Ponies finally play in the Corral

The Havre High volleyball team has been playing matches for almost a month now, but tonight, when the Blue Ponies host former Central A rival Browning, it will be their first time playing inside the HHS gymnasium this season.

Yet, tonight's contest with Browning won't be the only match for the Ponies this weekend, as HHS will also host Cut Bank Saturday in the second of back-to-back non-conference matches.

"Coming off a win, I think they are going to be ready to go this week," HHS head coach Tamecia Jarvis said. "So I am looking forward to seeing what they are going to bring. But I do think they are excited to play at home. I think having our fans and also just having all our freshmen and JV teams together will help. Each team cheers for each other and brings that extra energy. So if things aren't going well, the home crowd can help us get back into it."

When the Ponies take the floor tonight at the HHS gymnasium, they will see a familiar face on the opposing sideline as long-time Havre High head volleyball coach Bill Huebsch is now the head man in Browning. Jarvis, who coached under Huebsch at HHS and at Montana State University-Northern, said his presence, should only make Browning that much better.

"Browning has been getting better every year that I have been here," Jarvis said. "So they have been steadily improving and Bill is a really great coach. I am sure he is showing them things they have never seen before, so that is only going to help that program improve."

Havre and Browning are familiar with each other and last season, the Ponies won multiple matches over the Indians. But, this is a new season and Havre, which is 1-2 in regulation matches this season, is still learning how to win.

"I think right now, we really need to work on our consistency," Jarvis said. "We are getting better, but I want to see more consistency and more effort out of them. I think if we can start playing with more energy, that will help a lot."

If the Ponies are going to notch a win over the Indians and over Cut Bank Saturday night, they will need some younger players to step up. HHS has been without its top hitter Camryn Huston, who is the only Havre player to rank among the top 10 in the Central A in kills and blocks, may not be available. That has meant others such as Jessa Chvilicek, Emilee Cariveau and Logan Huebsch have had to play a bigger roles offensively and last week against Conrad at least, it was successful, as the three players combined for 23 kills.

Chvilicek, a sophomore, is now second in the Central A in blocks with 18.5 and her presence on both sides of the net will be key. Helping her out defensively in the backend will be Katie Donaldson, Alex Donaldson and Sam Oliver. Katie Donaldson leads the Ponies in digs with 108, while Oliver is the team leader in assists with 196 and aces with 32. Alex Donaldson also had 27 aces; Huebsch comes in with 22.

"One thing I would like to see more of is digs," Jarvis said. "I want to see our backend players getting more of those. So that's something we have been focusing on as well."

The Ponies will take the floor at the HHS gymnasium for the first time this season tonight against Browning. That match begins at 7. Havre will also host Cut Bank Saturday night with a start time set for approximately 5 p.m.