We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
The Chinook sugarbeeters volleyball team is the defending District 6 C East regular-season and tournament champions in fact they're the five-time defending champions.
Head coach Mollie Rose and the girls have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming season and expect another banner year.
The Sugarbeeters will open play this weekend with a non-conference match Friday when they host the Fort Benton Longhorns. Saturday the team will travel to east to take part in the annual Malta Preseason Invitational Tournament.
This tournament will provide the team with some great competition as it is a solid mix of Class B and Class C teams.
This years squad includes four seniors, six juniors, four sophomores and nine freshman.
Senior Sierra Swank returns for the Sugarbeeters after earning Honorable Mention All-State and First Team District 6C-East honors a season ago.
Seniors Jaye Anderson, Carrie Hofer and Erin Pula will also be counted on to provide leadership on the team.
The 'Beeters will also look to junior Kourtney Hanson as she earned District 6C-East Second Team All-Conference honors last fall.
Juniors Rachel Gunderson, Lincy Johnson, Megan Molyneaux, Hannah Wendeln and Ashley MacLeod have experience and will provide depth to the roster.
Sophomores out are: Alyssa Gruszie, Sally Halingstad, Raynee Hasler and Kendra McMaster.
The freshman class includes: Hailey Bell, Jade Cecrle, Virginia Hauer, Crystal Hofer, Delaney Kellam, Jayden Miller, Allyssa Schoen, Rebecca Stroh and Lily Surber.
The Sugarbeeters know what it takes to achieve another District 6C-East championship and early on Coach Rose likes where they are at, "I am extremely excited about this season as my girls, from seniors to freshman, are showing a lot of focus and determination."
The Sugarbeeters have been successful in keeping the numbers up to ensure solid leadership from the upperclassmen, "The seniors are doing a great job of stepping up and being positive role models for the younger girls. Which is a great attribute to see early on in the season," said Rose.
This first weekend in Malta is a great way for an experienced team like Chinook to begin the season, "As we go into the first weekend of games I am looking for our fundamental strengths and weaknesses. This group of girls do an excellent job passing and I hope to see them have success in that area," concluded Rose.
The 'Beeters early season schedule is a good one and features the Chinook Invitational Tournament September 1-2.
The tournament is one of the oldest in the state and again features a some of the top Class B and Class C teams from the Northern Divisions.
Chinook's first conference clash is against the Box Elder Bears on August 31.
The 'Beeters will play the North Star Knights on Thursday September 28 for Homecoming.
The team will recognize there seniors on Tuesday, October 17 when they host Box Elder.
The District 6C-East Tournament will take place in Chester on October 26-27. This year the District will send three teams to the Northern C Division.
Chinook will host the Northern C and will be played November 3-4, The top two teams will then advance to the All-Class State Volleyball Tournament being played in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on the campus of Montana state University Bozeman.
