Griz end season with sweep of Bobcats

Saturday, November 14

Missoula, Mont.

7:00 PM

Montana

8-20, 4-12BSC

Montana State *

3-21, 1-15BSC

Montana State

Montana

11/14/2015 10:34:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

You're up, Lady Griz.

One night after the men's basketball team rallied back to defeat Boise State, just hours after the football team's dominating victory over Eastern Washington and on the eve of the women's basketball team's season opener against Seattle, the Griz volleyball team did its part to keep things rolling.

Behind 20 kills from Hannah Sackett, Montana soundly defeated Montana State at the West Auxiliary Gym Saturday night in the season finale for both teams, 25-21, 25-17, 25-18.

The Grizzlies (8-20, 4-12 BSC) hit .236, their best hitting percentage in their last seven matches, but the sweep was the result of the team's defensive effort. Montana State hit .069, the lowest percentage for a Montana opponent this season.

Montana came up a few victories short of making the Big Sky Conference tournament, but sweeps over rivals in the final match of the season have a way of salving all wounds.

"I love the way we came out and played with passion, spirit and heart tonight," said first-year coach Brian Doyon. "I thought we showed a lot of pride and character. I'm really proud of the way we competed."

Sackett, a Montana native who transferred from West Virginia last spring, was the match's difference-maker on a night that celebrated her one season in the program. She was one of two seniors recognized before the match. Both went out with individual performances that led to the sweep.

Sackett had 20 kills on .357 hitting and unleashed her wicked jump serve for the first time this season. Capri Richardson hit .385 and led both teams with five blocks.

"I was kind of nervous before the match. I was thinking, Gosh, if I don't have a good game, that's how I'm going to go out?" Sackett said. "I'm just happy with the schedule that we were able to have a home game with MSU for my senior night."

She didn't have even one of Montana's six service aces, but Sackett's serve still had the visitors on their heels. Montana State, especially in the third set, sent a number of Sackett's serves right back over the net, easy pickings and part of the reason the Grizzlies hit .297 in the final set.

"I love jump serves. They are so much more fun than float serves," said Sackett, who took 13 jump serves in addition to her 42 swings as an outside hitter.

"With the amount of attempts I get per set, I wouldn't make it through a match if I also jump-served. But now that I don't have to maintain my legs for anything, I thought, I'm going for it."

The loss was the 14th in a row to close the season for Montana State (3-21, 1-15 BSC), but first-year coach JJ Riley had his team prepared.

The opening set was tied at 21 before Montana closed it out with four straight points, and it was only late in the second set before the Grizzlies gained comfortable separation.

In the end, the Bobcats just made too many errors. Thirty-seven for a three-set match.

"MSU came out and played tough," said Doyon, whose team lost 3-1 to MSU in Bozeman in late September. "They had a lot of answers for what we were doing, but our girls kept their composure and played well the whole match.

"We knew they were going to run a lot of slides and some crossing patterns. We wanted to be able to identify them and get some good digs off them and be able to transition well, and we did that."

Sackett had 20 of Montana's 40 kills for the match, and she had plenty of help. Richardson had six kills on .385 hitting and the five blocks, and Brianna Gardner had five kills on .231 hitting. Raegan Lindsey had 28 assists, seven digs, three blocks and a match-high three service aces.

Richardson, who played sparingly as a freshman and sophomore, ends her career with a .292 hitting percentage. That would be the third-best percentage in program history if she had played more earlier in her career and had enough attacks to qualify.

"For Capri to hit .385 with five blocks, that's a pretty nice night," said Doyon. "She's been an emotional leader for us. She was fired up to come out and play well tonight."

And so the curtain closes on year one under Doyon, who was hired in January. The season started on a high, with two straight wins to open the season at Air Force's tournament, and concludes with a sweep of Montana State.

"Regardless of the wins and losses this season, I'm really proud of how hard the team worked. Coming in as a new coach and trying to change the culture, it was great to have the support of the athletes," said Doyon.

"The drive and determination they showed this season and the fight to be better, even when we were no longer in tournament contention, shows the pride they have, not only in themselves but in the program and school as well."