Harlem continues to grow volleyball program with more than 30 players out this fall
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Harlem Wildcat Head Coach coach Kim Faulkinberry has done a fantastic job increasing the number of girls out for the past four years. This season Faulkinberry has continued to build on a program that has been trending upward. More than 30 girls were out for practice when the team took the court for the first day of practice and may reach forty after school starts this week..
The Wildcats have been working hard and will open play this Saturday at the Malta Invitational Preseason Tournament.
With the number of kids out, Faulkinberry expects to field Varsity, Junior Varsity and 'C' Squad team at the tournament giving a lot of girls playing time Early on in the season.
The roster currently list 33 girls including five seniors, 11 juniors, 8 sophomores and 9 freshman.
Seniors include Wleesha Bell, Payton Healy, Emily Ramone, Taylor Stiffarm and Lalayna Stiffarm.
Juniors are: Nakota Begay, Tamica Cole, Raegan Conlan, Rylee Conlan, Skylee Dirden, MacKenzie Doney, Autumn Eagleman, Elyssia Horn, Michael Anne Humphreys, Haylee Johnson and Cassidy Johnson.
Sophomores are: Aspen Baker, Lailanee Beaumont, Halee Mills, Aria Owens, Taeshon Stiffarm, Layla Skidmore, Nevaeh Spotted Eagle and J'Lynn Stiffarm.
Freshman getting their first taste of high school athletics are:Lacey Bell, Alexis Bigby, Brandy Calvert, Alaynee Hawley, Tia Kuntz, Cecelia Martin, Tyra Medicine Bears, Brooke Reed and Brianna Williams.
Practice began August 11 and the strong turnout pleases Faulkinberry, "Having 32 girls out for the 2017 volleyball season is a testament to the commitment of the girls to building a solid program."
While the numbers are solid they lack one thing, "With only three seniors we are going to have to depend on our juniors and sophomores to build solid varsity and junior varsity teams. We have nine freshmen who will learn a great deal from the upper class student athletes," commented Faulkinberry.
The girls have been tested early and Faulkinberry is happy with their effort, "I am pleased with our progress through the first week of two a days. The girls are all working hard and are making it difficult for us as coaches to select teams for the upcoming Malta tournament. It is going to have to come down to communication, skill, and team chemistry. It looks as though we will have the numbers to take all three squads to Malta so that should give a better idea of our strengths and areas we need to work on."
Harlem will have a great idea of where they are after the Malta Invitational and that will only help them moving forward.
The Wildcats play in the District 2B with the Malta M-ettes, the Glasgow Scotties, the Wolf Point Wolves and the Poplar Indians.
They will begin match play on Thursday, August 31 against North Country at home.
Their first conference match will be against Malta on Thursday, September 14.
The girls will play Box Elder and Hays/Lodge Pole as well as part of their non-conference schedule.
The team will honor its three seniors on Saturday October 21 when they host the Poplar Indians.
The District 2B Tournament will be held in Malta on October 28-29.
From there the top four teams will advance to the Northern B Divisional Tournament being played at Shelby High School on November 3-4.
The top two finishers at the Northern B will advance to the All-Class State Volleyball Tournament being played in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on the campus of Montana state University Bozeman.
