By Tiffan L. Rehbein
The Class C Big Sandy Pioneers got a little taste of Class A volleyball action Thursday at Big Sandy.
Class A Havre got a little taste of losing in a small town.
The Pioneers' junior varsity squad defeated the Blue Pony freshman team 15-8, 13-15, 15-11, 15-9.
The Pioneer varsity team, under direction of head coach Kamee Kunick, defeated the Havre junior varsity 15-5, 15-5, 13-15, 15-11.
"They were consistent," Kunick said about her varsity team. "They played smart."
The Pioneers served well, an area in which they had struggled during the pre-Christmas season.
Senior Jessica Curl notched three aces, while the team tallied seven in the win.
Senior Tamara Davis smoked a team-high 11 kills in the match. Eryn Darlington, also a senior, tallied three. Junior Tara Havnicka notched four in the match.
Curl, the only setter on the team, tallied 21 assists.
Darlington had four saves, while Davis and Curl had three apiece.
"One of our greatest strengths is the leadership in the upperclassmen," Kunick said.
Throughout the season, Davis, Darlington, and Curl should look to lead the Pioneers.
The Havre frosh, who focus on serving and defense in the first year of high school play, were led in serving by Sherry Winchell and Kacie Kitchens. They tallied four aces apiece in the loss.
Defensively, Kitchens had 15 attempts at the ball with six perfect passes.
Crystal Pyrak had nine attempts with three perfect passes, and Brooke Schwan, a setter for the young Ponies, had nine attempts with four perfect passes.
Schwan, Pyrak, and Jenna Erhard served tough for Havre, collecting some aces for naught in the loss.
The Blue Ponies travel to Chester Saturday with the freshman playing at 10 and 11:30 a.m.
The Pioneers travel to Joplin Friday and KG Saturday for some conference volleyball action.
