M-ettes go 0-2 as Malta sets to host Dist. 2B Volleyball Tourney

The final week of the Malta M-ette’s volleyball season saw three starters out of the line-up for their last two games and though they lost both matches, Head Coach Tasha Hines thinks the adversity will only help the team as they head into the post season and beyond.

“That was a huge change for the team, but every game we got stronger all of them,” M-ette’s Head Coach Tasha Hines said.

On Tuesday night, Malta hosted Glasgow in their second to last game of the regular season and fell in three straight sets, 25-12, 25-18 and 25-16.

“We were trying to figure out our rotation without those three starters and they all played better each game,” Coach Hines said. “At one point (later, against Roundup) we had three sophomores on the front line and they did a nice job. Against Glasgow, we were just trying to work the wrinkles out.”

Jenessa Malmend and Chanel Lett led the team in digs, each notching six of the M-ette’s 27. Ella Schye led the team in aces with two of the team’s three, Kyleigh Schipman accounted for all but one of the team’s seven assists and Schye and Kloie Marks each had four of Malta’s 13 kills.

On Thursday night, The M-ettes hosted Roundup and played well, but eventually fell in three sets, 25-18, 25-23 and 28-26 in their last regular season playoff tilt of the year.

“That was some of the best continuous play I think I have seen from them,” Coach Hines said. “They just continued to fight through all three sets … it was great. They left it all out on the court.”

In the loss, Malta was led in digs by Lett who accounted for 13 of the team’s 48, Schye again led the way in M-ette aces with six of the team’s eight, Schipman had 11 of the team’s 17 assist and Schye led the team in \both kills and blocks with eight and one, respectively, while the team totaled 22 kills and the lone block.

Aside from volleyball on Thursday night, the M-ettes and their coaches held “Pink Night” and raised nearly $600 dollars that they will gift to a cancer patient in Phillips County. Prior to the contest against Roundup, Malta coaches and players visited local businesses and gathered donated prizes for a Dollar Serve-Off where crowd members paid $1 for the chance to serve to the M-ette players who stood across the net with prizes. If a M-ette player caught the serve, the person who served it won the prize the player held (the players also hosted a bake sale on the night.)

“It was bigger than just volleyball,” Coach Hines said. “It was great to be able to come together as a team and community to help a person in our community. Joe’s In-and-Out matched the $134 raised through the Dollar Serve-Off and wrote us a $134 check. Thanks to them and everyone who else donated and participated.”

Next up for the M-ettes will be the District 2B Volleyball Tournament which starts this Friday and features M-ettes against Harlem. The winner of that contest will then take on Glasgow at 1 p.m. while the loser of the match will take the court at 3 p.m. in loser-out action. Hines said that many starters who sat out last week will be back in action against Harlem on Friday morning.

“We just need to keep pushing through and playing through the valleys,” Coach Hines said of the upcoming tourney. “If we can keep it tighter as a team, these girls can do some big things.”