Local spikers shine at Skylights' Team Camp

After two days of hard-fought volleyball excitement, those that attended the 2011 Skylights' Volleyball Team Camp got plenty of preparation for the upcoming high school season.

Northern played host to the team camp Friday and Saturday at the MSU-Northern Fieldhouse, and seven high school teams were in attendance.

Friday was reserved for pool play and seeding for the the double-elimination tournament at the end of the camp.

In pool play, the Havre High 1 team finished in first place, followed by Class B Shelby and District 9C standout Big Sandy. Class B Poplar finished fourth while 9C stalwart North Star was fifth. Class C's Great Falls Central finished in sixth place in pool play while Havre 2 was seventh.

After pool play, teams turned their attention to Saturday's tournament. The format was double-elimination and when things were all said and done, it was the Shelby Coyotes who left Havre as Skylight Team Camp champions.

Shelby had to defeat Havre 1 twice to claim the title and that's exactly what the Coyotes did. In the first championship game, the Coyotes beat the Blue Ponies by scores of 25-22 and 25-21 to force a second title match. And in an exciting second match, the Coyotes won by scores of 25-19, 21-25 and 15-7 to claim the first-place crown.

It was a good weekend for the Havre 1 team, and it was also a good weekend for the North Star Knights, who finished third overall. North Star lost to Shelby in the loser-out semifinal 25-14 and 25-13 to finish third. In the winner's bracket semifinal, Havre 1 defeated Shelby 25-18 and 25-19.

In the first round of Saturday's tourney, Poplar defeated Havre 2, 25-12 and 25-17, Big Sandy beat North Star 25-21 and 26-24 and Shelby beat GFC, 25-8 and 25-17.

In the second round, it was Havre 1 over Poplar 25-5 and 25-12, while Shelby beat Big Sandy 25-13 and 25-9.

In the loser-out rounds, North Star eliminated GFC 25-23 and 25-20, Havre 2 eliminated Big Sandy 22-25, 25-23 and 15-9, North Star eliminated Poplar 24-26, 25-20 and 15-10 and the Knights eliminated Havre 2 25-13, 23-25 and 15-13.

The last of three camps put on by Northern head coach Bill Huebsch will start today at the MSU-Northern Fieldhouse. The Skylights' High School Camp runs through Wednesday afternoon.

Rachel Majeres of the Havre team dives for a ball in a game against Poplar at the Montana State University-Northern Skylights Volleyball Team Camp in the MSU-N Fieldhouse Friday afternoon.