Pony netters fight the Bison to the end

The Havre High volleyball team wasn't favored to beat the Class AA Great Falls High Bison Thursday night in the HHS gymnasium, but the Blue Ponies sure weren't buying into that prediction.

And while HHS came up just short against GFH, the Ponies played one of their best matches of the season in a tough, four-game loss. In the end, GFH defeated Havre by scores of 25-15, 21-25, 25-17 and 26-24.

From the start, the match was an exciting one, as Havre built a 10-7 lead in the first set. Ånd when Jessa Chvilicek pounded a ball across the middle, things got even better for the Ponies, as they led 14-12. From there though, the first set shifted, as the Bison finished on a 13-1 run lead, and it appeared they had all the momentum. But the Ponies weren't done fighting.

Havre again jumped out to an early lead in game two, and aces by Chvilicek and Kinsey Adkins gave the Ponies a 15-11 lead, as Havre ripped off a 6-2 run. The spark continued with a kill from Sam Oliver and an ace by Peyton Brown, and the Ponies had a commanding 20-13 advantage. The Bison responded and cut the Pony lead to 23-21, but Adkins would finish the set with an ace, and things were knotted at 1-1, in what was a loud HHS gym.

Still, just when it seemed like the Ponies had stolen all the momentum back, GFH came out and dominated the third set, and were looking to put Havre away for good. That chore wouldn't be so easy, though.

Early kills by Chvilicek and Cassidy Acor set the tone for what would be a highly entertaining fourth game. And when Cassidy, and sister Kadyn Acor teamed up for a block, the Ponies got in front 12-9. Havre held the lead until the Bison tied things up at 18-18, but from there, the Ponies rattled off a 5-0 spurt, with kills from Cassidy Acor and Oliver, and two straight aces from Chvilicek. Havre led 23-18 at that point, but the Bison stayed poised, and they finished the match scoring eight of the last nine points.

And while the loss was a tough one, because the Ponies were so close, Havre still played great volleyball and showed a ton of toughness. Cassidy Acor had a match-high 15 kills, while Oliver and Chvilicek combined for 17 more. Chvilicek and Acor each had two blocks as well, while Oliver tallied 20 assists and Adkins finished with a team-high three aces.

Now, the Ponies will have one night to rest before they return to the HHS gymnasium for an even bigger match. Saturday, Havre takes on arch rival Lewistown in an important Central A showdown. Lewistown, which has played the Ponies twice in preseason tournaments, split against Havre, but this will be the first regulation match between the two teams. The Eagles have a solid core of players such as Anna Zimmer, who is one of the top servers in the Central A and is second in the conference with 40 aces. Zimmer also leads the Central A in kills, while Steph Olson is eighth in kills with 67. Becca Baldwin is the setter for the Eagles and she comes in with a conference-leading 305 assists. Macy Mangold is another contributor who leads Lewistown in digs.

The two teams will play Saturday at approximately 5 p.m. and then will meet down the road in the regular season in Lewistown Oct. 26.

GFH def. Havre

25-15, 21-25, 25-17, 26-24

Havre - Kills 41 (C. Acor 13, S. Oliver 9, J. Chvilicek 8), Assists 34 (S. Oliver 20), Aces 9 (K. Adkins 3, P. Brown 2, J. Chvilicek 2), Digs 57 (K. Adkins 14), Blocks 5 (Chvilicek 2, C. Acor 2).