By Bruce Sayler
The request line was open Tuesday night at Butte High’s Ross J. Richardson Memorial Gym and head volleyball coach Shane Jorgensen had an ask.
Gracie Jonart had the answer.
The 5-foot-8 outside hitter pounded 20 kills, assisted on three blocks and scooped 18 digs as the Bulldogs pulled out a 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-18 Western AA Conference victory in a closely contested match.
The competition was sizzling all four games with neither team leading by more than three points until late in the third set when Allie Beck unleashed a Butte High serving run.
“We needed this win,” Jorgensen said and the request wasn’t phoned in.
Neither was the effort.
“Gracie stayed hot for the whole match,” Jorgensen observed, and noted that the 20 kills are the most by one player in his time at the Butte High volleyball helm, a tenure that is in its sixth year.
Butte High, as a team, covered the floor better than even some carpet outlets with a lot of movement from the players who somehow avoided collisions while dueling with the Eagles. Jonart credited sisters Cadence and Ellison Graham particularly with helping her light up the scoreboard.
Both Cadence, a junior, and Ellison, a freshman, dig, pass and set almost interchangeably. The versatility might confuse opponents, but sparks Butte High, Jonart said.
“The sets were great,” Jonart said as a reason for her kill total. “Our energy was really good tonight. And we know that if the ball goes to Ellie (off the dig), it goes to Cadence next (for the set).”
More often, the sequence is Cadence Graham to Ellison Graham to hitter. It worked against Big Sky.
“I didn’t know that (about the 20 kills),” Jonart said in obvious surprise when told. “It was an exciting competition, competitive and hard-played.”
She said, too, that the offensive end of the Bulldogs’ game might have been secondary.
“Our defense is better,” she said.
Ellison Graham totaled 37 assists and 19 digs while Cadence Graham piled five assists and 34 digs.
Allie Becker turned in a strong performance, too, with 11 kills and two aces. Ellie Yates smoked three aces.
Big Sky’s only win came in the first set, but the Eagles didn’t gain the lead for good until 5-7 senior Briella Wilson notched a kill to break and 18-all tie. Big Sky built the lead to four points twice and then reached set point at 24-20 on a Butte High serving error. The Bulldogs scored twice – on a Gia Field stuff and a Jonart kill to pull to within 24-22. Ashlyn McDaniel nailed a kill for the Eagles to bring on the second set.
It mirrored the first set as the teams traded points and side-outs evenly most of the way. A difference was Butte High garnering a 22-21 edge on the first of two consecutive Big Sky hitting errors. Audrey McClafferty then powered a block for set point, 24-21. Two serves later, Jonart leveled the match with a block.
Again, the third set was tight, too – until Big Sky began to look like it was pulling away. The Eagles’ biggest lead stretched to five points, 21-16, after a kill by Kaya Lopez. They didn’t score again the rest of the set.
Field, a 6-0 Butte High sophomore, smashed a kill to gain serve for the Bulldogs. Becker went to the serving line for Butte High and served out the set. Two hitting errors and a carry infraction against Big Sky tallied the first three Bulldog points in the set-ending run. Becker notched the next two on aces, then Jonart killed two consecutive shots off Ellison Graham sets. The latter signaled set point. A strong rally saw Big Sky repeatedly deny the Bulldogs’ attacks before the set finally ended with libero Cadence Graham finding Avery Barsness crashing in for a shot attempt. Barsness took the assist and buried into the gym floor on the other side of the net. Butte High was up 2-1 on the Eagles going into the fourth set.
“That’s when we took it over,” Jonart agreed about when the Bulldogs asserted control.
Butte High never trailed in the fourth set. The Bulldogs led 16-9 after a Barsness kill, repeled a short Big Sky comeback and got to match point at 24-18 on an ace serve by Cadence Graham.
Field blocked Eagles star Wilson for the last point.
Butte High has a 3-18 record, 2-8 in Western AA play after the Tuesday night win and will next be in action on October 23 against Flathead High of Kalispell in the Richardson gym.
Big Sky is listed as 5-5 in conference play and 6-7 overall with the loss and is to play at home on October 21 against Glacier of Kalispell in its next match.
Big Sky coaches said they did not chart statistics in Tuesday’s match.
Butte High stats follow:
ACES – Ellie Yates 3, Allie Becker 2, Cadence Graham 2. KILLS – Gracie Jonart 20, Becker 11, Avery Barsness 8, Audrey McClafferty 5, Ellison Graham 3, Gia Field 1, Yates 1. ASSISTS – E. Graham 37, C. Graham 5, Becker 1, Makenzie Dayhuff 1. BLOCKS – Jonart 3, McClafferty 3, Barsness 2, Field 2. DIGS – C. Graham 34, E. Graham 19, Jonart 18, Yates 10 Becker 9, Dayhuff 4, Barsness 3, McClafferty 1.
