Five things to watch this season in local high school volleyball

The high school sports season is right around the corner and before you know it, local football, volleyball, golf and cross country teams will be back in action for fall sports.

In terms of local volleyball, there are a number of teams that come into the 2019 season with high expectations after making a solid run a year ago. One of those teams is the Havre High Volleyball team, which will be looking to build on the progress it made last season.

The Blue Ponies, along with other local teams such as Chinook, North Star, Fort Benton and Box Elder all advanced to divisionals but each fell short of qualifying for their respective state tournaments.

This season, some teams along the Hi-Line will certainly have the opportunity to change that and looking ahead to the 2019 volleyball season, here are five things to watch.

The New look Eastern A

One thing that will be new about this season is the fact that Havre's conference has once again undergone some changes. The biggest difference when it comes to 2019 is the fact that the Belgrade Panthers, one of the dominant teams in Class A volleyball, is no longer around. Belgrade is now part of Class AA, which leaves a power vacuum in the new Northeast A division, which includes Havre, Lewistown, Glendive, Miles City and Sidney.

Only one of those five teams made it to the state tournament a season ago and that was Glendive. That means the battle for the top spot in the regular season and the division's top seed is going to be wide open. The team that finishes atop the final standings will have a much more favorable path to state. The Ponies will also play an eight-game conference schedule now as part of a five-team division, as opposed to the four-game slate of the past few seasons.

Is state within reach for the Ponies?

Havre made a memorable run to the state tournament back in 2015, but since then the Ponies have been unable to make it back. Yet, with Belgrade in Class AA and some key players returning such as Cassidy Acor, Sam Oliver and Jessa Chvilicek, the time could be right for another run.

HHS finished last season with a record of 13-10 and will be the only team in the Northeast A to come back with a winning record outside of Glendive. Acor and Chvilicek were among the top hitters in the Central A conference last season and that should carry over to 2019. With Billings Central, the defending state champions, still part of the Eastern A in the other division, along with Hardin, Laurel and Livingston, nothing will come easy. But advancing to state seems well within reach for head coach Tamecia Jarvis and her team.

Can Chinook keep up its winning ways?

In Class C volleyball, the top local team was Chinook, which went undefeated in the 6C East District last season. The Sugarbeeters swept the district regular season and tournament titles before finishing third at the Northern C.

If the Beeters want to keep their stranglehold on the 6C East, they will need to find a way to replace the production of All-State performers Kourtney Hanson and Megan Molyneaux, who each graduated. But each year, the program seems to find talented, productive players and it won't be a shock if that happens again this season.

Who else will contend in Class C?

While Chinook has been a top team in the 6C East for years, the North Star Knights have often been right there with them and last season, North Star joined Chinook, Box Elder and Fort Benton in reaching the Northern C. Fort Benton has enjoyed plenty of success in girls basketball and track and with key players such as McKenzie Clark and Aspen Giese returning, it could be time for a breakout season.

North Star should also be a team to reckon with in 2019 and another to watch is going to be Chester-Joplin-Inverness, who will have one of the top up-and-coming players in the district returning in sophomore Tatum Hull.

Can Rocky Boy or Harlem progress in the Northern B?

One of the biggest challenges for both Harlem and Rocky Boy in volleyball is the fact that each school is a member of the always challenging Northern B. As far as the Rocky Boy is concerned, the Stars will have their work cut out for them with teams like Choteau and Fairfield back in the District 1B after making the final six at the Class B state tournament in 2018. Wolf Point is another team to watch in the league and will be among the favorites in the 2B which is where Harlem will be competing again in 2019.