Thursday, November 15
Missoula, Mont.
7:00 PM
Montana
vs
Weber State
Photo by: Derek Johnson
Griz volleyball closes regular season with plenty on line
11/13/2018 11:47:00 PM | Volleyball
Montana vs. Weber State / Thursday / 7 p.m. / Missoula, Mont.
Montana at Idaho State / Saturday / 7 p.m. / Pocatello, Idaho
Consider it Senior Night 2.0. The Montana volleyball team hosted Southern Utah nearly two weeks ago, and prior to the match recognized its six-member senior class. There wasn't much celebrating, though, as the Thunderbirds went on to beat the Grizzlies in straight sets.
But that wasn't the last home match of the season, meaning Montana has another chance Thursday night vs. Weber State. And boy is it a big one.
Head coach Allison Lawrence and her team took a different approach last week, choosing to focus more on the process rather than the results, and it seemed to work. Montana was competitive against first-place Idaho – a team that hasn't lost since September – before sweeping Eastern Washington on the road.
"We're coming off of a really solid performance on the road, so we're feeling good," Lawrence said. "We were the aggressor the entire match vs. Eastern, and we used our physicality to get up over their block, and that's what led to a strong night offensively."
The Grizzlies will carry the process-driven philosophy to this week, but it's hard to ignore that big elephant in the room. Thanks to the team's three-set win at Eastern Washington, the Grizzlies' magic number to clinch a postseason berth for the first time since 2014 is down to one.
With two matches to play, a Montana win OR a Southern Utah loss this week will punch the Grizzlies' ticket to Greeley, Colo., for the 2018 Big Sky Championship.
"We know what a win would mean," Lawrence said. "It's our last home game and there will be a lot of extra emotions. I feel like we believe we are a tournament team and are playing at that level, and we're excited to have an opportunity to show that."
The challenge facing the Grizzlies won't be easy, as Montana plays a pair of teams tied for third place in the conference standings (Weber State Thursday in Missoula, Idaho State Saturday in Pocatello). The Thunderbirds host winless Eastern Washington on Thursday before traveling to first-place Idaho on Saturday.
Weber State has won three consecutive matches – two of which were to tournament teams. Idaho State has picked up five consecutive victories entering Thursday night's match at Montana State.
Fans can celebrate Montana's senior class and the program's best season in a half-decade Thursday night at 7 p.m. Fans can get in free by donating five canned-food items. All Montana faculty and staff and their families also get in free with their Griz Card. During the match, the team will be giving away two free tickets to Saturday's sold-out Brawl of the Wild football game.
ACROSS THE LEAGUE
While seven of the eight spots for next week's Big Sky tournament are locked up, there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding seeding. Most notably, first-place Idaho will travel to second-place Northern Arizona on Thursday night for the teams' only meeting of the year. The winner will have the inside track to the regular-season title with one match to play.
Lawrence on Weber State: "Weber State is extremely physical. They block well, they attack really high and they have a lot of size and power. They've beat a lot of really good teams, but if you can get the ball past their block they can be susceptible; that's how we beat them last year. If we can match their physicality and hit at a high enough percentage to keep up with them, I think our ball control puts us in a position to win those close sets."
SERIES VS. THE WILDCATS
Montana owns a 48-30 advantage over Weber State, including a 26-10 mark at home. Overall, the Grizzlies are 10-4 vs. WSU over the past decade, winning four of the past six matches and the only meeting in 2017. In that match, Montana earned its first conference win of the season and first conference road win in nearly two years. Missy Huddleston had a then-career-high 23 kills on .400 hitting, while Baily Permann had 15 kills at a .483 clip. Silerolia Gaogao had 33 digs in her first start at libero.
ABOUT IDAHO STATE
Lawrence on Idaho State: "Idaho State has an incredible amount of size and some pretty deadly pins that, when they get going, kind of carry their team. They have a senior outside hitter that is very hard to stop. We need to slow her down and get a few of our players hitting at a high percentage."
SERIES VS. THE BENGALS
Montana owned a 41-36 advantage over Idaho State, despite losing eight in a row in the series. Montana is 15-23 vs. the Bengals in Pocatello and is looking for its first road win in the series since 2009. Last year, in a five-set loss, the Grizzlies nearly overcame an 0-2 deficit. Missy Huddleston had 13 kills, Mykaela Hammer had 12 kills and three blocks, and Pocatello native Baily Permann had nine kills and six blocks.
TALKING HISTORY
NUMBERS WATCHING
IN THE RANKINGS
Several Grizzlies rank among the Big Sky leaders for several statistical categories:
But that wasn't the last home match of the season, meaning Montana has another chance Thursday night vs. Weber State. And boy is it a big one.
Head coach Allison Lawrence and her team took a different approach last week, choosing to focus more on the process rather than the results, and it seemed to work. Montana was competitive against first-place Idaho – a team that hasn't lost since September – before sweeping Eastern Washington on the road.
"We're coming off of a really solid performance on the road, so we're feeling good," Lawrence said. "We were the aggressor the entire match vs. Eastern, and we used our physicality to get up over their block, and that's what led to a strong night offensively."
The Grizzlies will carry the process-driven philosophy to this week, but it's hard to ignore that big elephant in the room. Thanks to the team's three-set win at Eastern Washington, the Grizzlies' magic number to clinch a postseason berth for the first time since 2014 is down to one.
With two matches to play, a Montana win OR a Southern Utah loss this week will punch the Grizzlies' ticket to Greeley, Colo., for the 2018 Big Sky Championship.
"We know what a win would mean," Lawrence said. "It's our last home game and there will be a lot of extra emotions. I feel like we believe we are a tournament team and are playing at that level, and we're excited to have an opportunity to show that."
The challenge facing the Grizzlies won't be easy, as Montana plays a pair of teams tied for third place in the conference standings (Weber State Thursday in Missoula, Idaho State Saturday in Pocatello). The Thunderbirds host winless Eastern Washington on Thursday before traveling to first-place Idaho on Saturday.
Weber State has won three consecutive matches – two of which were to tournament teams. Idaho State has picked up five consecutive victories entering Thursday night's match at Montana State.
Fans can celebrate Montana's senior class and the program's best season in a half-decade Thursday night at 7 p.m. Fans can get in free by donating five canned-food items. All Montana faculty and staff and their families also get in free with their Griz Card. During the match, the team will be giving away two free tickets to Saturday's sold-out Brawl of the Wild football game.
#GoGriz fans, Saturday's #GrizCat football game is SOLD OUT, but we have a pair of tickets.
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) November 12, 2018
We'll be giving them away at Thursday's #GrizVB match. Be there for your chance to win! pic.twitter.com/ARMpCV5BmY
ACROSS THE LEAGUE
While seven of the eight spots for next week's Big Sky tournament are locked up, there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding seeding. Most notably, first-place Idaho will travel to second-place Northern Arizona on Thursday night for the teams' only meeting of the year. The winner will have the inside track to the regular-season title with one match to play.
- The No. 3 through 6 teams – Weber State, Idaho State, Sacramento State and Northern Colorado – are all separated by two games and could rise or fall in that window depending on this week's results.
- Most notable to Griz fans, the attention of scoreboard waters will be on Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds need to win both matches this week to have a shot at supplanting Montana for the final postseason berth. Southern Utah hosts winless Eastern Washington on Thursday (6:30 p.m.) before traveling to first-place Idaho on Saturday (7 p.m.).
- Portland State entered the week two games back from Montana, but the Grizzlies own a potential tiebreaker, meaning the Vikings have no chance of finishing in the top eight.
- Montana and Montana State play the same teams this week – with the Bobcats hosting Idaho State and traveling to Weber State. The two rivals are tied in the conference standings right now, but Montana would surpass Montana State for the No. 7 seed with a better record this week.
ABOUT WEBER STATE🎞️ We picked up a big road win last night at Eastern Washington!
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) November 10, 2018
📰 https://t.co/98y357YcLi#GrizVB #GoGriz #MontanaTough pic.twitter.com/PYEaOzaKEP
- WSU enters the week on a three-match winning streak and tied for third place at 11-5.
- WSU leads the conference with 2.02 service aces per set, led by Ashlyn Power (0.61 per set, first). Overall, the Wildcats have three of the top nine servers in the Big Sky.
- Power ranks in the top 30 nationally for both service aces (10th) and assists (30th).
- In addition to service aces, the Wildcats rank second in the league with 2.52 blocks per set, led by Hannah Hill's 1.12 (fourth). Hill also ranks third in Big Sky play with a .398 conference hitting percentage.
- Overall, Hill is hitting .414 on the year, the sixth-best hitting percentage in the nation.
- Andrea Hale leads WSU with 3.62 kills per set (sixth in Big Sky). Megan Gneiting (3.02) is also averaging more than three kills per set.
Lawrence on Weber State: "Weber State is extremely physical. They block well, they attack really high and they have a lot of size and power. They've beat a lot of really good teams, but if you can get the ball past their block they can be susceptible; that's how we beat them last year. If we can match their physicality and hit at a high enough percentage to keep up with them, I think our ball control puts us in a position to win those close sets."
SERIES VS. THE WILDCATS
Montana owns a 48-30 advantage over Weber State, including a 26-10 mark at home. Overall, the Grizzlies are 10-4 vs. WSU over the past decade, winning four of the past six matches and the only meeting in 2017. In that match, Montana earned its first conference win of the season and first conference road win in nearly two years. Missy Huddleston had a then-career-high 23 kills on .400 hitting, while Baily Permann had 15 kills at a .483 clip. Silerolia Gaogao had 33 digs in her first start at libero.
ABOUT IDAHO STATE
- ISU has won five consecutive matches entering the week, moving into a tie for third place in the Big Sky standings.
- ISU ranks in the top four in the conference for every statistical category aside from service aces (sixth).
- The Bengals have hit .317 or better as a team in three of their past four matches.
- Junior Haylie Keck ranks second in Big Sky play with 5.87 digs per set (18th in NCAA). She is the first player in ISU history with 600 digs in a season.
- Sophomore Chelsea Johnson ranks second in Big Sky play with 11.51 assists per set (18th in NCAA).
- Abby Garrity leads ISU with 3.98 kills per set (fourth in Big Sky, 55th in NCAA). She also ranks in the top 50 for attacks and points per set.
Lawrence on Idaho State: "Idaho State has an incredible amount of size and some pretty deadly pins that, when they get going, kind of carry their team. They have a senior outside hitter that is very hard to stop. We need to slow her down and get a few of our players hitting at a high percentage."
SERIES VS. THE BENGALS
Montana owned a 41-36 advantage over Idaho State, despite losing eight in a row in the series. Montana is 15-23 vs. the Bengals in Pocatello and is looking for its first road win in the series since 2009. Last year, in a five-set loss, the Grizzlies nearly overcame an 0-2 deficit. Missy Huddleston had 13 kills, Mykaela Hammer had 12 kills and three blocks, and Pocatello native Baily Permann had nine kills and six blocks.
TALKING HISTORY
- Montana's nine victories are its most in a season since 2013.
- Montana's six Big Sky wins are its most since 2014 (also six). The Grizzlies won just five conference matches in 2016 and 2017 combined.
- Montana's five home victories are its most since 2013, and a win on Thursday vs. Weber State would match the team's home win total from 2015-17 combined.
- Montana has won three true road matches. The Grizzlies had just one each of the past two seasons.
- With its wins over Eastern Washington (Oct. 11 and Nov. 9), Montana earned a season sweep over a Big Sky opponent for the first time since 2015.
- The Grizzlies opened Big Sky Conference play with three consecutive victories, marking their best start since 2006. With five wins through their first seven conference matches entering mid-October, Montana's 5-2 start had only been accomplished one other time since 1995.
- Montana won five consecutive home matches from Sept. 1 through Oct. 11, its longest home winning streak since 2011.
- From Sept. 15-25, Montana won four consecutive matches overall, its longest winning streak since 2013.
NUMBERS WATCHING
- Outside hitter Mykaela Hammer last week recorded her 200th career block. The senior is also six away from 900 career kills. The versatile player also has more than 600 digs and 50 service aces.
- Hammer has played in 105 career matches, starting 85 of them. She has started 32 matches in a row and 68 of her past 69.
- Junior setter Ashley Watkins has 2,450 career assists, a figure which ranks sixth in UM history.
- Watkins won't reach triple digits for career matches played until next year, but the setter is on pace to, and has started 43 matches in a row and 59 of Montana's last 60.
- True freshman libero Sarina Moreno enters the week with 385 digs on the season, 52 away from cracking Montana's single-season top-10 list.
- True freshman middle blocker Olivia Bradley is currently hitting at a .315 clip, which would be the third-best in UM single-season history.
- Senior outside hitter Cassie Laramee is 17 kills away from reaching 500 for her career.
- McKenzie Kramer is two blocks away from 150 for her career.
- Junior outside hitter Missy Huddleston last week surpassed 600 career kills.
- Senior defensive specialist Silerolia Gaogao surpassed 500 career digs last week, an impressive feat considering she was an outside hitter for her first two seasons.
IN THE RANKINGS
Several Grizzlies rank among the Big Sky leaders for several statistical categories:
- Olivia Bradley's .367 Big Sky hitting percentage ranks fourth in the league and first among freshman attackers. She has two of UM's top-three individual hitting percentages this season, including a .625 clip (10-0-16) vs. Eastern Washington.
- Mykaela Hammer's 3.74 kills-per-set average in Big Sky play ranks fifth. She has led the Grizzlies for kills 17 times this season, hitting in double figures 16 times.
- Ashley Watkins ranks sixth in Big Sky play with 10.54 assists per set.
- Sarina Moreno ranks seventh in Big Sky play with 4.55 digs per set.
- Missy Huddleston's 24 kills vs. Gonzaga are the seventh-most by a Big Sky athlete this season. Hammer's 23 vs. Sacramento State rank eighth.
- Watkins' 46 assists vs. Portland State are the most in a three-set match this season.
Players Mentioned
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