Skylights take the court for real this weekend

George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor

[email protected]

They say practice makes perfect. But in sports, perfect is never realistic, at least not very often.

So as the Montana State University-Northern volleyball team prepares to open the season today in Butte, the Skylights are hoping practice has led them to being ready to strive for perfection.

Northern opens the season with four matches at the Big Sky Challenge in Butte, starting with today’s matches against Corban College and Eastern Oregon. And while the Skylights have been hard at work for three weeks now, and head coach Bill Huebsch has really liked what he’s seen from his team so far, he says it’s definitely time for the Skylights to test themselves against an actual opponent.

“One thing that has me excited is how well these kids have bonded as a group already,” Huebsch said. “We haven’t been playing together for very long, but they already feel like a very tight group. The chemistry on and off the court is really good with these kids. And they really compete and work hard every day. They have been very sharp in practice and our scrimmage too. So I know they’re excited to see someone else across the net from them, and I’m excited to see them get out there and see what they can do.”

Northern, which went 2-10 in the Frontier a year ago, will certainly have a new look this season after Huebsch brought in a large and talented recruiting class. However, the Skylights will be more experienced than they were a year ago, led by a talented group of veterans.

Northern returns starters Emily Russell (5-8, Sr., S), Cassie Krueger (6-0, Jr. OH), Cydney Auzenne (5-10, Jr., OH), Jacy Vining (5-7, Sr., DS) and Kylie Pasieka (5-7, Jr., DS/L), and that group gives Huebsch a lot of veteran leadership. Also back is junior MH Mikayla Virostek (6-0, So.), and she should see increased playing time as well this season. Russell was the full-time setter a year ago, while Krueger led the team in kills and Vining led the way in digs.

Of course, new faces will also emerge and give the Skylights the depth they may have been lacking last year. Among newcomers who could shine this season are Timi Severson (6-0, Fr. OH/MH), Jillian Nickens (5-11, Fr., OH), Madison Weaver (5-11, Jr., MH) and Hannah Amtmann (5-4, Fr. L).

“The great thing about this roster is we’ve got some really talented young kids, and they’re pushing the veterans higher every day in practice,” Huebsch said. “So that’s exciting. It’s exciting to see the depth we have now. Now we have options at every position, and we’ll be able to put some different players in when we need too, or when things maybe just aren’t working as well. We just weren’t able to do that last season.”

And the Skylights will find out just how well both the veteran leadership, and the newfound depth will pay off, because, they’ll be tested right away in Butte.

Opening against Corban College of Oregon should be a winnable match for the Skylights, but then they’ll face a perennial national tournament team in EOU, which is currently ranked 8th in the NAIA. On Saturday, MSU-N will play Evergreen State of Washington in the Morning before closing out the tournament with Northwestern State of Washington in the afternoon. Northwestern State is also receiving votes in the NAIA Preseason Coaches Poll, so right away, the Skylights will see some strong competition.

And that’s exactly what Huebsch is excited for. He wants to see just where his team stacks up, and where they have to go from there.

“That’s what these first three weeks are all about,” Huebsch said. “We want to be challenged. We want to find out where we’re at. And the goal is to get better every day, and with every match. We’re going to see some very good teams in the first few weeks of the season, and that’s a good thing. But, we’re also going into these matches with the mind set that we want to win them all, too.

“So that’s really exciting, and I’m excited to get out there and see what they do against other teams,” he continued. “I think, if we just improve every day, improve every week, this is going to be a really exciting year for these kids. This team will be a lot of fun to watch.”

Northern plays Corban this morning, before taking on EOU tonight at 5. On Saturday, the Skylights battle Evergreen State at 11 a.m. and Northwestern State at 3 p.m. All of the action takes place at the HYPER on the campus of Montana Tech in Butte.