MILES CITY — The Circle girls have a chance to do something that hasn’t been done in Class C since Belt in the 2016-17 calendar year – win a state volleyball championship, then follow it up with a title on the hardwood.
“I think it really, really shows they know they want to get here. All the little girls, like state volleyball, I hope they're coming to basketball now," senior Madeline Moline said of the impact this run has had on the youth in Circle. "I think it really gives them a lot of motivators. I see them all come hang and sit behind our bench at games. It's great."
“We've had a lot of young girls involved in our program doing stuff, and they can see this and be involved in this and soak in the atmosphere," Circle head coach Colby Loudon said. "The great games like (the Eastern C championship game) piques their interest and gets them going with basketball."
The Wildcats just finished polishing that second volleyball trophy, but they’ve added to it with district and divisional titles this winter. All of that big-game experience is paying dividends this March.
“Definitely I think it helps, the volleyball atmosphere when you're playing under pressure. I think it was 2015 last time the girls made it to the state tournament, and it was also in Missoula," Loudon said. "It's been a dry spell (in Circle) and we're pretty stoked about it."
“We don't want to be just known for volleyball. We want to be known for all sports," Moline said. "We're great athletes and we all know that, but we really want to show everyone else that's true."
Circle will see plenty of familiar faces at the state tournament. Scobey, which the Wildcats beat four times, and Melstone and Denton-Geyser-Stanford-Geraldine, who beat Circle, will also be in the field.
The Wildcats open the Class C state tournament on Thursday at 3:30 p.m., fittingly, against Belt.
