M-ettes Younger, But Learning Fast in '23

The Malta M-ette Volleyball team is a lot younger in terms of age and experience this season.

The group will be without Allison Kunze, Addy Anderson, Rylee Hines, Madison Williamson, Kennedy Koss, Brylee French, Tia Siewing, and Dally Niebur, who all graduated this past spring.

The team does welcome back Head Coach Tasha Hines, who replaces Mary Kalal, who replaced Hines during the 2022 season. Hines has ten years of high school coaching experience, and four as the head coach of the Malta M-ettes. She co-coached with Kalli Rummel from 2016-2018. Rummel is also back as her assistant coach and JV coach, as well as Emma Oyler, who will coach C-Squad games.

"We have a young group, a very excited and fun group," Coach Hines said. "We don't bring a lot of varsity experience but that's quickly changing, they are learning so fast and playing well!

The team's lone returning starter is Denvyr Tuss. Tuss will be joined by four returning seniors that include Addi Ulrich, Kataya Killeagle, Elly Anderson and Giona Lamb. Ulrich, KillEagle, and Anderson are this year's team captains.

"Kataya is a Middle Blocker and has really increased her defense speed and size at the net, she's doing a great job," Coach Hines said. "Addison Ulrich is an Outside Hitter who plays all the way around, she has a great read on defense and a smart look on offense, she's a very smart player all the way around. Elly Anderson is our Libero, she has a lot of energy and reads very well in that middle back position, she's loud and just a lot of fun. All three captains are leading by example, and it's showing on the floor."

All four seniors have logged minutes as starters, but Lamb is out with a shoulder injury.

The team also has three juniors including starter Ava Hanson, Macey Blunt, and Kelbie Nelson and six sophomores. The sophomores listed on the varsity roster include starter Kendall Clausen, Neva Jacobson, as well as Tuss.

"Our goal is to be a fast tempo team that utilizes out of system balls as well as in a system which controls the amount of free balls that we send, and it's working," exclaimed Coach Hines. "We definitely need to lessen our serve receive errors but all the girls have really stepped up their game as a whole, we've come so far in so little time, it's very exciting."

Though Coach Hines led the team to state in 2021, there was no mention of state as a goal as of yet.

"We talk about individual goals before each match, and each girl hones in on things she needs to work on, we write them down on the white board and then after the match we look at that board, to see if we met those goals and visit on what else we need to include to meet those," Coach Hines said. "The first part of our season was just getting our feet under us, so this week we will sit down and look at season goals and further the individual ones."

Though the regular season has been a struggle, the M-ettes have been steadily improving according to Coach Hines.

"We are just so stinking proud of these girls, the way they push through, work together and give it their all with great attitudes to boot," Coach Hines said. "We still have things to learn but a great foundation has been set to build on at this point."

The team picked up their first regular season win against Poplar last Friday, September 8, in Poplar. The scores were 25-19, 25-18, 14-25, and 25-19.

The M-ettes were led by Clausen who had 12 of Malta's 29 kills. Nelson had four of the team's 13 aces. Jacobson had 14 of 26 assists, and Tuss had three of four blocks.

Malta lost a heartbreaker to the rival Glasgow Lady Scotties in Malta last Thursday, September 8. The scores were 25-22, 23-25, 20-25, and 25-20 in the fourth set. The M-ettes were up in the five set, but fell 15-13.

Tuss had a team-leading 10 kills. Jacobson had 25 assists, Nelson had 14 digs, Hanson had six aces. Hanson, KillEagle, and Tuss each had two blocks.

Malta will face the Harlem Wildcats on Thursday, September 14 in Malta at 4:30 p.m. They will then host the Fairview Warriors on Friday, September 15, at 3 p.m.

2023 Malta Volleyball

Game Schedule

DAY DATE EVENT Time SITE

Friday Aug. 11 First Day of Practice TBA

Saturday Aug. 26 Malta Invitational 9:00 AM Malta

Friday Sept. 1 Shelby 3:00 PM Malta

Saturday Sept. 2 at Chinook Invitational TBA Chinook

Thursday Sept. 7 Glasgow 4:30 PM Malta

Friday Sept. 8 at Poplar 4:30 PM Poplar

Thursday Sept. 14 Harlem 4:30 PM Malta

Friday Sept. 15 Fairview 3:00 PM Malta

Saturday Sept. 16 at Wolf Point 1:00 PM Wolf Point

Thursday Sept. 21 at North Country 4:30 PM Whitewater

Friday Sept. 22 at Glasgow 1:00 PM Glasgow

Saturday Sept. 23 at Shelby 2:00 PM Shelby

Thursday Sept. 28 Chinook 4:00 PM Malta

Saturday Sept. 30 at Choteau Mid-Season Invitational TBA

Saturday Oct. 7 Wolf Point ~ Homecoming/Pink Night 1:00 PM Malta

Thursday Oct. 12 at Harlem 4:30 PM Harlem

Friday Oct.13 at Cut Bank 3:00 PM Cut Bank

Saturday Oct. 14 Poplar - Senior Night 2:00 PM Malta

Saturday Oct. 21 at Fairview 1:00 PM Fairview

Postseason

Fri./Sat. Oct. 27-28 District 2B Tournament Glasgow

Thu./Fri./Sat. Nov. 2-3-4 Northern B Divisional Tournament Malta

Thu./Fri./Sat. Nov. 9-10-11 Class B State Tournament Bozeman