BOZEMAN — Gallatin volleyball coach Erika Gustavsen preached consistency all week.
And the Raptors delivered that steady play in their biggest match of the season, comfortably sweeping Great Falls CMR 25-21, 25-19, 25-20 on Friday at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse to win their second consecutive Class AA state championship.
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“It’s just taking it game by game, point by point, don’t overlook anybody and just play your own game,” Gallatin senior Makayla Coleman said. “Just coming together, not letting them go on big runs and making sure we go on runs of our own.”
CMR, which defeated Bozeman in the third-place match earlier Friday to face Gallatin in the final, kept things tight throughout, but the Raptors never wavered. Even when the Rustlers would put together mini-runs of two or three points, Gallatin would quickly settle in and regain momentum.
Kennedy Varda had 12 kills, seven blocks and two aces to lead the Raptors. Miya Chase added 11 kills.
Photos: Championship Friday at all-class state volleyball
Though it felt like a ho-hum master class in methodical dominance, it was an emotional celebration for the Raptors.
“It’s just crazy to be back here,” Coleman said after wiping tears away from her face. “A year from now we were doing the same thing, and we did it again, so it’s just a surreal feeling.
“It means everything to me. They’re all my friends, we’ve grown so much this past year, and a couple of us last year, so it’s pretty awesome.”
But the jubilation for the Raptors will be short-lived. Basketball season is just around the corner.
“(It’s) pretty awesome, because now I have three (championships),” Coleman said, referencing Gallatin’s 2024 volleyball championship and 2025 basketball title. “Hopefully we can get it done in basketball, too.”
