M-ettes face adversity at Chinook Invitational

One week after winning the Malta Volleyball Invitational, the Malta M-ettes struggled in the Chinook Invitational thanks in part to injuries to starting athletes.

“We were trying a new rotation and we have some injuries right now,” M-ettes Co-Coach Kalli Rummel told the PCN. “So, really we were trying to rest girls so they can get healthy for this next week and throughout the season.”

The Malta M-ettes would go 1-3 in the tournament portion of the Chinook Invitational, after entering the tourney in the third place spot.

Pitted against the home team in the opening round on Friday evening, Malta would lose to the Chinook Sugarbeeters. The games were the best out of three sets to 25.

“All weekend we kind of struggled with a lack of communication,” Coach Rummel said. “One of our girls that talks the most was on the bench with an injury and we are trying to get her healthy but I think a huge part was losing that talk throughout the games.”

The team would bounce back in the elimination bracket, defeating the Conrad Cowboys.

“I think that after realizing that they weren't talking, they started to talk more and they played more confident at the net,” Coach Rummel said. “They were swinging through and our back row had awesome defense.”

Kyleigh Schipman proved to be quite the force defensively for Malta in their win over Conrad.

“She kind of held our team together and had some amazing digs,” Coach Rummel said. “And though she is not our tallest player by any means, she really stepped up at the front row and earned us some points.”

The team was ultimately eliminated from the tournament by Cut Bank who would eventually take fourth place at the event.

“I think we lost our communication again and that was huge,” Coach Rummel said. “There were just times that no one was talking and they were just going through the actions. Things were clicking for us in the first set and we couldn't get it together in the second set.”

Simms won the event's championship by defeating Glasgow. Chinook defeated Cut Bank in the third place game.

In pool play, Malta went 2-2, first defeating CJI 30-27, then falling to Simms 20-30. The team then bounced back and defeated Geraldine-Highwood 30-15. Malta was then defeated by Shelby 30-15.

The M-ettes are scheduled to face Glasgow in Glasgow on Thursday, September 6, and then will come back home to Poplar at 1 p.m. in the Malta High School Gymnasium.

“Glasgow is a young and growing team, so they have lots of energy,” Coach Rummel said. “They are always good competition, so we will look at some good volleyball that night.”

The team faces Chinook in Malta for the M-ettes' home opener on Tuesday, September 4. Information from that game will be available in next week's PCN.