What do you get when you put two of the best teams in the state against each other with a state tournament berth on the line as well as a district championship?
The answer: An exciting back-and-forth affair, which ended with Troy knocking off Genesee in the Idaho Class 1A Division I District II championship match in four sets by the scores of 22-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-17. The old rivals met Tuesday night at the Lewis-Clark State Activity Center.
The first set was dominated by Lindsey Kwate of Troy, who scored four times within the first six points. But Genesee was able to rally back from a 5-2 deficit to tie the game back up at six apiece.
After that the lead was hard to obtain for both teams, as it changed hands seven times. Anna Druffel was able to tie the game at 19 apiece, and that's what put the Bulldogs in the driver's seat, as they maintained the lead for the rest of the game.
Troy coach Debbie Blazzard was prepared for this type of back-and-forth play.
"With Genesee you can't ever let your guard down, they're such a good team and will find any way to win," Blazzard said.
Troy took over halfway through the second set. After breaking an 8-8 tie, the Trojans pulled ahead by six late in the game and maintained the lead despite a late 8-1 rally by Genesee.
According to Genesee coach Pete Crowley, he felt after the first set the momentum was shifted.
"Obviously we started off the way we wanted to, then the energy and momentum shifted for no apparent reason and we weren't able to capture it back," Crowley said.
Troy was able to win the third set by five and heading into the fourth set looking to put the match away. After breaking a 9-9 tie, Troy was able to maintain the lead for the rest of the game.
Kwate was a big part of Troy's success in the fourth set, getting seven kills and an outstanding 28 on the night. The Trojans also got 26 digs from Oliva Nelson and 47 assists from Sarah Fry. Genesee's Druffel had 23 kills.
The Trojans and Bulldogs weren't the only Whitepine League clubs in action Tuesday night, as Prairie of Cottonwood was able to knock off Potlatch in three sets with the scores being 25-16, 25-14, 25-22.
The Pirates were led by Angela Wemhoff with eight kills and three aces, Josie Peery with six kills and Leah Higgins with seven kills and four aces. But according to coach Julie Schumacher, it was all a team effort for the Pirates.
"All the girls are good enough to be playing, and it's hard to find the rotation that flows the best," she said. "It's nice to have that many good players but it can also make coaching a difficult task."
Prairie will play Genesee at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Activity Center, with the winner advance to a state play-in match.
