Sports
Stars clinch return trip to regionals
Matthew Semisch
11/04/2014
The Bottineau High volleyball team didn’t get all it wanted out of the Class B District 11 tournament, but the Stars got what they needed.
Bottineau fell 3-1 to Rugby (25-22, 17-25, 25-20, 25-20) in the tournament final on Monday night in the BHS gymnasium.
Before that, though, the Stars won in straight sets against both Velva (25-12, 25-22, 25-13) last Thursday and Sawyer (25-23, 25-23, 25-17) the following night.
Those two victories to open up the District 11 tournament allowed Bottineau to punch its ticket to the Class B Region 6 finals in Minot. The Stars (16-18) will play their opening-round game at the Minot Auditorium next Monday against a District 12 team that hadn’t yet been determined at press time.
Just getting to the regional finals is a significant achievement for the Stars. BHS finished 25-8 a year ago and won the 2013 District 11 title, but five players from that team graduated this past spring.
“Getting to the district championship game is a huge accomplishment for us,” BHS head coach Steve Dunrud said after his team’s victory over Sawyer on Friday.
“Those were tough sets, and our girls played as well as they have all year in all phases of the game. Passing was good, serving was good, we had some real, definite blocks, and they just played really confidently and they didn’t let much bother them.”
“Our main goal this year was to get to regions and get out of districts,” said BHS middle blocker Kennedy Olson, one of only three seniors on the Stars’ roster.
“Getting to the district championship game was the first step to that, really the biggest step, and we’re happy that we’re now where we want to be.”
Two BHS players - senior outside hitter Stephanie Brenden and junior setter Baylee Grenier - were named to the All-District 11 team. The selections were announced following the end of Monday night’s District 11 final.
Brenden was also the winner of the District 11 Outstanding Senior Athlete award.