Havre spikers finish fourth after a thriller in Glendive

It's been an exciting, but long week for the Havre High volleyball team. A week that saw the Blue Ponies already qualify for the Class A state tournament. However, the Ponies weren't done.

Thursday night, Havre headed to Glendive for a showdown with the host Red Devils in the consolation match of the 2020 Eastern A playoffs, and while the Ponies put up a great fight, they fell short in a five set thriller.

The loss means Havre will take the No. 4 seed into next week's state tournament, which will be held in Sidney. The whole Class A volleyball postseason changed recently due to COVID-19. Originally, the Eastern A was to be played in Laurel and Billings, but was then moved to Lewistown. However, Fergus County decided that the tournament couldn't be held there either, so the Eastern A was switched to a single-elimination playoff, where Havre beat Laurel at home Monday night, lost to Billings Central in the semifinals Tuesday night, then had to travel to Glendive on one day's rest Thursday.

It will once again be a short turnaround for the Ponies, as they head to Sidney for the state tournament Wednesday. Normally, all state volleyball tournaments are held together in Bozeman, but because of the pandemic that wasn't an option this season. Tournaments were still up in the air until earlier this week when the MHSA awarded Sidney Class A, Shelby Class B and Malta Class C. The AA state tournament is a playoff format going on now.

Havre, however, will get to play in a regular state tourney for the second straight season. And in their final match of the Eastern A, the Ponies and Red Devils put on a show, as they split the first two sets, before Havre won the third 29-27. Glendive bounced back to win the fourth, and then outlasted Havre in the final set to finish third. Billings Central also beat Hardin in the Eastern A championship Thursday night.

The Ponies will now play in the state tournament Thursday through Saturday in Sidney. Havre will take on the champion from the Western A in the first round next Thursday at 10 a.m.