The Lone Peak High School girls volleyball team won its first ever game and match this September, and coach Sarah Phelps is very proud.
“They were spectacular,” Phelps said about the team’s performance during the Sept. 13 and 14 matches in Big Sky.
Thursday’s match was against the Bozeman C Team, and Friday was a double header against Sheridan.
Against Bozeman, the Big Horns won the match in three games. “It was such a great morale and confidence booster for our team to realize how good they really are,” Phelps said. “Things are starting to click for them. They really started playing hard and playing well.”
Lone Peak had a slow start in the first match of Friday’s double header, losing to Sheridan in three games. In game one of the second match, the Big Horns fell behind 22-18. They went back and forth, and ended up winning 30-28.
In that second match, “they were on fire,” Phelps said. “Our skills were on point. I think they realized, ‘Oh, wait, we can hang with this team. We can come from behind and win’.”
It was the first time the Big Horns have ever taken another team to a fifth game. Although they lost the fifth game 15-9, the girls walked away with their heads up and renewed energy.
“We are the surprise team,” Phelps said. “Teams are going to come in and expect to win.” This is the second year of LPHS volleyball, and the team’s skills have improved significantly from last year.
The community came out to support the girls at both matches, with the football team cheering from the stands, and some excited parents even crying after Thursday’s match win.
“[The girls] were just so pumped,” Phelps said. “It was a moment for them to realize that we can have a winning tradition at Lone Peak.”
The team wasn’t so lucky losing its Sept. 20 away game against Gardiner. LPHS has its next home game Sept. 22 against Ennis. E.S.
