By Jason Shoot
Despite trailing early in all three games of Friday's volleyball match against Chinook, Havre eventually displayed more depth and better execution in a 15-5, 15-3, 15-11 sweep at the Havre High gym.
Chinook scored the first three points of the opening game and led 4-1 until Havre rallied with a decisive 13-0 run that put the game away.
The two teams battled back and forth early in the second game, forcing sideouts and being unable to take advantage of opportunities offensively.
But the Blue Ponies, trailing 1-0, finally found themselves in the midst of a 9-0 run to take a 9-1 lead. Chinook was unable to close the gap to less than six the rest of the second game.
The Beeters took a 2-0 lead in the third game over a Havre team that came out a little flat. The Ponies responded and traded leads with Chinook before grabbing a 6-5 advantage.
Chinook continued to battle and tied the game at 9-all on Miranda Sather's ace. Lindsey Erskine then served Chinook's next point to give the Beeters a 10-9 lead.
Following several sideouts, Havre's Julie Wagner served an ace to knot the score again at 10-10. LaShae Michels and Jeri Matter each had kills to push the score to 12-10.
The Beeters scored to close within one point, but Wagner served Havre's next three points to close out the match.
"We have come a long ways from last weekend just playing as a team," Havre coach Lacy Whitright said. "We had much better passing.
"This gave us the opportunity to play other people in other combinations," Whitright said. "It hard when you're scrimmaging against the same people all the time. You need different competition."
