Thursday, October 4
Cedar City, Utah
6:30 PM
Montana
at
Southern Utah
Montana faces longest road trip
10/2/2018 4:23:00 PM | Volleyball
Montana at Southern Utah / Thursday / 6:30 p.m. / Cedar City, Utah
Montana at Northern Arizona / Saturday / 8 p.m. MT / Flagstaff, Ariz.
The start to Big Sky Conference play – with four matches in an eight-day span – was a blur. Once one match was complete, it was time to scout and prepare for the next opponent. There was no time to rest, or even reflect on what was being achieved on the court.
Now, after a bye over the weekend, the Grizzlies had a full week in between matches.
First things first, the team rested. Once returning to Missoula on Friday, the team had two full days away from volleyball, something head coach Allison Lawrence called 'a healthy checkout'.
"Having two days off is a luxury in our season," Lawrence said. "I hope our team spent time with friends and family, and got some studying in and caught up on some sleep. The weekend off is something that will propel us into the next two weeks."
In addition to rest, however, Lawrence was also able to reflect – for a minute or two – on the start her team is off to. Last week's loss at Northern Colorado was disappointing, less so because of the final result and more because of the lack of intensity the team played with. But two weeks into Big Sky play, Montana sits at 3-1, with three victories over three teams ranked higher than the Grizzlies in the preseason poll.
"We've had a great start, and we're really excited about where we're at right now," Lawrence said. "It's exciting to see all of the hard work we've been putting in finally have some substance with results."
Montana's 3-1 start is its best since 2006. With seven weeks to play in the regular season, the team has already matched last year's conference win total. But the team also knows that in order to reach its goals, it can't reflect on the past or what it has accomplished. There's still a lot of volleyball to be played, and two new challengers in front of them this week – both on the road.
"While our start has given us confidence in a lot of areas, we need to really understand that the real work is ahead of us," Lawrence said. "Every day is the same, no matter what our past success or failure has been."
First up this week is a Southern Utah team that is struggling through a 2-14 start to the year. The Thunderbirds, however, are coming off of a road win over Portland State over the weekend, and feature one of the league's top attackers in Janet Kalaniuvalu (league-best 12.51 attacks per set).
Playing on the road is never easy, but this road trip is particularly challenging. After flying in to Las Vegas on Wednesday, the team will take a 2.5-hour bus ride northeast to Cedar City. The Grizzlies will get a workout in Wednesday evening before playing the Thunderbirds on Thursday night. Then, on Friday, it's a five-hour bus trip to Flagstaff, Arizona, where the Grizzlies will play Northern Arizona the following day.
Northern Arizona has one of the nation's top back-court defenses – currently ranked 17th nationally for digs per set – but also has a strong offense, ranking in the top three in the Big Sky for hitting percentage and service aces. The Lumberjacks are 2-2 in Big Sky play (prior to Thursday's match vs. Montana State), with wins over Portland State and Weber State. Most impressive, however, was a non-conference home win over No. 8 Florida. The Gators haven't lost since, and are currently ranked 11th in the country.
"It's our longest road trip, in terms of distance traveled and hours put in, and that adds a little weight," Lawrence said. "Southern Utah has some losses but is hyper athletic, and when they're all in rhythm and playing well they can be dangerous. We need to take care of business on our side of the net. NAU has some big wins and is a really tough team to play in Flagstaff. You have to be really mentally tough in order to execute at a high level."
TALKING HISTORY
Montana has won four of its past five matches entering the week, and along the way has accomplished several rare feats:
Several individuals rank among the Big Sky leaders for several statistical categories:
Sept. 25 was a special night for the Montana volleyball team. Not only did the Grizzlies defeat rival Montana State in come-from-behind fashion to even the all-time series ledger at 56-56, but with the victory, Montana improved to 3-0 in Big Sky play for the first time since 2006.
What's more, though, the match was played in front of 1,314 fans, the largest crowd since 2009 and the 10th-largest on record.
"That was probably one of the most special moments for me in eight years here," head coach Allison Lawrence said. "To see the crowd that showed up for that match, along with the band, it was such a unique energy, and really gave us excitement and motivation. It was a special night for our program, and I'm really proud of our performance."
Montana is 4-2 at home this season, with its two losses coming to top-30 national teams.
The Grizzlies and Thunderbirds have played each season since 2011, with Montana going 5-4 overall and 2-2 in Cedar City. In a five-set home win last October, UM hit .281 behind 22 kills from Missy Huddleston, 20 from Mykaela Hammer, 16 from Maddy Marshall and 10 from Baily Permann. Setter Ashley Watkins had a career-high 66 assists. Huddleston had 11 kills in a 2016 meeting in Cedar City (3-1 loss), while Alexis Urbach had 17.
ABOUT NORTHERN ARIZONA
Montana first played NAU in 1980, and the two teams have played each year since 1987. The Grizzlies hold a 33-31 advantage overall and are 13-16 in Flagstaff. UM, though, is looking for its first win at NAU since 2010. UM has lost five in a row on the road and four straight overall. Mykaela Hammer, Missy Huddleston and Alexis Urbach have all recorded double-digit kills vs. NAU.
LOOKING AHEAD
Following three consecutive matches on the road, Montana will return home to host Eastern Washington (Oct. 11) and preseason favorite Idaho (Oct. 13).
Complete Match Notes in PDF format
Now, after a bye over the weekend, the Grizzlies had a full week in between matches.
First things first, the team rested. Once returning to Missoula on Friday, the team had two full days away from volleyball, something head coach Allison Lawrence called 'a healthy checkout'.
"Having two days off is a luxury in our season," Lawrence said. "I hope our team spent time with friends and family, and got some studying in and caught up on some sleep. The weekend off is something that will propel us into the next two weeks."
In addition to rest, however, Lawrence was also able to reflect – for a minute or two – on the start her team is off to. Last week's loss at Northern Colorado was disappointing, less so because of the final result and more because of the lack of intensity the team played with. But two weeks into Big Sky play, Montana sits at 3-1, with three victories over three teams ranked higher than the Grizzlies in the preseason poll.
"We've had a great start, and we're really excited about where we're at right now," Lawrence said. "It's exciting to see all of the hard work we've been putting in finally have some substance with results."
Montana's 3-1 start is its best since 2006. With seven weeks to play in the regular season, the team has already matched last year's conference win total. But the team also knows that in order to reach its goals, it can't reflect on the past or what it has accomplished. There's still a lot of volleyball to be played, and two new challengers in front of them this week – both on the road.
"While our start has given us confidence in a lot of areas, we need to really understand that the real work is ahead of us," Lawrence said. "Every day is the same, no matter what our past success or failure has been."
First up this week is a Southern Utah team that is struggling through a 2-14 start to the year. The Thunderbirds, however, are coming off of a road win over Portland State over the weekend, and feature one of the league's top attackers in Janet Kalaniuvalu (league-best 12.51 attacks per set).
Playing on the road is never easy, but this road trip is particularly challenging. After flying in to Las Vegas on Wednesday, the team will take a 2.5-hour bus ride northeast to Cedar City. The Grizzlies will get a workout in Wednesday evening before playing the Thunderbirds on Thursday night. Then, on Friday, it's a five-hour bus trip to Flagstaff, Arizona, where the Grizzlies will play Northern Arizona the following day.
Northern Arizona has one of the nation's top back-court defenses – currently ranked 17th nationally for digs per set – but also has a strong offense, ranking in the top three in the Big Sky for hitting percentage and service aces. The Lumberjacks are 2-2 in Big Sky play (prior to Thursday's match vs. Montana State), with wins over Portland State and Weber State. Most impressive, however, was a non-conference home win over No. 8 Florida. The Gators haven't lost since, and are currently ranked 11th in the country.
"It's our longest road trip, in terms of distance traveled and hours put in, and that adds a little weight," Lawrence said. "Southern Utah has some losses but is hyper athletic, and when they're all in rhythm and playing well they can be dangerous. We need to take care of business on our side of the net. NAU has some big wins and is a really tough team to play in Flagstaff. You have to be really mentally tough in order to execute at a high level."
TALKING HISTORY
Montana has won four of its past five matches entering the week, and along the way has accomplished several rare feats:
- The Grizzlies opened Big Sky Conference play with three consecutive victories. It marked the fifth time in the 31-year history in the league that UM has started Big Sky play 3-0, including the first time since 2006 and second since 1995.
- Currently at 3-1, it is the ninth time a UM team has won three of its first four Big Sky matches, and the first since 2006.
- From Sept. 15-25, Montana won four consecutive matches overall, its longest winning streak since 2013.
- The Grizzlies are currently on a four-match home winning streak, its longest since 2011.
Several individuals rank among the Big Sky leaders for several statistical categories:
- Mykaela Hammer's 3.75 kills-per-set average in Big Sky play ranks fourth. Her 23 kills vs. Sacramento State (Sept. 20) are the most by any player in a Big Sky match this season.
- Olivia Bradley ranks sixth, including first among freshmen, with a .356 Big Sky hitting percentage. Her .524 hitting percentage vs. Montana State (14 kills) is the best by a UM player this season.
- Ashley Watkins ranks fourth in Big Sky play with 10.93 assists per set.
- Baily Permann ranks eighth in Big Sky play with 1.06 blocks per set.
- Sarina Moreno ranks 10th in Big Sky play with 4.06 digs per set.
Sept. 25 was a special night for the Montana volleyball team. Not only did the Grizzlies defeat rival Montana State in come-from-behind fashion to even the all-time series ledger at 56-56, but with the victory, Montana improved to 3-0 in Big Sky play for the first time since 2006.
What's more, though, the match was played in front of 1,314 fans, the largest crowd since 2009 and the 10th-largest on record.
"That was probably one of the most special moments for me in eight years here," head coach Allison Lawrence said. "To see the crowd that showed up for that match, along with the band, it was such a unique energy, and really gave us excitement and motivation. It was a special night for our program, and I'm really proud of our performance."
Montana is 4-2 at home this season, with its two losses coming to top-30 national teams.
ABOUT SOUTHERN UTAHMONTANA WINS THE BRAWL OF THE WILD!#GrizVB #GoGriz #MontanaTough pic.twitter.com/rpHDAgMv14
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) September 26, 2018
- SUU is just 2-14 on the season, but is coming off of a 3-1 victory at Portland State. Prior to that win, SUU had lost nine in a row. Its other win came Sept. 1 vs. Jacksonville State.
- The Thunderbirds are 0-2 at home this season.
- Sophomore OH Janet Kalaniuvalu leads the Big Sky with 12.51 attacks per set, a figure which ranks ninth in the country. She averages a team-best 3.69 kills per set (third in BSC), more than double the next-best teammate.
- Kalaniuvalu had 22 kills and 18 digs in SUU's win over Portland State last weekend.
- Sophomore MB Anna Hopkins ranks 10th in Big Sky play, averaging 0.98 blocks per set.
- The Thunderbirds' top statistical category is service aces (seventh in Big Sky). Three players lead them with 14 aces apiece.
- However, SUU ranks last in the Big Sky for digs and assists and second to last for hitting percentage and kills.
The Grizzlies and Thunderbirds have played each season since 2011, with Montana going 5-4 overall and 2-2 in Cedar City. In a five-set home win last October, UM hit .281 behind 22 kills from Missy Huddleston, 20 from Mykaela Hammer, 16 from Maddy Marshall and 10 from Baily Permann. Setter Ashley Watkins had a career-high 66 assists. Huddleston had 11 kills in a 2016 meeting in Cedar City (3-1 loss), while Alexis Urbach had 17.
ABOUT NORTHERN ARIZONA
- Enters the week with a 10-7 mark overall, including a 2-2 record in Big Sky play. The Lumberjacks defeated Portland State and Weber State and lost to Idaho State and Sacramento State.
- NAU ranks 17th in the NCAA with 17.59 digs per set. The team has four players averaging at least 3.0 digs per set, led by libero Jordan Anderson (4.50).
- NAU ranks in the upper half of the Big Sky for every statistical category, including first for digs and opponent hitting, second for attacking, and third for aces.
- Abby Akin (27) and Aubrea Banfield (23) have combined for 50 service aces, and both rank in the top three in the Big Sky. Akin also ranks third in the Big Sky for hitting (.361) and seventh for blocking (1.06).
- NAU runs a 6-2 offense and has three players averaging between 2.3 and 3.0 kills per set.
- NAU placed fifth in the Big Sky in 2017, returning each starter from that team.
- The Lumberjacks defeated No. 8 Florida last month on their home court. NAU also has a 3-0 win over Gonzaga, a team UM beat in five sets.
Montana first played NAU in 1980, and the two teams have played each year since 1987. The Grizzlies hold a 33-31 advantage overall and are 13-16 in Flagstaff. UM, though, is looking for its first win at NAU since 2010. UM has lost five in a row on the road and four straight overall. Mykaela Hammer, Missy Huddleston and Alexis Urbach have all recorded double-digit kills vs. NAU.
LOOKING AHEAD
Following three consecutive matches on the road, Montana will return home to host Eastern Washington (Oct. 11) and preseason favorite Idaho (Oct. 13).
Complete Match Notes in PDF format
Weekly Press Conference with Allison Lawrence https://t.co/XHRA6gN35A
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) October 1, 2018
Players Mentioned
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