Blue Pony spikers face tough road matches this week

The Havre High volleyball team had a great showing last Saturday against the Sidney Eagles.

This week, the Blue Ponies will be sticking to more Class A competition. Havre will face off against a familiar Browning club Thursday in Browning and then play the Lewistown Golden Eagles Saturday in Lewistown.

Havre head coach Tamecia Jarvis is ready to play against Browning once again this season.

"We've already played Browning," said Jarvis, "so we kind of know what to expect with them."

Last time the teams met on the court, Havre secured a victory 3-1. Browning proved to be a more challenging team to play.

After a good performance in the first set, the Ponies found struggles against the Indians in the second, slowing and giving Browning the set. The third and fourth sets were where Havre got back into the game and won both sets.

For the Indians, the best aspect of their game was their digs. Browning racked up 28 digs against Havre, showing the Ponies that not every kill attempt was unnoticed. The Indians' Payton Crossguns made up 19 of the 28 digs and will be one of the players for the Blue Ponies to prepare for.

Browning also did well at blocking against Havre, producing nine. Abby Bullcalf put up much of the defensive front against the Ponies, contributing five out of the nine blocks.

But much of the match was controlled by Havre. Senior Jessa Chvilicek gave the Ponies the edge throughout each set with multiple well-placed kills on the court, contributing 13 of the 38 kills. Fellow seniors Peyton Brown and Sam Oliver gave the club boosts of their own. Brown led the team in assist and Oliver racked up 10 digs to propel Havre to a great game against Browning.

Overall, HHS will have to remember that playing the Indians for a second time may be just as competitive as the first. The Ponies will have to stay consistent throughout the entire game and keep the mistakes minimal.

"Hopefully we just fine-tune the few things we mishandled in our first match that we play against them," Jarvis said about Browning.

Hare's next challenge comes in another familiar opponent, the Lewistown Golden Eagles.

The Golden Eagles are another Eastern A foe that the Ponies are ready to play. Matches among the Eastern A are always highly competitive and intense for both teams on the court.

Lewistown has had a rocky season so far. The Golden Eagles have beaten teams like Laurel in a close 3-2 match for their first win of the season. Previously, though, Lewistown lost to the Billings Central and Miles City clubs. The match against Miles City was another close one for the Golden Eagles, but they would fall to the Cowgirls. The loss to the Rams was a sweep and set the Golden Eagles back in the early part of the season.

Lewistown senior Macy Mangold has been a major key in the club. Mangold helped the Golden Eagles propel to the win against Laurel last week. The senior was a force for Lewistown, keeping the Golden Eagles in the game with many major plays.

For Lewistown, they have struggled against more dominant teams so far in their season and the Ponies have proven to be one in the Eastern A. Havre has kept every Class A opponent they have faced to an average of 16-points, proving they can keep a very steady and consistent lead throughout every set.

The Ponies have a very talented squad, especially the seniors. Senior Katelyn Maloughney has been a great player for Havre, most notably for her skills in communication and helping make some very close saves. Kinsey Adkins, another senior, has proven her skills in serving, especially aces, which have given the team a very well-rounded versatile setup.

"It will be good for the girls," Jarvis said about Lewistown. "It will be our second conference game, so I think that will be fun for them."

Class A volleyball never disappoints, especially the Eastern A. Both matches against Browning and Lewistown will be tests of consistency and strength in the race to the postseason. But the Blue Ponies are prepared for what the clubs are going to bring to the court. The matches this week for Havre will be very key for a good spot in the playoffs and the girls will have to be on guard for the challenges that will come their way.

The Blue Ponies hit the court against the Browning Indians Thursday in Browning, then travel to Lewiston to try and down the Golden Eagles at 2 p.m. in the Fergus High Gymnasium.