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Havre hosts Sidney Tuesday, Hardin Thursday
Havre High senior Sydney Wilting and the Blue Pony volleyball team will get two more home matches before the regular season is over. The Ponies were supposed to host Sidney last Saturday but that match was moved to Tuesday night because of weather. Havre will then close out the regular season with non-conference matches at home against Hardin Thursday, and at Billings Central Saturday.
Saturday saw a matchup with a Northeastern A rival postponed due to weather conditions, which is no surprise with the snow Montana has been getting. But, the Havre High volleyball team will have plenty of court time coming up.
This week, Havre will take on the Sidney Eagles at 5 p.m. in the Havre High Gymnasium on Tuesday, the Hardin Bulldogs Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Havre High Gymnasium and then the Billings Central Rams down in Billings at 2:30 p.m. Saturday to wrap up the regular season.
It will be a long week for the Ponies.
And after the confirmation that the Hardin and Billings Central teams will continue, Havre head coach Steph Huse is looking forward to final leg of the regular season, starting with the Eagles. Havre was supposed to play Sidney Saturday, but the Eagles couldn't make the trip due to the winter storm that hit Montana over the weekend.
“It’s been a long time since we saw Sidney,” Huse said before the game was rescheduled. “They were one of our first road matches of the season, so it’s been a while since we saw them. Every team at this point should be improving and improving till they’re at their peaks or hitting their peaks. We’ll probably see the best of Sidney when they come in on Saturday.”
The Blue Pony spikers are bringing the heat Tuesday, with Havre athletes like sophomore Yelena Miller and Alyssa Oliver ready to get back on the court. Miller has been a force in both kills and blocks for the Ponies in 2020, while Oliver has been racking up aces left and right each game. Meanwhile, standouts like offensive powerhouse Talia Ralph, the volley-extender Sydney Wilting and Ellie Collins, who has been the leading player in assists, will be excited to compete for another conference win.
As for Sidney, they will look to not only upset HHS at home, but tarnish the Ponies’ standing in the Northeastern A before the postseason approaches. With Saturday being Havre’s last conference game of the season, the Blue Pony spikers will be playing for a lot more than just a win, as it will mean a lot when it comes to the Eastern A Divisional Tournament in Laurel come November.
Huse knows how important Tuesday’s game will be for Northeastern A standings.
“Our conference is pretty tight right now,” Huse said. “Every match is turning us to a higher seed or a lower seed. It’s going to be important for us to take care of business on Saturday, but we never make that a focal point. We always just really try to focus on what we can control within the match and not the implications of where we sit within the conference. Still, our conference is tight, so every match is important.”
Hardin, meanwhile, is once again one of the top teams in the Eastern A this season and will be a tough final home match for the Ponies.
The final obstacle in the Ponies’ regular season is Billings Central, who has been known to be a volleyball powerhouse over the years. The Rams are state-contenders, full of offensive talent and carrying team strength as a whole once again this year. There will be an intense battle Saturday, which will make it even harder for Havre since it is on the road, too.
The Blue Ponies (7-3) will take on the Sidney Eagles at 5 p.m. in the Havre High Gymnasium Tuesday, the Hardin Bulldogs come to town Thursday for a game at 7 p.m. in the Havre High Gymnasium and then the Billings Central Rams await Havre down in Billings at 2:30 p.m. Saturday to wrap up the regular season.
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