GREAT FALLS — Last season, Great Falls High's volleyball team finished with only six wins. Although, the first seven contests of this new fall slate have seen the Bison prevail victorious in five matches.
Now with play in Class AA's Eastern division upcoming, the Bison look to keep moving in the right direction.
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"We've worked a lot over the offseason," senior captain Bree MacDonald said prior to Tuesday's practice at the school. "This summer we've been putting a lot of work in the gym and then that's really carried over, and it's proved itself that it's actually paying off."
"We have the will to win, and no matter how down we are, we can always come back from it," junior captain Aunika Clemons said.
A highlight thus far for the Bison came in a match at home against Helena, where Great Falls trailed two sets to none and came back to win in five.
MacDonald and Clemons said the team's bond is a big reason the Bison are able to fight back like that.
"Having that trust in your teammates is what's going to win you games," MacDonald said. "That's all that's going to happen."
"We hope to just keep on going how we're going, and just keep improving and getting better," Clemons said.
This group is cohesive, head coach Nicole Kilian said.
"There's nothing like facing competition and being able to rise up in the moment," Kilian said. "I think this group of girls has every bit of talent and mental ability to rise up in any challenge and defeat anyone."
Great Falls has seen its share of struggles in years past, but Kilian said she implemented something new for the program during the offseason.
"The word that went through my brain this summer was champion," Kilian said. "We are working on changing that mindset to being a champion mindset."
The Bison think the positive momentum gained from the five wins thus far will roll into conference play, MacDonald and Clemons said.
"I really hope to take (the wins so far) and take all our highs and take all the good things we've learned and carry that over," MacDonald said. "And kind of drop the negative things that have happened."
"We need to embrace that they are going to be challenging games and we're going to have to go into them with the right mindset," Clemons said. "I think we can do good things and hopefully make it to state."
The first two Eastern games for Great Falls come this Friday and Saturday in Billings against Senior and Skyview, respectively.
