Sandpoint stands alone
In order to be crowned Idaho State 4A volleyball champion, Sandpoint needed to get past heavily favored Bonneville twice on Saturday.
That’s just what the Bulldogs did.
The Bulldogs topped the Bees 25-21, 25-22, 25-23 in the semifinals and 25-20, 25-16, 29-27 in the championship match at Kimberly High School.
After Bonneville lost to the Bulldogs the first time, it beat Skyview to set up a rematch for the state championship.
Sandpoint coach Karen Alsager knew it wasn’t going to be easy the second time around.
“They still came out hard,” she said. “Everything was a fight to the end.”
The Bulldogs knew the road to the championship was going to be difficult. Sandpoint beat tournament favorites and previously unbeaten Skyview and Bonneville, and Alsager was ecstatic to see her team thrive when it counted most.
“I’ve been looking forward to playing a team that would really challenge us and I feel we got to that point,” she said. “Skyview and Bonneville are really good teams and I was excited to see us get there and get past them.”
In the championship game, Piper Wahlin led the Bulldogs with 12 kills.
KoKo James contributed 20 assists and Savanna Lester added 22 digs for Sandpoint.
Alsager said her players’ attitude is what guided them.
“There was no way to stop my team,” she said. “They had it set in their minds that they were going to win, and that’s just what they did.”
“St. Maries was eliminated from the State 3A tournament at Wendell High School after falling to Bear Lake 13-25, 25-20, 25-16, 12-25, 10-15.