Lady Grizzlies dig deep for win over Thermopolis

The Rocky Mountain Lady Grizzlies put together a strong all-around performance in their win over Thermopolis on Friday. The Lady Grizz held steady throughout the night, winning in three sets by scores of 25–8, 25–19 and 28–26.

“We took charge in the first two sets, and I liked that,” said head coach Kay Townsend. “As volleyball goes, it’s a game of momentum. Thermopolis came out strong in the third set, and we got behind. What I liked in that third set was how the team dug in and dug out of the deficit, played like a team and came out on top. All I did was tell them to find the momentum again and come out on top, like champions do.”

Rocky’s stats reflected that effort from the service line, where the team racked up 10 aces. Halle Grandalen and Keylee Christiansen each had four, giving the Grizzlies control that carried through much of the match.

Townsend praised senior Christiansen, saying, “Keylee stands out as a leader on the team. She’s the setter, or quarterback so to speak, and she communicates so well with her hitters. She’s confident at the serving line and puts the ball where it needs to be.”

Defensively, the Lady Grizzlies’ back row was relentless, keeping rallies alive and frustrating Thermopolis hitters. The team combined for 43 digs, led by Charlee Welling, Lauren Bassett and Christiansen with 11 each, while Kasey Cooley added 10 and Grandalen chipped in 8.

Offensively, Rocky’s attack was balanced and efficient. The Grizzlies recorded 30 kills on 101 attempts, spreading the scoring across Bassett (8 kills), Cooley (7), Grandalen (7) and Welling (6). By keeping multiple hitters involved, Rocky kept the Bobcats off balance and unable to key on any one player.

At the net, Christiansen also directed the offense with 17 assists, keeping the team in rhythm.

With the win, the Lady Grizzlies continue to build momentum heading into a non-conference rematch at 1A Burlington on Thursday. The JV will play at 5:30 p.m., followed by the varsity at 6:30 p.m.

The Huskies beat Rocky Mountain back in August in a close two-set match (25–21, 25–23), and Townsend said her team is ready for another shot.

“We came out on the losing side of our last encounter with Burlington at our first tournament this year,” she said. “We’re going to prepare to be the winner in the upcoming battle. We’ll continue to work on the basic foundation skills, serving, passing, blocking and hitting. Each week we’re adding to our hitting arsenal and improving our defensive coverage to eliminate as many open court spots as we can.”

At this point in the season, Rocky Mountain stands second in the 2A Northwest Conference:

2A Northwest Standings

Greybull: 14–9 (3–0)

Rocky Mountain: 15–8 (2–1)

Shoshoni: 9–14 (1–2)

Thermopolis: 4–16 (0–3)