver 3). Digs - Hellgate 50 (Allen 17), Helena 42 (Aris Frost 14). Assists - Hellgate 26 (Morgan Lutz 25), Helena 34 (Kyndall Williams 32). Aces - Hellgate 2 (Lutz, Paula Woerlein), Helena 6 (Frost 3).
Kalispell Flathead def. Kalispell Glacier, 3-1
At Kalispell, Cassie Krueger paced a strong Flathead presence at the net in the Bravettes' 18-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-23 crosstown Western AA win over Glacier.
Krusger had 13 kills, while Hannah Sackett and Kwyn Johnson added 11 apiece. The Bravettes also had 10 blocks led by seven from Emma Andrews.
Sackett added 14 digs for third-ranked Flathead, which moved to 7-2, 11-4.
Cassidy Hashley paced the Wolfpack (3-4, 6-8) with nine kills and six blocks.
Flathead def. Glacier, 18-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-23.
Kills - Glacier 39 (Cassidy Hashley 9), Flathead 52 (Cassie Krueger 13). Blocks - Glacier 12 (Hashley 6), Flathead 10 (Emma Andrews 7). Digs - Glacier 44 (Emily Gilbertson 12), Flathead 62 (Sackett 14). Assists - Glacier 34 (Hannah Liss 32), Flathead 48 (Emily Russell 27). Aces - Glacier 10 (Liss 4, Gilbertson 4); Flathead 4 (Russell 3).
Class A
Polson def. Columbia Falls, 3-2
At Polson, Heidi Rausch floored 17 kills in the Pirates' 25-18, 28-30, 22-25, 25-23, 15-7 Northwestern A win over the Wildkats.
Shalaina Duford added 46 assists, 24 digs and a pair of aces for the Pirates, who moved to 5-1 in league, 7-2 overall.
Jessie Gist had 11 kills and two blocks for Columbia Falls, which fell to 1-5, 1-7.
Polson def. Columbia Falls, 25-18, 28-30, 22-25, 25-23, 15-7.
Kills - Polson 56 (Heidi Rausch 17), Columbia Falls 37 (Jessie Gist 11). Assists - Polson 49 (Shalaina Duford 46), Columbia Falls 30 (Hope Burlage 19). Blocks - Polson 7 (Kenzie Clay 5) Columbia Falls 6 (Gist 2). Digs - Polson 98 (Duford 24), Columbia Falls 93 (Shaun Rowe 25). Aces - Polson 5 (Duford 2), Columbia Falls 11 (Erika Nelson 3, Gabrielle Stenger 3).
Class B
Troy def. Plains, 3-0
At Troy, Michaela Curry paved the way for the Trojans' 25-19, 25-8, 25-12 District 7-B sweep.
Curry posted nine kills, eight digs and a block as Troy moved to 2-3, 5-7.
Holli Higgins set 22 assists for the Trojans and Jordan Williams added four aces.
Kayla Revier had six kills and two blocks for the Trotters.
Troy def. Plains, 25-19, 25-8, 25-12.
Kills - Plains 10 (Kayla Revier 6), Troy 35 (Michaela Curry 9). Blocks - Plains 0, Troy 3 (Hannah Tallmadge, Curry, Katie Lundin). Digs - Plains 18 (Kelsey Beagley 9), Troy 23 (Curry 8). Assists - Plains 8 (Felicia Earhart 6), Troy 24 (Holli Higgins 22). Aces - Plains 5 (Revier 2), Troy 9 (Jordan Williams 4).
Eureka def. Bigfork, 3-0
At Eureka, Cassidy Morgan had 14 digs and two blocks in leading the Lions to a 25-20, 25-15, 25-15 District 7-B sweep.
Alyssa White and Mikayla Grove each set 12 assists for Eureka and Alex Holland garnered five aces. Jenna Peterson added two blocks for Eureka.
Tessa Robertson led the Vals with six kills and three blocks.
Eureka def. Bigfork, 25-20, 25-15, 25-15.
Kills - Bigfork 13 (Tessa Robertson 6), Eureka 31 (Selene Elster n/a). Blocks - Bigfork 3 (Robertson 3), Eureka 6 (Cassidy Morgan 2, Jenna Peterson 2). Digs - Bigfork 51 (Taylor Peck 13), Eureka 38 (Morgan 14). Assists - Bigfork 13 (Peck 10), Eureka 26 (Alyssa White 12, Mikayla Grove 12). Aces - Bigfork 6 (Shelby Scoggins 3), Eureka 15 (Alex Holland 5).
Thompson Falls def. St. Ignatius, 3-1
At St. Ignatius, Kelsey Fitchett and Hope Reid put down 18 kills apiece to lead District 7-B Thompson Falls past former conference foe St. Ignatius.
Allison Vaught tallied 35 assists and Reid collected a match-high 10 blocks in the Bluehawks' 19-25, 29-27, 25-20, 25-14 victory.
Loren Erickson had 11 kills and four aces to pace the District 6-B Bulldogs (5-7).
Thompson Falls def. St. Ignatius, 19-25, 29-27, 25-20, 25-14.
Kills - Thompson Falls 45 (Kelsey Fitchett 18, Hope Reid 18), St. Ignatius 41 (Loren Erickson 11). Blocks - Thompson Falls 23 (Reid 10), St. Ignatius 3 (Jenn Larsson 1, Ashley Courville 1, Erickson 1). Digs - Thompson Falls 90 (Logan Beckman 17), St. Ignatius 78 (Courville 19). Assists - Thompson Falls 40 (Allison Vaught 35), St. Ignatius 37 (Erickson 18). Aces - Thompson Falls 11 (Beckman 3), St. Ignatius 8 (Erickson 4).
Class C
Arlee def. Lincoln, 3-0
At Lincoln, Mahalia Hendren had nine kills and four blocks to lead the Scarlets to a 25-17, 25-12, 25-15 nonconference Class C win.
Bailey Rice added 15 digs for Arlee and Becca Nelson served seven of the team's 16 aces.
Katie Menard led Lincoln with five kills and six blocks.
Arlee def. Lincoln, 25-17, 25-12, 25-15.
Kills - Arlee 37 (Mahalia Hendren 9), Lincoln 8 (Katie Menard 5). Blocks - Arlee 8 (Hendren 4), Lincoln 6 (Menard 6). Digs - Arlee 52 (Bailey Rice 15), Lincoln 11 (three with three). Assists - Arlee 18 (Cortney Dix 14), Lincoln 7 (Michelle Korman 6). Aces - Arlee 16 (Becca Nelson 7), Lincoln 1 (Shelby Maughan).
Philipsburg def. Sheridan, 3-0
At Philipsburg, Shanna Johnson slammed 18 kills to lead the Prospectors to the 25-13, 25-17, 25-9 nonconference win.
Anna Pence served six of Philipsburg's nine aces and also had six kills.
Jordan Evans led Sheridan with five digs and Elle Wood had four kills.
Philipsburg improved to 9-3 overall.
Philipsburg def. Sheridan, 25-13, 25-17, 25-9.
Kills - Sheridan 13 (Elle Wood 4), Philipsburg 31 (Shanna Johnson 18). Blocks - Philipsburg 1 (Johnson). Digs - Sheridan 17 (Jordan Evans 5), Philipsburg 7 (three with two). Assists - Sheridan 9 (Brooke Lueck 7), Philipsburg 22 (Liz Graham). Aces - Sheridan 2 (Wood, Tessa Bowey), Philipsburg 9 (Anna Pence 6).
Superior def. Victor, 3-0
At Superior, Nicole Stroot's 10 kills led the District 10-C Bobcats to the 25-17, 25-9, 25-14 sweep of District 9-C Victor.
Cary Chamberlain had 16 assists and Kelsey Stenberg floored five aces for undefeated Superior (11-0). Ashley Blaylock added five digs for the Bobcats.
Katie Brittle collected four kills and five digs for the Pirates.
Superior def. Victor, 25-17, 25-9, 25-14.
Kills - Victor 9 (Katie Brittle 4), Superior 25 (Nicole Stroot 10). Blocks - Victor 3 (Desiree Charlton 2), Superior 4 (four with one each). Digs - Victor 18 (Brittle 5), Superior 10 (Ashley Blaylock 5). Assists - Victor 8 (Kristyne Corkern 6), Superior 21 (Cary Chamberlain 16). Aces - Victor 4 (Kaylee Yamaguchi 2), Superior 11 (Kelsey Stenberg 5).
Hot Springs def. Alberton, 3-1
At Alberton, Alex Green piled up eight kills and six aces in leading the Savage Heat to the Class C nonconference win, 25-18, 25-17, 23-25, 25-14.
Alyssa Foster also had eight kills for Hot Springs (4-6). The Savage Heat held a 31-17 edge in total kills.
Mariah Turnbull had eight kills for Alberton (3-9).
Hot Springs def. Alberton, 25-18, 25-17, 23-25, 25-14
Kills - Hot Springs 31 (Alyssa Foster 8, Alex Green 8), Alberton 17 (Mariah Turnbull 8). Blocks - Hot Springs 2 (Green, Meara Schmiedbauer), Alberton 1 (Hailie Bahm). Digs - Hot Springs 30 (Shanny King 16), Alberton 63 (Emma Wooldridge 16). Assists - Hot Springs 22 (Hannah Retallick 21), Alberton 16 (Shawnda Rohrbach 7). Aces - Hot Springs 16 (Green 6), Alberton 13 (Wooldridge 5).
