Blue Ponies look to stay hot

The Havre High volleyball team has been rolling through its conference schedule, but it is now time for a pair of non-conference matches to end the week. Tonight, the Blue Ponies will head on the road to play Browning. The Ponies will then host East Helena for their homecoming match Saturday.

As the Ponies head into this weekend, HHS head coach Cassie Krueger hopes to see continued improvement from her team.

"Our biggest focus is going to be on our serving game and our serve-receive," Krueger said. 

The Ponies start the weekend tonight on the road against Browning. The Browning Indians have had their struggles this season as Havre defeated them, 3-0, earlier in the season. But if the Ponies are unprepared, Krueger knows Browning can provide a fight.

"They are just a team that can't be underestimated," Krueger said. "We have to just play our game and focus on our side of the net."

The Ponies will then return to Havre to play East Helena Saturday in their homecoming match. The Vigilantes are 2-6 this season and have already lost, 3-0, to Havre earlier this year. However, Krueger knows the Vigilantes can be a tough opponent.

"They can be very scrappy and very smart offensively," Krueger said. "So we have to do the exact same thing and focus on our side of the net and just make sure our game is top notch."

The Ponies are off to a strong start this season with a 6-1 record and three straight wins. As the Ponies head into these matches, Krueger wants them to carry over what they have done well so far this season.

"I believe in just keeping a steady defense and serve-receive so that we can run a smooth offense and start getting a little bit more versatile with it," Krueger said. "That would be really good for us."

Along with a good overall record, the Ponies are 4-0 in the Northeast A. While these matches against Browning and East Helena will be non-conference, Krueger hopes to use them for improvement so they can stay hot once they return to conference play this fall.

"They can help us fine tune our game," Krueger said. "Just focus on working together and solving for solutions on our side of the net. And focusing on our serving; that is going to be our number one focus."

The HHS volleyball team will play Browning on the road tonight at 7:15 p.m. The Ponies will then play East Helena at Havre High Gymnasium Saturday at 4 p.m.