BOZEMAN — Kassidy Schafer put down the final point of the Class A volleyball championship Friday with authority, with the same kind of dominance the Billings Central Rams have had all season, and for a decade.
The Rams swept Havre 25-19, 25-22, 25-18 at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse to conclude a perfect 28-0 season, a back-to-back championship, a run of five titles in the past six seasons, and a run of seven championships in the past 10.
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“It’s bittersweet,” said Kamryn Reinker, one of five seniors on the Rams' roster, all of whom contributed greatly to the program’s success. “I mean, knowing there couldn’t have been a better ending to my volleyball career, I’m not ready to leave it behind. I’ve loved every moment of this Central volleyball career.”
As she’s done throughout her four-year varsity career, Reinker left her mark on this championship day with a team-high 13 kills. Schaefer finished with 12. CC Case and Kaitlyn Foster, seniors both, had four blocks and 18 digs, respectively.
Photos: Championship Friday at all-class state volleyball
Havre came into the championship with a strong performance in a win over Frenchtown in the morning’s third-place match.
And though the Blue Ponies gave the Rams fits at last week’s Eastern AA divisional tournament, taking Billings Central to five sets in both the undefeated semifinal and championship, this one was all Rams.
They were on point from the start.
“We’ve been working a lot in practice on how we can defend against a great team like this,” said senior Gracie Loveridge, who had eight kills and 16 digs. “Havre is great, but I think we just had that energy and we brought it. We were locked in, we were focused and the plays that we needed to make, we made them.”
Anita Foster has been coaching the Rams for six seasons and has taken them to the championship each time. The championship feeling never gets old, she said.
“I’m just so proud of the girls,” Foster said, tears welling up in her eyes. “A very special group.”
