HHS spikers aim to build momentum on the road

For one of the first times this season, the Havre High volleyball team has some momentum. And that's why even though the Blue Ponies don't have a conference match on the schedule this weekend, their match against Choteau Saturday is one they want to win badly.

And even if Havre is unable to win the match, the biggest thing is HHS wants to keep its momentum going forward, with key conference opponents looming and the Eastern A Super-Divisional tournament, not that far off (Nov. 3-5). The Bulldogs, who beat Havre in four sets earlier this season, will provide a good challenge for HHS as they welcome the Ponies into their gym Saturday night. The match is scheduled to get underway at approximately 5 p.m.

"We just need to keep getting better," HHS head coach Tamecia Jarvis said. "The last two games were better, and I thought we improved. But we still have lots of work to do."

One thing that has been an issue for Havre all year has been hitting. Putting away the ball has been a struggle for the Ponies and currently, no one on the roster ranks among the top-10 in the Central A when it comes to kills.

Last weekend, in wins over Conrad and Browning the Ponies managed to out-hit both of their opponents, something HHS will need to do Saturday if it hopes to upend Choteau, a volleyball powerhouse in the District 1B. The Bulldogs, who notched 60 kills in their previous win over Havre, compared to 33 for the Ponies, have a deep and talented roster.

Yet two sisters are among the best players for Choeatu. Megan Krone dominated in the first matchup with 21 kills and three blocks, while Cassidy Krone, led the Bulldogs in assists and contributed with two aces.

Jacey McDonald, who leads Havre in kills, will be looking for another performance like the one she had the first time around against the Bulldogs, as she finished with eight kills and 5.5 blocks. She also leads the Central A in blocks with a total of 32.

Ceyara Plante, who was crucial against Conrad with 10 kills, eight digs and four blocks, has also become a key part of the Havre offense. Yet, Plante isn't the only player to come on strong recently, as a number of others such as Emilee Cariveau, Camryn Huston, Alex Barkus, Paige Nelson and Sam Oliver have stepped up and forged bigger roles for themselves.

"That's the way it should be," Jarvis said. "It's good to see those girls getting better and pushing everyone to be better in front of them."

The Ponies will also look for big performances from its other regular varsity players, such as Naomi Terry, Logan Huebsch, Alex Donaldson and Katie Donaldson.

Havre and Choteau will get their match started Saturday at approximately 5 p.m. Following their contest with the Bulldogs, the Ponies will be back at home with back-to-back matches against Belgrade and Livingston Oct. 21- 22.