The Chinook Sugarbeeters and Harlem Lady Cat volleyball teams have gotten off to a fantastic start this season. As the teams reach the midway point of the schedule, both were looking to continue the momentum they have generated.

The Sugarbeeters welcomed the Chester Joplin Inverness Hawks to town for a homecoming contest Thursday night and treated a rowdy home crowd to a 3-0 sweep to remain undefeated in District 6C-East play.

The Sugarbeeters then headed to Fort Benton on Saturday for a rematch with a very tough Longhorn team. Fort Benton defeated the Sugarbeeters in the opening week of the season three sets to one. The 'Beeters would get their revenge after spotting the Longhorns the first two games of the contest by winning the last three, to win the match 3-2 and even the season series with the Longhorns.

Harlem started the week with a tough 3-1 loss to the North Country Mavericks but rebounded with a 3-0 sweep of the Rocky Boy Morning Stars on Thursday. The Lady Cats then headed to Roundup on Saturday to take part in a mid-season tournament. In Roundup the Lady Cats performed very well finishing second in the ten team tournament.

Thursday night in Chinook, the 'Beeters wasted little time and taking control of the conference clash with the visiting Hawks.

Chinook raced out to an early lead in the opening set and cruised to a 25-10 first set win. Set number two was more of the same as Chinook again started fast and coasted to a 25-11 second set win.

The 'Beeters then closed out the Hawks with a 25-15 third set victory to win the match 3-0 and remain undefeated in District 6C- East play.

Junior Delaney Kellam led the 'Beeter attack with 10 kills while senior Kendra McMaster had five in the contest. Junior Ginger Hauer set the hitters up with 16 assists. Junior Lily Surber served up four aces. Hauer and junior Crystal Hofer each recorded three on the night.

In Fort Benton on Saturday, the Sugarbeeters were looking to take on a very tough Longhorn team that many consider to be a favorite in the Northern C.

Fort Benton started strong, taking the opening set 25-16. The Longhorns then quickly went up 2-0 with a 25-19 second set win to push the visiting Sugarbeeters to the edge.

The 'Beeters have proven to be a resilient team this year and with their backs against the wall they began to turn things around against the Longhorns. Chinook rallied in the third set for a 25-19 win to cut the Longhorn lead in half two sets to one.

Chinook kept that momentum going in set number four and delivered a resounding 25-15 fourth set win to even the match at two sets apiece.

In the fifth and deciding set it was the Sugarbeeters that had what it took to get the job done as they closed out the Longhorns was an impressive 15-11 win to defeat Fort Benton three sets to two and even the season series with each team winning on the others court..

Kellam again paced the 'Beeter attack with 12 kills on the night. Junior Hailey Bell added nine kills in the contest and junior Jayden Miller four. Hauer recorded 20 assists in the win and Hofer and Surber each served up three aces in the big Northern C win.

The Sugarbeeters will travel to Big Sandy to take on the Pioneers in a District 6C-East contest on Friday and then head back to Fort Benton Saturday to take part in the Longhorns mid-season tournament.

The Harlem Lady Cats began play last week by welcoming the North Country Mavericks to town Tuesday evening. North Country took the first set 25-22 and the second 25-21 to go up 2-1 on the Lady Cats. Harlem bounced back in the third set with a 25-21 win of their own to cut the deficit to 2-1. North Country however was able to turn things around in the fourth set and closed out Harlem with a 25-21 set win to take the match 3-1.

The Lady Cats got back on the winning track Thursday evening with a 3-0 sweep over the visiting Rocky Boy Morning Stars. Harlem started fast and coasted to a 25-11 opening set win over the visitors.

Harlem then closed out the Morning Stars with a 25-18 second set win and a convincing 25-14 third set when to complete the sweep of their Northern B foe.

The Lady Cats then headed to Roundup on Saturday for a 10 team mid-season tournament. In pool play Harlem defeated the Forsyth JV 15-12, 15-4 to begin today and then blitzed the Malta M-ettes 15-6, 15-7.

In the afternoon the Lady Cats took down the Roundup JV 15-8, 15-14 and then split with Custer/Hysham 14-15, 15-9 winning the contest based on points.

Harlem entered bracketed tournament play as the number one seed. In their first match the Lady Cats defeated the Roundup JV 25-15, 25-16 to advance to the championship match against Forsyth. In the chipper the lady cats were defeated 25-7 25-20 to finish second and the tournament.

Harlem will be on the road this week to take on the Poplar Indians in a District 2B contest on Friday October 4th. Saturday the Lady Cats will be in Wolf Point for another District 2B contest against the Wolves.

Chinook 3 Chester J/I 0

Chester J/I 10 11 15 - 0

Chinook 25 25 19 - 3

Team Stats: Chester/J-I - Kills N/A; Assists N/A; Digs N/A; Blocks N/A; Aces N/A.

Chinook - Kills 21 (Delaney Kellam 10); Assists 19 (Ginger Hauer 16); Digs 48 (Ginger Hauer 11, Hailey Bell 10); Blocks 2 (Delaney Kellam 2); Aces 11 (Lily Surber 4, Crystal Hofer 3, Lily Surber 3)

Chinook 3 Fort Benton 2

Chinook 16 19 25 25 15 - 3

Fort Benton 25 25 19 15 11 - 2

Team Stats: Chinook - Kills 32 (Delaney Kellam 12, Hailey Bell 9); Assists 25 (Ginger Hauer 20); Digs 80 (Jayden Miller 22, Delaney Kellam 13, Ginger Hauer 13); Blocks 5 (Delaney Kellam 4); Aces 8 (Crystal Hoer 3, Ginger Hauer 3)

Fort Benton - Kills 42 (Mckenzie Clark 19, Abby Clark 10); Assists 35 (McKenna Hanford 20, Maci Molinario 15); Digs 39 (Jasmine Wilson 10, Nicole Axtman 8); Blocks 11 (McKenzie Clark 5, Abby Clark 4); Aces 9 (Maci Molinario 3, McKenzie Clark 3)

North Country 3 Harlem 1

North Country 25 25 21 25 - 3

Harlem 22 21 25 21 - 1

Team Stats: North Country - Kills 29 (Kia Wasson); Assists 25 (Jaycee Erickson 14); Digs 86 (Elise Strommen 27); Blocks 13 (Jaydyn Erickson 5); Aces 6 21 (Danika Soper 5).

Harlem - Kills 31 (Layla Skidmore 12); Assists 23 (Taeshon Scheaffer 13); Digs 70 (Taeshon Scheaffer, Nevaeh Spotted Eagle 21); Blocks 22 (Layla Skidmore 10); Aces 31 (Aria Owens 9

Harlem 3 - Rocky Boy 0

Junior Ginger Hauer back sets to freshman Bree Swanson during third set action of the 'Beeter sweep of the Hawks.

Rocky Boy 11 18 14 - 0

Harlem 25 25 25 - 3

Team Stats: Rocky Boy - NA; Harlem - NA

Roundup Tournament

Pool Play: Harlem beat Forsyth JV 2-0, 15-12 15-4; Harlem beat Malta 2-0, 15-6 15-7; Harlem beat Roundup JV 2-0, 15-8 15-14; Harlem beat Custer/Hysham 1-1, 14-15 15-9.

Tournament Play: Harlem beat Roundup JV 2-0, 25-15 25-16; Harlem lost to Forsyth 2-0, 25-7 25-20.