Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Jacey McDonald, Havre High Volleyball

One thing that’s great about high school sports is that, eventually, you get your chance to shine. And this year, for the Havre High volleyball team, one player looking to step into the spotlight is Jacey McDonald.

McDonald, a senior at HHS, is a two-sport athlete who not only plays volleyball for the Blue Ponies, but softball as well. And even though her high school athletic career has almost a full year left to go, it’s already been an impressive one.

For starters, McDonald has been a member of the varsity softball team since her freshman year. She has played multiple positions on the diamond throughout her career and earned Second-Team All-Conference honors last season, after a stellar campaign at the plate, in which she developed into one of the better power hitters in the Central A conference.

In addition to individual success, McDonald has also played in four different state tournaments. Three as a member of the softball team as well as one with the volleyball team. That trip came last season, when McDonald was a junior.

Last season and for the past two seasons in fact, McDonald has been an increasing presence in the middle of the floor for the Ponies. Last year, she was one of the top blockers in the Central A with 49, which trailed just two others. She also averaged .7 blocks per set, which also ranked third in the league and had the fourth-best hitting percentage in the conference, among hitters with at least 100 attempts.

But regardless of the individual achievements, McDonald was a key member of a Pony team that not only won 11 more matches than in the previous season, but also made it to the championship game of the Eastern A Super Divisional, while also qualifying for the Class A state tournament.

That experience should prove invaluable for McDonald and the rest of the Ponies, as the team tries to earn its way back to state for the second straight season. HHS and McDonald started that journey last weekend in Lewistown at the Eastern A Tip-Off tournament and will continue it this week, with a pair of conference games (Livingston and Belgrade Friday) and a tournament in Belgrade.

It may be early in the season, but the Ponies play just eight conference matches and each one is critical, meaning McDonald and HHS will be focused on getting at least one win, if not two in the doubleheader against Livingston and Belgrade.

Before McDonald and the Ponies make the trip to Belgrade, the Havre Daily News caught up with the senior for five questions.

HDN: How is volleyball different for you as a senior?

McDonald: “There are a lot of different girls that are playing. So I would say that’s different than before just because of new people that we are playing with. I am also playing up more, so having some of these young girls come up makes it different, but I think we will play well together.”

HDN: Do you feel the need to be more of a leader this year being a senior?

McDonald: “Yeah. I enjoy being a leader. I like being helpful and helping others out. I like having the knowledge to help others out and help them get better.”

HDN: How much confidence did you guys gain as a team from last season?

McDonald: “I think that we just know coach Jarvis is going to be there to push us and that we can be pushed to be better than we were.”

HDN: What is one thing you have enjoyed the most about playing sports at Havre High?

McDonald: “Bus trips. I remember my freshman year in volleyball, we had some really fun bus trips. We were throwing things at each other. I think things like that were the most fun.”

HDN: So if you had to choose between softball and volleyball, which would it be?

McDonald: “It’s really hard to say. I think it just depends on when the sport is being played. I think now it’s probably volleyball, but when it's time for softball, it will be that.”