By Tiffany L. Rehbein
The Havre High volleyball team had been so good for so long, they must have forgotten what it felt like to lose.
They were gently reminded of the feeling Friday and Saturday at the Electric City Invitational at Great Falls, where they placed second in the consolation round.
"Friday was just a disaster," head coach Bill Huebsch said. "Everything we did just wasn't right. Everything we worked on over the break, nothing was there."
The Ponies (1-1, 6-2) opened pool play Friday with an 11-7, 7-11 split with Billings West. Thirteen AA schools and three Class A schools were at the tournament.
In the second match, Havre split with Lewistown, 3-11, 11-9, and they swept Class A Browning 11-3, 11-4 and took a 4-2 record into the evening matches.
However, little did the Ponies know they needed to supply the broom later in the day, as they went on to be swept by Butte, 11-10, 11-9, swept by eventual tournament champion CMR, 11-2, 11-2, swept by Helena Capital, 11-9, 11-4, and then split with Billings Senior, 11-2, 7-11, to close the night.
During only one match on Friday did the Ponies serve more than 90 percent.
But, the Ponies redeemed themselves Saturday, defeating Missoula Hellgate 15-5, 15-2, and Great Falls High, 15-5, 15-9.
The Ponies fell to Central A rival Lewistown 15-8, 15-10 in the consolation championship.
In the two winning matches Saturday, the Ponies served 94 percent against Hellgate and 93 percent against Great Falls. In the match against the Golden Eagles, Havre served just 86 percent.
"We are not siding out when we need to, and they are just not doing the little things," Huebsch said. "I am just glad this is the first part of January, and not the end of February."
Inconsistency plagued the Blue Ponies throughout the weekend.
Against Butte on Friday, the Ponies held a 10-6 lead, but went on to be defeated 11-10 by the Bulldogs.
Saturday against Lewistown, the Ponies had knotted up the game 8-8, before consecutive unforced errors gave Lewistown some momentum to win.
"Saturday, they came back and played two great games," Huebsch said. "Then they fell back into what they were doing the day before. Saturday was better, I mean, 110 percent better, I would just like to have seen our focus a little better in the championship."
The Ponies travel to Chinook Thursday for a non-conference match, and then travel to Lewistown Saturday for a conference match.
C.M. Russell High Pool Team Standings
C.M. Russell High 13-1; Billings Senior 10-4; Billings West 9-5; Butte High 8-6; Helena Capital 7-7; Havre 4-10; Lewistown 4-10; Browning 1-13. Friday's Results -- C.M. Russell swept Lewistown 11-4, 11-8; Billings West split with Havre, 11-7, 7-11; Butte High swept Helena Capital 11-10, 11-7; Billings Senior swept Browning 11-7, 11-6; Lewistown split with Havre 11-3, 9-11; Helena Capital split with C.M. Russell 11-5, 1-11; Billings West split with Browning 11-7, 6-11; Butte High split with Billings Senior 11-9, 10-11; Helena Capital swept Lewistown 11-5, 11-8; Havre swept Browning 11-3, 11-4; C.M. Russell swept Billings Senior, 11-2, 11-10; Billings West swept Butte High 11-8, 11-6; Billings Senior swept Helena Capital 11-8, 11-6; Lewistown swept Browning 11-8, 11-2; Butte High swept Havre 11-10, 11-9; C.M. Russell swept Billings West 11-7, 11-5; Butte High swept Browning 11-3, 11-5; Billings Senior swept Lewistown 11-9, 11-7; Billings West swept Helena Capital 11-10, 11-10; C.M. Russell swept Havre 11-2, 11-2; C.M. Russell swept Havre 11-9, 11-4; Lewistown split with Butte High 11-2, 4-11; Billings West split with Billings Senior 11-9, 4-11; Billings West swept Lewistown 11-1 11-4; C.M. Russell swept Butte High 11-4, 11-1; Billings Senior swept Havre 11-5, 11-2; Helena Capital swept Browning 11-3, 11-9. Great Falls High Pool Team Standings -- Missoula Sentinel 12-2, Kalispell 9-5, Billings Skyview 8-6, Helena High 7-7, Great Falls High 7-7, Bozeman 7-7, Missoula Hellgate 4-10, Missoula Big Sky 2-12.Friday's Results -- Missoula Sentinel split with Great Falls High 11-3, 9-11; Missoula Hellgate split with Billings Skyview 11-7 2-11; Kalispell swept Missoula Big Sky 11-4, 11-2; Bozeman swept Helena High 11-0, 11-6; Missoula Sentinel split with Billings Skyview 11-9, 9-11; Great Falls High swept Missoula Big Sky 11-2, 11-6; Helena High swept Missoula Hellgate 11-2, 11-7; Kalispell swept Billings Skyview 11-8, 11-4; Missoula Sentinel swept Missoula Big Sky 11-2, 11-5; Bozeman split with Great Falls High 11-5, 11-10; Kalispell swept Missoula Hellgate 11-1, 11-6; Bozeman split with Missoula Big Sky 11-7, 2-11; Missoula Sentinel swept Helena High 11-7, 11-9; Billings Skyview swept Kalispell 11-6, 11-10; Missoula Hellgate split with Great Falls High 11-7, 3-11; Missoula Sentinel swept Bozeman 11-8, 11-3; Kalispell swept Helena High 11-4, 11-1; Great Falls High split with Billings Skyview 11-7, 5-11; Missoula Hellgate swept Missoula Big Sky 11-6, 11-6; Great Falls High split with Helena High 11-10, 2-11; Missoula Big Sky split with Billings Skyview 11-7, 10-11; Missoula Sentinel swept Kalisepll 11-3, 11-7; Bozeman swept Missoula Hellgate 11-10, 11-6; Kalispell swept Great Falls High 11-10, 11-5; Missoula Sentinel swept Missoula Hellgate 11-4, 11-3; Bozeman swept Billings Skyview 11-0, 11-10; Helena High swept Missoula Big Sky 11-7, 11-1. Champoinship Bracket (at CMR) Quarterfinals-- C.M. Russell High def. Helena High, 15-9, 15-3; Billings West def. Kalispell, 8-15, 15-7, 15-5; Missoula Sentinel def. Butte High 15-13, 4-15, 15-11; Billings Senior def. Billings Skyview 16-14, 15-8. Semi-finals -- C.M. Russell High def. Billings West 15-9, 15-9; Missoula Sentinel def. Billings Senior 15-13, 8-15, 15-8. Championship -- C.M. Russell High def. Missoula Sentinel 15-9, 16-14. Loser-out -- Kalispell def. Helena High 15-11, 15-17, 15-12; Billings Skyview def. Butte High 15-13, 8-15, 15-5; Kalispell def. Billings Senior 15-6, 2-15, 16-14; Billings West def. Billings Skyview 15-12, 12-15, 15-10; Billings West def. Kalispell 12-15, 15-9, 15-8 (West finishes third, Kalispell fourth).Consolation Bracket-- (at GFH) Quarterfinals -- Helena Capital def. Missoula Big Sky 5-15, 15-10, 15-13; Lewistown def. Bozeman 15-12, 15-10; Great Falls High def. Browning 15-7, 15-2; Havre def. Missoula Hellgate 15-5, 15-2. Semi-finals -- Lewistown def. Helena Capital (score not available); Havre def. Great Falls High 15-9, 15-5. Championship -- Lewistown def. Havre 15-8, 15-10. Loser-out -- Bozeman def. Missoula Big Sky (NA); Missoula Hellgate def. Browning (NA); Bozeman def. Great Falls High (9-15, 15-11, 15-10); Helena Capital def. Missoula Hellgate (NA).
