Thursday, November 22
Greeley, Colo.
4:30 PM
Montana
vs
Idaho
Photo by: Todd Goodrich
Montana back in postseason for 1st time since 2014
11/21/2018 12:24:00 PM | Volleyball
Montana (No. 7) vs. Idaho (No. 2) / Thursday / 4:30 p.m. / Greeley, Colo.
BACK IN THE TOURNAMENT
The Montana volleyball team made it a stated goal throughout the season that this group wanted to be the team that broke through and returned to the Big Sky tournament. It was a feat that hadn't happened since 2014, before any current player was on the court.
After winning just two conference matches in 2016, Montana increased that number to three in 2017. There was a visible improvement on the court from 2016 to 2017, the first year under head coach Allison Lawrence, but 2018 is when the growth felt real to the head coach.
"It's just so cool to see this group be rewarded and see the things we've been working on, really since January 2017, start to come together," Lawrence said. "There's a visible difference from last year to this year, and I'm just so proud of them."
Montana won its first three conference matches of 2018 and jumped out to a 5-2 start, putting the Grizzlies in strong position to reach their main goal. Then came an eight-match losing skid, and while Montana never fell out of the top eight, the race became much tighter following a Nov. 3 loss to Southern Utah.
Without momentum, Montana showed its mettle by winning two of its final three matches down the stretch – both on the road – to not only qualify for the tournament but also pass rival Montana State and finish as the No. 7 seed. The program's ticket was punched on the final night, knocking off Idaho State, a team that had won six straight matches and entered the week tied for third in the league.
"That win was a big testament to how focused and driven they were to keep going, even through adversity," Lawrence said. "We didn't have the second half of conference that we wanted to, but we kept learning, kept showing up, kept fighting and kept finding ways to be a better team for each other and with each other.
"Being in the tournament for the first time in a long time, it's kind of hard to put into words. I'm incredibly proud of the kids for pulling through and really responding to every situation we were in."
Now that they've qualified, the Grizzlies' first order of business is an Idaho team that led the league for the majority of the season and has won 13 of its past 14 matches. It's a tall order, but Montana is starting to find its form, as well, winning two of its last three and learning more about its identity.
"We feel like we are in charge of how we show up, more than we did in the middle of the season," Lawrence said. "It feels good. If we focus on the right things, we can be the team we want to be. It gives us confidence and it's empowering, and now we just have to figure out how to keep it going and take it to the next level."
Montana and Idaho face off in the quarterfinals Thursday at 4:30 p.m. from Greeley, Colo. The match will be streamed for free on Pluto TV (channel 231) and WatchBigSky.com. (Lawrence on making the conference tournament)
"Making the conference tournament has always been a No. 1 goal, along with a lot of cultural things we wanted to change. It's been a top priority for us, just to show what road we're walking down and where it's leading. We now have an outcome that reflects the changes we're making. It's a really big deal, and a dream come true, and a big step in the right direction."
ABOUT MONTANA
ABOUT IDAHO
SERIES VS. THE VANDALS
The series vs. Idaho dates back to Montana's first-ever match, in 1975. The Grizzlies are 27-37 vs. the Vandals, including 0-3 mark in the Big Sky tournament. UM took Idaho to five sets at home in 2017, losing a heartbreaker that included a Set-4 score of 30-28 and Set-5 score of 19-17. The Vandals won both matches during the 2018 regular season. In the first meeting, in Missoula, no Grizzly was in double figures for kills, as Idaho hit .306 in a three-set win. Earlier this month, in Moscow, Montana was competitive in two of the sets, including Set 1, in which Montana led 20-14 before losing 25-23. The Grizzlies were led by sophomore Baily Permann (10 kills on .600 hitting, four blocks) and were blocked just five times, Idaho's second-lowest blocking total of the season. Montana is looking for just its second win vs. Idaho since 2000.
"They are very physical. They are big athletes in every way," head coach Allison Lawrence said. "They jump high, they run the fastest offense in the conference, they have the best blocking numbers in the conference. They are a force to be reckoned with, for sure.
"Our physicality matches theirs, but we have to control the ball. Last time we played, when we served the ball well, we were ahead 20-14 (in Set 1), and then we went on a serve-receive breakdown. If we can win the serving and passing game, both teams will hit and block well, so we'll see what happens."
MONTANA IN THE BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP
HAMMER TIME
There's been plenty of transition and change surrounding Mykaela Hammer over the past five years, playing for three different head coaches and switching positions four times, but the one thing that has remained the same is the 6-1 player. In a world of transferring and jumping from school to school for the next big thing, Hammer stuck it out.
"We live in an age where instant gratification is paramount, but Mykaela was committed to herself, her program and her university for the long haul," head coach Allison Lawrence said.
The persistence and dedication became even more rewarding on Tuesday, when Hammer was named to the All-Big Sky Conference first team, a 12-member team selected by the league's head coaches. She is the first Grizzly to earn all-conference recognition since 2015, and the 14th player to ever earn first-team recognition.
Not only does she lead the Griz offense, but her 3.78 kills-per-set average ranks fifth in the entire conference. She's led the team for kills 18 times this season, including a career-high 23 in a come-from-behind win over Sacramento State, a team that enters this week's conference tournament as a top-four seed. The six-rotation player does it all for the Griz, ranking second on the team for digs, second for blocks and fourth for service aces.
During her career, she's played in more than 100 career matches and recently surpassed 900 career kills. The senior will also graduate (with two degrees, mind you) with more than 600 career digs, 200 blocks and 50 service aces. Just seven other players in the history of the program have reached each of those milestones, and just one other during the 21st century.
TALKING HISTORY
NUMBERS WATCHING
IN THE RANKINGS
Several Grizzlies rank among the Big Sky leaders for several statistical categories:
LOOKING AHEAD
With a win on Thursday, Montana would advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2013. The Grizzlies would play the winner of No. 3 Weber State/No. 6 Northern Colorado (Friday at 7 p.m. MT).
Complete Match Notes in PDF format, including more notes, charts and player pages
The Montana volleyball team made it a stated goal throughout the season that this group wanted to be the team that broke through and returned to the Big Sky tournament. It was a feat that hadn't happened since 2014, before any current player was on the court.
After winning just two conference matches in 2016, Montana increased that number to three in 2017. There was a visible improvement on the court from 2016 to 2017, the first year under head coach Allison Lawrence, but 2018 is when the growth felt real to the head coach.
"It's just so cool to see this group be rewarded and see the things we've been working on, really since January 2017, start to come together," Lawrence said. "There's a visible difference from last year to this year, and I'm just so proud of them."
Montana won its first three conference matches of 2018 and jumped out to a 5-2 start, putting the Grizzlies in strong position to reach their main goal. Then came an eight-match losing skid, and while Montana never fell out of the top eight, the race became much tighter following a Nov. 3 loss to Southern Utah.
Without momentum, Montana showed its mettle by winning two of its final three matches down the stretch – both on the road – to not only qualify for the tournament but also pass rival Montana State and finish as the No. 7 seed. The program's ticket was punched on the final night, knocking off Idaho State, a team that had won six straight matches and entered the week tied for third in the league.
"That win was a big testament to how focused and driven they were to keep going, even through adversity," Lawrence said. "We didn't have the second half of conference that we wanted to, but we kept learning, kept showing up, kept fighting and kept finding ways to be a better team for each other and with each other.
"Being in the tournament for the first time in a long time, it's kind of hard to put into words. I'm incredibly proud of the kids for pulling through and really responding to every situation we were in."
Now that they've qualified, the Grizzlies' first order of business is an Idaho team that led the league for the majority of the season and has won 13 of its past 14 matches. It's a tall order, but Montana is starting to find its form, as well, winning two of its last three and learning more about its identity.
"We feel like we are in charge of how we show up, more than we did in the middle of the season," Lawrence said. "It feels good. If we focus on the right things, we can be the team we want to be. It gives us confidence and it's empowering, and now we just have to figure out how to keep it going and take it to the next level."
Montana and Idaho face off in the quarterfinals Thursday at 4:30 p.m. from Greeley, Colo. The match will be streamed for free on Pluto TV (channel 231) and WatchBigSky.com. (Lawrence on making the conference tournament)
"Making the conference tournament has always been a No. 1 goal, along with a lot of cultural things we wanted to change. It's been a top priority for us, just to show what road we're walking down and where it's leading. We now have an outcome that reflects the changes we're making. It's a really big deal, and a dream come true, and a big step in the right direction."
ABOUT MONTANA
- Montana won 10 matches during the regular season, its highest total since 2013, including seven conference wins. The Grizzlies won just five conference matches in 2016 and 2017 combined.
- Following an eight-match losing skid, Montana has won two of its past three matches.
- Montana won five consecutive home matches from Sept. 1-Oct. 11.
- Senior OH Mykaela Hammer became Montana's first all-conference selection since 2015. She ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 3.78 kills per set.
- MB Olivia Bradley ranks sixth in Big Sky play with a .340 hitting percentage, best among all freshmen. She also ranks 10th with 0.32 service aces per set.
- Junior setter Ashley Watkins has 2,525 career assists (sixth in UM history). Her 10.56 assists-per-set average in 2018 ranks sixth during conference play.
- Montana has used three liberos, but freshman Sarina Moreno has started each of the past 26 matches. Her 4.49 Big Sky digs-per-set average ranks seventh.
- UM improved in every statistical category from 2016 to 2017, including a 40-percent increase in blocking (132-spot improvement nationally).
- The Grizzlies returned every player who earned a start in 2017, in addition to 99.9% of their kills, 99.5% of their blocks, 95.7% of their assists, 83.6% of their service aces and 81.6% of their digs.
ABOUT IDAHO
- Idaho is 21-9 (15-3 Big Sky) in 2018, finishing tied with Northern Arizona for the regular-season conference championship.
- Idaho enters the week having won 13 of its past 14 matches dating back to the start of October.
- The Vandals lead the Big Sky in four of seven statistical categories (hitting percentage, assists, kills, blocks). They rank second for opponent hitting, third for digs and fifth for service aces.
- Idaho ranks in the top 30 nationally for hitting percentage (.261) and blocking (2.65 per set).
- Idaho returned four starters and its libero from last year's team. Among the returners are OH Sarah Sharp (first-team All-Big Sky), MB Devonne Ryter (first-team All-Big Sky), OH Kaela Straw (first-team All-Big Sky) and OH/L Alicia Wodke (second-team All-Big Sky). Senior OH Reece Carman also earned second-team honors.
- The Vandals have three players averaging at least 3.0 kills per set, led by Sharp (4.04, fifth in BSC).
- Wodke, the 2018 co-libero of the year, averages 5.33 digs per set (34th in NCAA).
- Freshman Nikki Ball leads the league with 1.23 blocks per set. Ryter ranks fifth, giving the Vandals two of the top five blockers.
- Ryter (.414 in conference play) ranks second in the Big Sky and 16th nationally for hitting. Her 0.33 service aces per set rank ninth in the conference.
- Carman is also in the top 10 in the conference for hitting (.318, eighth) and kills (3.10, ninth).
SERIES VS. THE VANDALS
The series vs. Idaho dates back to Montana's first-ever match, in 1975. The Grizzlies are 27-37 vs. the Vandals, including 0-3 mark in the Big Sky tournament. UM took Idaho to five sets at home in 2017, losing a heartbreaker that included a Set-4 score of 30-28 and Set-5 score of 19-17. The Vandals won both matches during the 2018 regular season. In the first meeting, in Missoula, no Grizzly was in double figures for kills, as Idaho hit .306 in a three-set win. Earlier this month, in Moscow, Montana was competitive in two of the sets, including Set 1, in which Montana led 20-14 before losing 25-23. The Grizzlies were led by sophomore Baily Permann (10 kills on .600 hitting, four blocks) and were blocked just five times, Idaho's second-lowest blocking total of the season. Montana is looking for just its second win vs. Idaho since 2000.
"They are very physical. They are big athletes in every way," head coach Allison Lawrence said. "They jump high, they run the fastest offense in the conference, they have the best blocking numbers in the conference. They are a force to be reckoned with, for sure.
"Our physicality matches theirs, but we have to control the ball. Last time we played, when we served the ball well, we were ahead 20-14 (in Set 1), and then we went on a serve-receive breakdown. If we can win the serving and passing game, both teams will hit and block well, so we'll see what happens."
MONTANA IN THE BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP
- Montana qualified for the Big Sky Championship for the first time since 2014.
- Overall, this is the Grizzlies' 18th appearance in the tournament, more than all current and past teams aside from Northern Arizona (21) and Eastern Washington (19).
- The Grizzlies are Montana is looking for its first win in the tournament since 2013 (quarterfinals vs. Northern Arizona).
- The No. 7 seed is 0-4 all-time vs. the No. 2 seed. Montana has played as the No. 7 seed one other time, falling to North Dakota in 2014.
- Montana advanced to the tournament finals five years in a row from 1990-94, winning it all in 1991.
- The Grizzlies and Vandals have met three times in the tournament, playing each other in the finals in three consecutive seasons (1992-94).
Weekly Press Conference with Allison Lawrence https://t.co/QWyaQo0Z61
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) November 19, 2018
HAMMER TIME
There's been plenty of transition and change surrounding Mykaela Hammer over the past five years, playing for three different head coaches and switching positions four times, but the one thing that has remained the same is the 6-1 player. In a world of transferring and jumping from school to school for the next big thing, Hammer stuck it out.
"We live in an age where instant gratification is paramount, but Mykaela was committed to herself, her program and her university for the long haul," head coach Allison Lawrence said.
The persistence and dedication became even more rewarding on Tuesday, when Hammer was named to the All-Big Sky Conference first team, a 12-member team selected by the league's head coaches. She is the first Grizzly to earn all-conference recognition since 2015, and the 14th player to ever earn first-team recognition.
Not only does she lead the Griz offense, but her 3.78 kills-per-set average ranks fifth in the entire conference. She's led the team for kills 18 times this season, including a career-high 23 in a come-from-behind win over Sacramento State, a team that enters this week's conference tournament as a top-four seed. The six-rotation player does it all for the Griz, ranking second on the team for digs, second for blocks and fourth for service aces.
During her career, she's played in more than 100 career matches and recently surpassed 900 career kills. The senior will also graduate (with two degrees, mind you) with more than 600 career digs, 200 blocks and 50 service aces. Just seven other players in the history of the program have reached each of those milestones, and just one other during the 21st century.
Mykaela Hammer has lived in 5 states, has played for 3 head coaches and has switched positions 4 times.
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) November 20, 2018
The one thing that has remained constant is her.
📰 https://t.co/IYPWlJuJv1#GrizVB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/cwmp3dwatp
TALKING HISTORY
- Montana's 10 victories are its most in a season since 2013.
- Montana's seven Big Sky wins are also its most since 2013. The Grizzlies won just five conference matches in 2016 and 2017 combined.
- Montana's five home victories were its most since 2013.
- Montana won four 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.
- Montana averaged 583 fans per match in 2018, a 20 percent increase from 2017 and the highest average in 23 years.
MONTANA WINS!!#GrizVB #GoGriz #MontanaTough pic.twitter.com/7s3ENuYXaw
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) November 18, 2018
NUMBERS WATCHING
- Outside hitter Mykaela Hammer is one eight players in UM history with 900 career kills, 600 digs, 200 blocks and 50 service aces.
- Hammer has played in 107 career matches, starting 87 of them. She has started 34 matches in a row and 70 of her past 71.
- Junior setter Ashley Watkins has 2,525 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 45 matches in a row and 61 of Montana's last 62.
- True freshman middle blocker Olivia Bradley is currently hitting at a .303 clip, which would be the fifth-best in UM single-season history.
- True freshman libero Sarina Moreno enters the tournament with 413 digs on the season, 24 away from cracking Montana's single-season top-10 list.
- Senior outside hitter Cassie Laramee is 12 kills away from reaching 500 for her career.
- McKenzie Kramer last week reached 150 blocks for her career.
- Junior outside hitter Missy Huddleston earlier this month surpassed 600 career kills.
- Senior defensive specialist Silerolia Gaogao surpassed 500 career digs earlier this month, 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 .340 Big Sky hitting percentage ranks sixth 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. Bradley also ranks 10th in Big Sky play with 0.32 service aces per set.
- Mykaela Hammer's 3.78 kills-per-set average in Big Sky play ranks fifth. She has led the Grizzlies for kills 18 times this season, hitting in double figures 18 times.
- Ashley Watkins ranks sixth in Big Sky play with 10.56 assists per set.
- Sarina Moreno ranks seventh in Big Sky play with 4.49 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.
LOOKING AHEAD
With a win on Thursday, Montana would advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2013. The Grizzlies would play the winner of No. 3 Weber State/No. 6 Northern Colorado (Friday at 7 p.m. MT).
Complete Match Notes in PDF format, including more notes, charts and player pages
🎟️ TICKET PUNCHED 🎟️
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) November 18, 2018
For the first time since 2014, Montana has earned a trip to the Big Sky Championship!!#GrizVB #GoGriz #MontanaTough pic.twitter.com/H30If6YEJH
Players Mentioned
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