Ponies ready for a new year on the court

The Havre Blue Ponies used to be a powerhouse in Class A volleyball. Yet, the time when HHS was a regular state-title contender seems long ago. But with new head coach Tamecia Jarvis at the helm, the Ponies are about to undergo a rebuilding project that will hopefully restore their status among the state's elite.

After struggling to a 4-17 record a season ago, the Ponies needed to go in a new direction and that meant bringing aboard Jarvis to take over and get the program headed back in the right direction.

Jarvis is a disciple of Montana State University-Northern head volleyball coach Bill Huebsch, who she both played for and coach under. She is in her first season at the helm of Blue Pony volleyball and thus far, she said, things are going smoothly.

"I think things have been going well," Jarvis said. "We have some really good athletes and some good talent on this team. I think these girls want to be good and they have been working really hard, so that's been nice to see."

Ironically, the Ponies haven't qualified for the state tournament since Huebsch left, which is something that Jarvis, who set records at Northern and earned All-Frontier Conference honors, is hoping to change.

However, her job will not be easy. Not only has Havre put together a string of losing seasons, the Ponies also play in one of the more difficult conferences in all of Class A. Havre, which is part of the broader Eastern A division, is also in the Central A conference, which is home to defending state champion Belgrade.

In addition to playing the Panthers on a regular basis, the Ponies also see traditional Class A power Lewistown twice a year along with Browning and Livingston. Yet, HHS will also compete with Eastern A schools like Billings Central, which was fourth at state a season ago, as well as Sidney, Glendive, Miles City, Hardin and Laurel at the final divisional tournament in order to get to state.

"Right now we are not really worried about our competition and how good they are going to be," Jarvis said. "We will get to that point down the road. Right now our biggest focus is getting better and becoming the best team that we can be. When we need to, we will look at our opponents and come up with game plans and things like that, but right now, we are just to try and improve ourselves."

But in spite of the Ponies' poor record a season ago, the team does possess plenty of talent and potential. For starters, Havre returns Dani Wagner, who earned Class A All-State and Central A All-Conference honors a season ago. Wagner is a senior and leads a senior class that also features Madison Huebsch, Reggie Bernard and Megan Erickson.

A season ago, Wagner was among the leaders in the Central A in just about every statistic across the board as she was fifth in the Central A in kills with 169, sixth in aces with 46 and fourth in assists with 236, as she split her time between setter and outside hitter a season ago.

Bernard was another key component for HHS last season, ranking 10th in the league in kills with 124 and second in the conference in blocks with 46.5 In addition to the seniors, other players that return with varsity experience include junior Naomi Terry, who was among the team leaders in assists last season as well as Jacey McDonald, Sammy Huston and Claire Worm. Ceyara Plante will also see time on the varsity squad this season as will Paige Nelson and Katelyn Nystrom.

"I think that we have a lot of talented individual players," Jarvis said. "But right now the biggest thing that I want to focus on is us growing together and improving as a team. I am trying to get them to learn my system and play together. But, I think we have some players that are going to play really well this season."

It won't take long for Jarvis and the Ponies to find out just how good they are this season as they will be tested early by conference foes Livingston and Belgrade right away this Friday in Livingston, where HHS will play back-to-back games to open the season.

Then, Havre will play in both the Windy City Classic in Livingston on Saturday, before traveling to the Electric City Classic Sept. 11-12 in Great Falls, where HHS will get the chance to compete against a number of Class AA schools.

Yet, the Ponies will not play in front of their hometown fans until Sept. 25, when arch-rival Lewistown will invade the HHS gymnasium. Havre will also play a home-and-away against Browning, before closing the season with home games against Belgrade and Livingston Oct. 23-24, then a road game against Lewistown Oct. 30.

If the Ponies finish among the top three teams in the final Central A standings, they will advance to the Eastern A divisional in Livingston, starting Nov. 5. But, if HHS finishes fourth or fifth, it will need to earn its way into the tournament via a one-game playoff, which is scheduled to take place Halloween night.

"I am really excited for the season to start," Jarvis said. "I think the girls are looking forward to it. They have been working very hard and it will be fun to see the result of that."