GREAT FALLS — Providence took home the Frontier Conference volleyball tournament championship this past Saturday in Havre after coming back down two sets to none against Montana Western.
This came after the Argos had already won the conference's regular-season title.
"We started out a little slow against Western and came back," conference newcomer of the year Ava Saiers told MTN Sports Tuesday. "Just kind of remembered who were and how we play."
"Everyone, when we won that third set 26-24 was like, we're not losing this," junior Franny Martins said. "When we won that, we just gave everything we had, every ounce of energy."
"We have a ton of competitors on our team, and we just wanted to win," junior Sadie Giles said. "That was our goal for the whole season."
"(Winning the tournament) was surreal. The way the we won ... just showed how much heart we have as a team, and how much love we have for each other," conference player of the year Bella Thompson said.
"They refuse to lose and just battled for every point," conference coach of the year Arunas Duda said. "All of a sudden the tide turned, and they just really wanted to win."
Providence now sits with a 25-6 record following the two wins in the tournament over Western and MSU-Northern, and the impressive campaign has led to numerous conference honors among those previously mentioned. This includes four first-team all-conference members with Giles being named as one.
The players are proud of one another for these accolades.
"We didn't go into the season thinking about awards or accolades," Saiers said. "We just love and support each other so much. Everybody's so happy to see everyone achieve."
"I just love playing with the girls next to me," Martins said. "Just want the best for them, and I'm always going to try and push them to be their best."
"It just makes me so proud to be on this team and to have all of my teammates be recognized as well," Giles said.
"Getting (player of the year) just is such a big accolade for our team, because I couldn't have done it by myself," Thompson said.
The Argos will look to ride all this positive momentum in to the the first round of the NAIA national tournament in which they'll be hosting.
"We just have so much confidence" after the accomplishments the Argos have already made, Duda said.
"Coming back from that two sets down, winning the regular season (at home), the girls, they know that their eyes are on the prize," Duda added. "I think we'll turn some heads in nationals and surprise some people."
University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) visits Providence Saturday at 2 p.m. in the first round. The match will take place at UP's McLaughlin Center.
