BOZEMAN — The Circle volleyball team had a simple mentality this season.
"Don't fail, I guess," Wildcats senior Kambrie Kountz said after her team earned a razor-thin 30-28, 25-23, 27-25 sweep over Gardiner in the undefeated semifinal of the Class C state tournament Friday at Worthington Arena. "We didn’t want to disappoint. We’ve been talked up this whole season, been really looked at. We just didn’t want to let everybody down."
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Circle last qualified for the state tournament in 2022, but the wide-eyed Wildcats lost both their matches to prematurely exit.
On Friday, they had the look of the experienced squad. Each set was decided by just two points, and Gardiner had multiple chances at set points throughout.
But whether it was Kountz, junior Madeline Moline, sophomore Emma Murphy or even eighth-grader Kate Nasner, the Wildcats showed the composure and resolve of a team that's been here before.
"We focused on every point," said Kountz, who dug up 24 balls and served two aces. "Every ball that came over the net, we were just really focusing on that ball and we were going to get it over and in. We were just going to put it away, because we got one ball at a time, one game at a time, one set at a time."
Kountz is one of three seniors on the team who felt the anguish of the 0-2 state performance two years ago, but it was the younger players who played beyond their years Friday. Murphy, the explosive hitter who can jump out of the gym, finished with 16 kills; Nasner had three big blocks; and Moline finished with 15 kills and two aces.
"Emma Murphy is bringing a lot to our team. She’s really putting it away when we need it," Kountz said. "Kate Nasner’s putting away some big blocks, and she’s got some hits here and there. It’s just really appreciated by me to have the underclassmen step up for my senior season, just so we can put it away and get to where we need to be."
Ellie Reinertson had a match-high 21 kills and three aces for Gardiner, which will play in the third-place match at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The undefeated Wildcats are now back in the state championship match, seeking their first title since 2015. And preparation Friday night will be just as simple as the team's mentality all fall.
"Just rest," Kountz said. "Rest, go to sleep."
White Sulphur Springs runs gauntlet on Friday
White Sulphur Springs won three matches on Friday to guarantee itself a state trophy.
The Hornets, who lost to Circle in Thursday's first round, opened their Friday slate with a three-set win over Big Sandy. They then knocked off Belt in four sets to advance to the fourth-place match, where they defeated Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Geraldine 25-16, 26-24, 22-25, 25-16.
White Sulphur Springs will meet Gardiner in the third-place match at 10 a.m. Saturday, with the winner advancing to the championship match against Circle.
The Bearcats, who lost to Circle in a Thursday quarterfinal to fall into the loser-out bracket, swept Bridger in an earlier loser-out match on Friday.
