Twin Bridges volleyball comes within one match of a state title spot

The Twin Bridges Falcons defied the odds to fall a few points short of spot in the finals and a trip to state at the Western C Divisional Tournament held Nov. 6-8 at the Manhattan Christian School’s Memorial Events Center.

The Falcons tournament started with a sweep of Superior in the first match of the event. That result earned them a date with Drummond who had won the District 13C league championship and tournament. The Falcons earned a 25-23 win in the first set. Drummond seemed to find another gear winning sets two and three by scores of 25-10 and 25-21 respectively. The Falcons would not go quietly into the early fall darkness. They earned a 25-18 win in set four to force a five set to 15 to decide the match. Drummond won the fifth set 17-15. 

Undeterred, the Falcons eliminated Hot Springs and Charlo from the tournament with three sets to none victories before they had to face Drummond again in the loser’s side of the bracket. This time it was the Drummond Trojans who took the opening set win by just a two point margin, 26-24. The Falcons rebounded and ground out two wins in sets two and three by scores of 25-23 and 27-25 before losing set four 25-18 to force a fifth and deciding set between the teams for the second time in three days. Despite the seeming shift of momentum the Falcons rallied and earned the fifth set win by a score of 16-14. 

“This group of girls has come such a long way,” said head coach Kendall Keltz after the tournament. “They have worked hard to improve in every aspect, from fundamentals to mindset and it’s been rewarding seeing that effort paying off.”

The win against Drummond earned Twin Bridges a match against Gardiner, who they had lost to three times this season, twice during the league season and once in the 12C District Tournament. There was a feeling in the air that anything could happen. The winner of the match would earn a spot in the state championship tournament and get to play Manhattan Christian for the divisional title. 

Gardiner put their foot on the accelerator and took advantage of a physically and emotionally drained Falcons team to earn their spot in the state championship before losing the Divisional Championship game to Manhattan Christian. The loss did little to dampen coach Keltz’s pride in her team’s Cinderella run through the tournament. 

“They’ve grown not just as athletes, but as teammates and competitors,” she said. “All season we emphasized coming to practice with a purpose and finding ways to get a little better every time we stepped on the court. The players bought into that mindset, and it paid off. They were determined to peak at the right time.”

Despite the season ending on the bitter note of a loss to a familiar foe, the Falcons relished the opportunities given to them to compete and outshined the expectations of their seeding coming into the Western C Divisional Tournament. 

“Everyone stepped up when it mattered most, and that collective effort is what carried us through,” said Keltz. “It’s a testament to their hard work, focus, and belief in each other. They worked incredibly hard all season, and I wish I could give every single player a shout out because they all deserve it. From the starters to the bench to our managers—everyone played a role in our success. We’re definitely going to miss our seniors-their leadership and work ethic are not going to be easy to replace.”

Still riding the high of the improbable tournament run, it seems next season can’t seem to come soon enough for coach Keltz and the Falcons. 

“Preparing for next season starts now,” she emphasized. “We’ve talked about setting meaningful goals and putting in the work in the offseason to achieve them. Every team across the state is hard at it once August hits, so we have to find ways to set ourselves apart from everyone else.”