In a season where any of the top teams in the conference could have won the championship, the Powell Middle School eighth grade volleyball team finished fourth — concluding with a difficult battle against Cody to end the 2023 campaign.

The top four teams at the tournament included the Cubs, Cody, Riverton and Lovell.

Powell ended up in the third place game in the final day of action, before losing a difficult third set to Cody 16-14 to finish fourth.

“The top four teams in the tournament were very evenly matched,” coach Charli Fluty said. “We are all back and forth all season … We lost a tough one to Cody in the third and fourth place match. It was back and forth all game and the girls worked very hard.”

Fluty said that throughout the season the Cubs were strong on the defensive end of the court, covering every corner of the court and playing hard for every point.

“The girls got some key blocks to keep the ball on the other side of the net and frustrate the opposing hitters,” Fluty said. “When the ball did cross the net our coverage of the court was outstanding. Every position was doing their job and our passing and coverage all-around was incredible.”

She said the team grew a lot in some of the intangible aspects to the game.

“This season we focused on being great teammates and growing our mental toughness,” Fluty said. “We saw lots of improvement in this area as well. One of the main highlights of the season was definitely the game where we beat Cody at home. During that game we really showed teamwork, great blocking and outstanding defense.”

Fluty added that it was a great year for the team, and she is excited to watch the girls as they compete in other sports this year before continuing on to high school next fall.