PR Sports

Revenge can be a powerful motive, and it was a driving force for the Bonneville Bees as they entered the 4A state volleyball tournament’s second day Saturday at Post Falls High School.

It was also sweet tasting, as the Bees (37-3) exacted revenge over nemesis Sandpoint in a five set thriller, then cruised to a straight set 25-16, 25-18 and 25-20 win over Century in the finals to capture another state banner.

“Whew,” said relieved Bees coach Chantal McMurtrey after the championship. “This is the best team we’ve ever had and they were on a mission. They pushed themselves everyday to get better.”

Leading the way was the stellar play of senior Kylee Searle, who was on fire all day. In the championship, she tallied eight kills, 22 digs and three blocks, and said some tight team unity was the key.

“I love my team, we all wanted it and it showed,” said Searle, who is leaning towards playing in college at Idaho State University. “We showed a lot more heart this year. We weren’t going to go down without a state championship.”

Powerful outside hitter Mailie Garner added a team-high 13 kills and four blocks for the Bees, Susan Lindley added 10 kills, Katie Harker 16 digs and Makayla Keck 30 set assists.

Bonneville now has seven state titles on its résumé, still a ways behind Sandpoint’s 14, but the proud possessor of the latest. The two 4A powers have now combined to win 10 of the last 11 state championships, as each program has experienced national success at the club levels.

After watching the Bulldogs hoist the trophy last season, Garner felt like her team would not be denied this season.

“We wanted revenge, and didn’t want to lose,” said Garner, who has played in four state championships. “The team chemistry this year is awesome. It’s great to win with these girls.”

The Bees and Bulldogs met earlier in the day in the de facto championship, with the Bees notching an intense 25-17, 25-16, 22-25, 19-25 and 15-11 win that shortened the road to the state title considerably.

McMurtrey said most of the time a match that emotional is for the championship, as both teams realized the importance of not falling into the loser’s bracket in the true double-elimination format.

“That was probably one of the best matches I’ve ever seen played,” she said of the Sandpoint match, noting the teams could hold their own against anyone from the Northwest. “I think these are two of the best teams out there.”

Garner hammered a match-high 20 kills, but it was Searle who seemed to break Sandpoint’s back, tallying 48 digs and 13 kills. Not only did she keep points alive with some amazing retrievals, but she used a potent jump serve for several lengthy service runs. Katie Harker added 28 digs in the win.

Piper Wahlin led the Bulldogs with 18 kills and 21 digs, Koko James added 21 set assists, Kaiti Lunde three blocks, Christina Johnson three aces and Alissa Millard 21 digs in defeat. Alsager lamented her team’s slow start, which proved costly.

“It took us too long to realize we could play with them,” she explained of the first two games in which her team made some uncharacteristic errors. “From there we were fine. I’m glad we got to show them that we are respectable.”