Blue Pony spikers look to keep the momentum

Momentum is a huge thing in the sport of volleyball and right now the Havre High volleyball team has it. The key, of course, is keeping it.

And that is exactly what the Blue Ponies will try to do this week, starting tonight with a difficult road trip to Great Falls, where they will take on Great Falls High at 7 p.m. Then, the Ponies will return home Saturday to welcome the Browning Indians into the HHS gymnasium for homecoming. That match will begin approximately 5 p.m.

"These are important matches for us," HHS head coach Tamecia Jarvis said. "We got a big win against Lewistown last week and we celebrated that, but we need to put that behind us and keep getting better."

HHS (5-4, 2-1) will certainly have a chance to get better when they take on the Bison, a Class AA foe. Great Falls High may be just 3-11 on the season so far, but make no mistake they will give the Ponies all they can handle.

"I think it's good for us to play some tougher competition," Jarvis said. "We have only five teams in our conference which is kind of crazy, so it's great to get a chance to play these games. It just gives us more chances to hit the ball and other things that will make us better."

Earlier in the season, Havre and Great Falls went head-to-head in tournament play and split a two-game match with one win a piece. So this time around, the Bison, who boast sophomore hitter Danielle Devlin, senior setter Brooke Ortiz and senior libero Jourdyn Schmidt, will be out to defend their home floor.

"It will be a tough match," Jarvis said, "but if we play the way that we are capable of and do the things we are supposed to do, I think we can compete with them and have chance to win."

The Bison may have some talented players on their side, but the Ponies do, too. Few players in Class A can rival the all-around impact of Dani Wagner, who is fourth in the Central A with two kills per set and sixth in the league in assists per set with 2.10.

Another Havre player who has stood out consistently this season is Reggie Bernard. The senior is currently third in the Central A in blocks per set with .53 and also fifth in aces per set with .65. Yet, Bernard isn't the only Pony getting it done on the defensive block as junior Ceyara Plante has stepped up in a big way for Havre and currently leads the Central A in blocks per set with .59.

Naomi Terry has been another solid performer for HHS and is currently fourth in the Central A in assists per set with 2.35. Senior libero Madison Huebsch has also proved her worth as a defender, ranking third in the conference in digs.

"Right now we have a lot of girls playing well," Jarvis said. "I have been moving them around a lot and they have done well with that, so I expect to see more improvement."

While the Ponies are looking forward to the challenge presented by the Bison, they will be even more excited to return home for homecoming Saturday against Central A rival Browning.

Thus far, the Indians are 0-2 in conference play and just 1-4 overall. But, the two teams did play earlier this season in tournament play and even though the Ponies prevailed, it was not an easy victory.

One thing that should help the Ponies is the home-court advantage. Last weekend, against Lewistown, fans packed the Pony Corral to cheer on HHS and that is something Jarvis said she hopes to see again.

"It's huge when we have the kind of support we had against Lewistown," Jarvis said. "Volleyball is an emotional game and you need someone cheering you on every point and keeping you in the game. The crowd was great against Lewistown and hopefully we will have something similar against Browning."

The Indians have often struggled in volleyball but boast a solid group of players that includes Jacelyn Croff, Olivia Hall, Caroline McEvers and Melissa Flamand and should at least be able to keep things interesting.

"Browning played us within six points both times that we played them," Jarvis said. "So it's not going to be easy, but if we play the way we are supposed to, we should be able to win that match. It's important for us to keep winning and keep building up our confidence."

Havre plays Great Falls High tonight at 7 in Great Falls. Then, HHS will host Browning on Saturday at approximately 5 p.m., inside the HHS gymnasium.