Volleyball has been a tie that binds them

Molly Huse was just a sophomore when her mom, Stephanie, was hired as the new head coach of the Havre High volleyball team. Molly had just finished her year on C-squad and was hoping to make the jump to varsity. But with her mother now coaching the team, she had more nerves trying out than she expected.

"The entire tryout, I was freaking out and trying to impress her because I didn't want her to put me on junior varsity," Molly, now a senior Blue Pony setter said.

Molly did not make the varsity team that year, but that did not affect her relationship with her mother. Before she took over the job, Steph talked with her daughter about what their relationship would be like on the court.

"When we're at the high school, I'm the coach, and when we're home, I'm mom, which isn't always easy to navigate," Steph said. "Sometimes I think that's been a challenge for us in moments during our season but it wasn't that difficult."

After a season on junior varsity, Molly made it to varsity her junior season and has been a key player for the Ponies since then. Following in her mother's footsteps, Molly plays setter for the Ponies and has become one of the leaders on the team.

"Molly came by the position of being the setter naturally," Steph said. "It wasn't that difficult (for her). She worked really hard and she earned that spot."

Molly has led the Ponies in assists over the past few years as the setter for the team. Since her mother was also a setter during her playing career, Molly believes her coaching has made her into the setter she is today.

"She has all the skills for it so if I have any questions, I go to her," Molly said. "It's nice that your coach also used to play the position that you're in now."

Both Molly and Steph have learned from their time together in volleyball over the past two years. During her time on the HHS volleyball team, Molly has learned how to overcome adversity on the court and off the court in the form of injuries. From coaching her daughter, Steph has also learned some valuable lessons.

"Molly has taught me patience," Steph said about seeing her daughter overcome adversity. "When she went through her knee injury two years ago, it taught me how much she really wanted this as a part of her life and was determined to have it be a part of her life and find success in it."

But like with any family relationship, there have been some tough times, too. Like with any sports team, the Ponies have had tough matches and highs and lows.. Since her coach is also her mother, this has put Molly in a unique position.

"There's a lot of ups and downs. Sometimes after a game, I go home very mad at her because she's also my coach," Molly said. "But there's a lot of good that comes out of it. I can relate to her if I want to talk about certain aspects of our team and our game."

Regardless of whatever adversity and friction they may have faced together, Stephanie cherishes the opportunity she got to coach her daughter throughout her high school career.

"Not a lot of people have the chance to do that. To have that time with their kids and especially in a situation that is so positive," Steph said. "I find myself very lucky that I'm in a position to be able to not only help her but her teammates as well."

Before taking over the Blue Pony volleyball program several years ago, Steph had amassed quite the resume in volleyball. In high school at Missoula Big Sky, she played setter and helped her team win the Class AA state championship her senior year. She then played collegiately at Montana Tech before becoming the head coach at Anaconda High School.

After getting married, Steph Huse focused on being a mother and stepped away from the game. It was not until about three years ago when the head coaching position at Havre High School became available did she decide to jump back into the game.

"I was familiar with Molly and all the girls that play with her so I decided that it was time for me to put my hat back in the ring and coach again," Steph said.

That familiarity made it easy for Steph to connect with the players on the volleyball team. Stephanie has coached Molly and other girls on the team in little league softball and travel basketball as they grew up.

Even though they are family, volleyball has helped Stephanie and Molly grow closer. The rest of the Huse family are big into basketball, so volleyball is something special between mother and daughter.

"My favorite sport is volleyball and it's nice that her favorite is also volleyball," Molly said. "I think that's something that we can bond over."

Over these past two years, the Huses and the HHS volleyball team has experienced success. In the fall 2021 season, the Ponies had a strong second year under Stephanie to finish second at the state tournament. This season, the Ponies went undefeated in the regular season and just finished second at the Eastern A Divisionals to once again qualify for the state tournament.

"It's been pretty amazing. When she became the coach, I didn't really have any expectations," Molly said. "Through the years since we've become so successful, I think it's because of a team-oriented idea that she's taught us that we've all been able to buy into."

Even with that hard work and success on the court, Molly has been able to keep up with her academics and experience success there as well. While she is proud of what they have accomplished together on the court, Stephanie is proud of her daughter for handling multiple responsibilities.

"I take a lot of pride in her work ethic. Her dedication and her strength to balance it all is pretty remarkable," Steph said. "I'm just proud of the person that she has become and is about to take that next step, and I think she's in a good position to do that."

Molly and Steph only have one more weekend together as the Ponies will wrap up the year with the state tournament in Bozeman starting Thursday. With the success of this year and their second-place finish at state last year means the Ponies have lofty goals for this weekend's tournament.

"If it does turn out how we want it to, it's going to be pretty incredible," Molly said. "When you're able to be around people every day, whether you're doing volleyball drills or you're just hanging out building that trust, it sets the foundation for the team. So then you're able to go through the season not only working hard but enjoying it too. So I think it would be the fruits of labor if we did get to accomplish that goal."

Once this weekend is over, Molly will have another season of basketball and then softball for the Ponies. In softball, she will get to work with her mother one last time since Steph is an assistant coach for the Ponies. Once her senior year is over, Molly will head off to college. While she is excited about the next step in her life, she is sure to miss playing with her mother and her teammates.

"I'm just going to miss the memories," Molly said. "I think I'm just going to miss every little thing that we've done together. Not just games, but practices, summers living in the gym and breakfast early in the morning together before we have to drive six hours to Bozeman and everything that comes with it. I'm just really going to miss having that sort of sense of family at the high school."

Stephanie, Molly and the rest of the HHS volleyball team will look to end the season with the state tournament this weekend in Bozeman. The Ponies begin the tournament with a match against Hamilton at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse Thursday at noon.