Friday, August 31
Missoula, Mont.
10:00 AM
Montana
vs
Utah
Big weekend in Missoula includes Montana Invitational
8/30/2018 11:35:00 AM | Volleyball
Montana will play its first home tournament in four seasons over the weekend, hosting Gonzaga, Iowa State and No. 22 Utah in a round-robin tournament inside Dahlberg Arena.
Fans can get into all six matches this weekend with the purchase of one ticket. Please note that the same ticket must be retained throughout the weekend and scanned prior to each match. Fans can also get in free by presenting their Griz football vs. Northern Iowa game ticket. Montana volleyball hosts Gonzaga at 1:30 on Saturday, leading perfectly into pregame festivities and the football game later that afternoon and evening.
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All six matches will also be streamed for free on WatchBigSky.com. Additionally, the Montana/Gonzaga match on Saturday will also be broadcast through Facebook Live on the NCAA Volleyball page.
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Montana Invitational Schedule
Friday, Aug. 31
Saturday, Sept. 1
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COMING HOME
Montana will play a home match during the month of August for the first time since 2014 – also the last time the Grizzlies hosted a preseason tournament. It's been hard for Montana to schedule non-conference teams to come to Missoula, making this weekend's tournament all the more special and rare.
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A year ago, Montana played its first 15 matches away from home, playing its own gym for the first time on Sept. 28.
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BEST OF THE BEST
Some of the top teams in the entire country will be playing in Missoula this weekend.
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Montana's home opener will be Friday at 10 a.m. vs. No. 22 Utah. The Utes went 24-6 a year ago, advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Just hours later, the Grizzlies will host an Iowa State team that began the 2018 season nationally ranked and is now receiving top-25 votes (No. 27, technically). The Cyclones also won 20-plus games a year ago, including a game in the NCAA tournament. Gonzaga went 14-16 last year and began the 2018 season by taking two sets off No. 11 UCLA across a pair of matches.
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The Cyclones have made the NCAA tournament in 12 consecutive seasons, advancing to the Sweet 16 five times and Elite Eight twice during that span. Over the past decade, they're averaging more than 21 wins per season. The Utes have been to the tournament four times in the past five seasons and 14 times overall under head coach Beth Launiere, a three-time AVCA Region Coach of the Year with more than 500 career wins under her belt.
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RANKED FOES IN MISSOULA
For just the fourth time ever, and the first time in 15 years, a nationally ranked volleyball team will play in Missoula. The Grizzlies are looking for their second-ever win over a ranked opponent, regardless of location. The only Montana team to knock off a top-25 team was the 1994 squad, upsetting No. 19 Idaho, 3-2, in Missoula.
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The other nationally ranked teams to play in Missoula were No. 22 Eastern Washington (Sept. 27, 2002) and No. 11 UCLA (Sept. 6, 2003).
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ABOUT UTAH
SERIES VS. THE UTES
Montana is 8-9 vs. Utah, including 1-2 in Missoula. Just one matchup has come in the past 25 years (3-1 loss in 2015 in Spokane), with 13 taking place in the 1980s. Prior to the 2015 loss, Montana had won seven in a row over the Utes.
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ABOUT IOWA STATE
SERIES VS. THE CYCLONES
Montana is 3-2 all-time vs. Iowa State, winning the first three matches in the series from 1992-2000. The two teams last met in 2016 in Ames. In that match, Ashley Watkins had seven kills on .313 hitting, in addition to 14 assists. This will be ISU's first trip to Missoula.
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ABOUT GONZAGA
SERIES VS. THE BULLDOGS
Montana's rivalry with Gonzaga dates back to 1979. The two teams played each other at least once every season from 1983 through 2010, and overall, the Grizzlies are 28-16 (12-9 in Missoula). Montana is looking for its first win in the series since 2010, dropping three in a row since. The rivalry has featured some of the program's top individual and team performances, including two of the top three individual single-match kills leaders and the second-most team service aces, digs and blocks in a match. In 2016 vs. Gonzaga, Cassie Laramee had a team-high nine kills on .300 hitting.
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WOMAN POWER
Allison Lawrence wasn't trying to make a statement when she got the head-coaching position and hired two female assistant coaches. Nor was this weekend's tournament scheduled to be between four teams, all with female head coaches. But while none of it was intentional, Lawrence isn't shying away from the fact that she's proud of the shift in opportunities for women in the sport.
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"As a female head coach, there have always been women in this field I've looked up to," the second-year head coach said. "All three of these women don't really know me on a personal level, but at different points in my career took the time to be encouraging in ways that they did not need to at all.
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"I think the ways that women are helping each other in our profession is encouraging and changing the game, and showing our athletes that if they want to coach at the highest level after they've played at the highest level that there's opportunity and mentorship and a real way to do that."
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Of the 334 Division I volleyball programs, roughly one-third (36 percent) are led by a female head coach. Just 10 Division I programs across the country are led by all females (head coach and two assistants), including both Montana and Iowa State.
The opening weekend of the 2018 season did not go how the Grizzlies envisioned it, dropping all three matches to UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton and Akron. While the end result was not ideal, there were some positives from the first three matches:
LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT LINEUP
After one week of play, Montana is still in the midst of trying to find the ideal starting lineup. The Grizzlies used a different lineup for all three matches last weekend. Across the 12 sets, they used five different combinations. Most notable was moving outside hitter Maddy Marshall to libero.
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WE'RE (All) BACK!
The 2017 season was a rebuilding year, with a new head coach and zero seniors on roster. But the Grizzlies made promising strides a year ago, and now have the benefit of returning every statistical leader. In fact, every player who earned a start in 2017 is back.
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Returning Production
Among the starters is kills leader Mykaela Hammer, who averaged 3.22 kills per set, in addition to setter Ashley Watkins and libero Silerolia Gaogao. Watkins (9.90 assists per set) and Gaogao (4.07 digs per set) ranked sixth in the Big Sky Conference for assists and digs, respectively.
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TRENDING UP
Montana made great strides during its first season under Allison Lawrence, seeing a three-win improvement from the 2016 campaign. UM improved in every statistical category from 2016 to 2017, including a 40-percent increase in blocking (132-spot improvement nationally).
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It was a similar trend in Big Sky Conference play, with Montana improving its ranking in hitting percentage, opponent hitting, assists, kills, blocks and service aces.
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WELCOME TO UM
In addition to returning nearly every contributor from 2017, the Grizzlies also added five freshmen to their roster. The newcomers made an immediate impact during fall camp, with Lawrence praising each of them for what they brought to the court.
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"Olivia (Bradley) is fast and she thinks on her feet," Lawrence said of the Nampa, Idaho, native. "When she doesn't know what she's supposed to be doing – which is rare – she kind of pushes through it and grinds it out."
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Bradley made two starts during her opening weekend, leading the team with five blocks vs. Akron (Aug. 25).
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Montana's other freshmen are outside hitter Elsa Godwin (Missoula, Mont.), defensive specialist Sarina Moreno (Missoula, Mont.), defensive specialist Kelsey Nestegard (Pullman, Wash.) and setter Casey Stites (Bozeman, Mont.).
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LOOKING AHEAD
The Grizzlies will travel for their final two weeks of preseason. First up, is a trip south for a tournament co-hosted by New Mexico State and UTEP. In addition to the two host schools, the Grizzlies will also play Arizona.
Fans can get into all six matches this weekend with the purchase of one ticket. Please note that the same ticket must be retained throughout the weekend and scanned prior to each match. Fans can also get in free by presenting their Griz football vs. Northern Iowa game ticket. Montana volleyball hosts Gonzaga at 1:30 on Saturday, leading perfectly into pregame festivities and the football game later that afternoon and evening.
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All six matches will also be streamed for free on WatchBigSky.com. Additionally, the Montana/Gonzaga match on Saturday will also be broadcast through Facebook Live on the NCAA Volleyball page.
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Montana Invitational Schedule
Friday, Aug. 31
| Â Time (MT) | Â Home Team | Â Visiting Team | Â Video Stream | Â Live Stats |
|  10 a.m. |  Montana |  Utah |  Video /  Pluto TV ch. 237 |
 Live Stats |
| Â 12 p.m. | Â Gonzaga | Â Iowa State | Â Video | Â Live Stats |
| Â 5 p.m. | Â Utah | Â Gonzaga | Â Video | Â Live Stats |
|  7 p.m. |  Montana |  Iowa State |  Video /  Pluto TV ch. 237 |
 Live Stats |
Saturday, Sept. 1
| Â Time (MT) | Â Home Team | Â Visiting Team | Â Video Stream | Â Live Stats |
| Â 11 a.m. | Â Iowa State | Â Utah | Â Video | Â Live Stats |
|  1:30 p.m. |  Montana |  Gonzaga |  Video /  Pluto TV ch. 237 /  Facebook Live |
 Live Stats |
COMING HOME
Montana will play a home match during the month of August for the first time since 2014 – also the last time the Grizzlies hosted a preseason tournament. It's been hard for Montana to schedule non-conference teams to come to Missoula, making this weekend's tournament all the more special and rare.
Â
A year ago, Montana played its first 15 matches away from home, playing its own gym for the first time on Sept. 28.
Â
BEST OF THE BEST
Some of the top teams in the entire country will be playing in Missoula this weekend.
Â
Montana's home opener will be Friday at 10 a.m. vs. No. 22 Utah. The Utes went 24-6 a year ago, advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Just hours later, the Grizzlies will host an Iowa State team that began the 2018 season nationally ranked and is now receiving top-25 votes (No. 27, technically). The Cyclones also won 20-plus games a year ago, including a game in the NCAA tournament. Gonzaga went 14-16 last year and began the 2018 season by taking two sets off No. 11 UCLA across a pair of matches.
In addition to Montana's three matches, the round-robin tournament will feature three additional contests, including Iowa State vs. Utah on Saturday morning, prior to the Grizzlies' matchup vs. Gonzaga. Three players on the court during the Cyclones/Utes matchup earned All-America recognition last year.This weekend will be historic on many levels. Be part of it!
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) August 29, 2018
📰 https://t.co/xIKSAAwzp6 #GrizVB #GoGriz #MontanaTough pic.twitter.com/YRWBTGthml
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The Cyclones have made the NCAA tournament in 12 consecutive seasons, advancing to the Sweet 16 five times and Elite Eight twice during that span. Over the past decade, they're averaging more than 21 wins per season. The Utes have been to the tournament four times in the past five seasons and 14 times overall under head coach Beth Launiere, a three-time AVCA Region Coach of the Year with more than 500 career wins under her belt.
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RANKED FOES IN MISSOULA
For just the fourth time ever, and the first time in 15 years, a nationally ranked volleyball team will play in Missoula. The Grizzlies are looking for their second-ever win over a ranked opponent, regardless of location. The only Montana team to knock off a top-25 team was the 1994 squad, upsetting No. 19 Idaho, 3-2, in Missoula.
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The other nationally ranked teams to play in Missoula were No. 22 Eastern Washington (Sept. 27, 2002) and No. 11 UCLA (Sept. 6, 2003).
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ABOUT UTAH
- Utah is coming off of a 24-10 season in which it advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament and finished with a national ranking of No. 11.
- The Utes went 2-1 to open the 2018 season, defeating UC Irvine (3-0) and Denver (3-2) and losing to Saint Mary's (3-2).
- Dani Drews had 54 kills over the three matches (4.15/set) while Lauga Gauta had 48 (3.69). Phoebe Grace had 1.31 blocks per set.
- Utah returns four starters plus its libero, but graduated four of its top five attackers from 2017, including first-team All-American Adora Anae, who ranked in the top 20 nationally for kills and points.
- Berkeley Oblad, who ranked 46th nationally with 142 blocks in 2017, is Utah's top returning player.
SERIES VS. THE UTES
Montana is 8-9 vs. Utah, including 1-2 in Missoula. Just one matchup has come in the past 25 years (3-1 loss in 2015 in Spokane), with 13 taking place in the 1980s. Prior to the 2015 loss, Montana had won seven in a row over the Utes.
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ABOUT IOWA STATE
- Iowa State went 22-11 a year ago, making the NCAA tournament for the 12th consecutive season.
- The Cyclones enter the weekend 3-1 in 2018, including a win Wednesday at No. 17 Northern Iowa. ISU has also beaten Ole Miss (3-0) and Virginia (3-1), and lost to Oregon State (3-2).
- MB Grace Lazard, L Hali Hillegas and OH Jess Schaben were named to the preseason All-Big 12 team. Hillegas and Schaben were 2017 AVCA All-America honorable mentions.
- Through four matches, Schaben is averaging 3.33 kills per set. Elanor Holthaus has 2.93 kps on .382 hitting while Lazard has 2.87 kps on .427 efficiency. Lazard also has a team-best 1.47 blocks per set.
- Hillegas has an astonishing 5.67 digs per set through four matches. She ranked 15th nationally with 5.60 dps in 2017.
SERIES VS. THE CYCLONES
Montana is 3-2 all-time vs. Iowa State, winning the first three matches in the series from 1992-2000. The two teams last met in 2016 in Ames. In that match, Ashley Watkins had seven kills on .313 hitting, in addition to 14 assists. This will be ISU's first trip to Missoula.
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ABOUT GONZAGA
- Gonzaga began the 2018 season with back-to-back four-set losses at No. 11 UCLA. The Bulldogs were originally scheduled to play at Hawaii before weather forced a change of plans.
- The Bulldogs return five starters and their libero from last year's 14-16 squad. Overall, GU brings back 12 letterwinners, including 83% of its kills and both setters.
- Setter Jenna Kuehn had two double-doubles vs. UCLA.
- Sarah Penner and Chappin Gray both averaged more than 3.0 kills per set vs. UCLA.
- The Bulldogs posted 14.0 blocks and 74 digs in a four-set loss to the Bruins.
- GU was picked to finish fifth in the West Coast Conference preseason poll.
SERIES VS. THE BULLDOGS
Montana's rivalry with Gonzaga dates back to 1979. The two teams played each other at least once every season from 1983 through 2010, and overall, the Grizzlies are 28-16 (12-9 in Missoula). Montana is looking for its first win in the series since 2010, dropping three in a row since. The rivalry has featured some of the program's top individual and team performances, including two of the top three individual single-match kills leaders and the second-most team service aces, digs and blocks in a match. In 2016 vs. Gonzaga, Cassie Laramee had a team-high nine kills on .300 hitting.
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WOMAN POWER
Allison Lawrence wasn't trying to make a statement when she got the head-coaching position and hired two female assistant coaches. Nor was this weekend's tournament scheduled to be between four teams, all with female head coaches. But while none of it was intentional, Lawrence isn't shying away from the fact that she's proud of the shift in opportunities for women in the sport.
Â
"As a female head coach, there have always been women in this field I've looked up to," the second-year head coach said. "All three of these women don't really know me on a personal level, but at different points in my career took the time to be encouraging in ways that they did not need to at all.
Â
"I think the ways that women are helping each other in our profession is encouraging and changing the game, and showing our athletes that if they want to coach at the highest level after they've played at the highest level that there's opportunity and mentorship and a real way to do that."
Â
Of the 334 Division I volleyball programs, roughly one-third (36 percent) are led by a female head coach. Just 10 Division I programs across the country are led by all females (head coach and two assistants), including both Montana and Iowa State.
POSITIVES FROM THE WEEKENDBack in the gym today, getting ready for a big weekend in Missoula!#GrizVB #GoGriz #MontanaTough pic.twitter.com/D3eCO7Db1b
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) August 27, 2018
The opening weekend of the 2018 season did not go how the Grizzlies envisioned it, dropping all three matches to UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton and Akron. While the end result was not ideal, there were some positives from the first three matches:
- Close sets: The Grizzlies dropped nine of 12 sets, but scored a similar total number of points as their opponents (279-253, a difference of just 2.17 points per set). In fact, in Montana's nine set losses, four were by two points – the minimum – another was by three, and all but two were within five points. The Grizzlies led in 10 of the 12 sets, and not just early. Eight times Montana led when both teams were in double digits, and in two of their losses, the Grizzlies were the first to 20 points.
- Never giving up: After falling behind early multiple times, the Grizzlies clawed back to get back into sets. Against Akron, Montana fell behind in the second set by as many as eight points before using an 11-1 run to take the lead. Again in the fourth set, the Grizzlies also trailed by eight before using an 8-1 run to get within a single point. Earlier in the day, vs. Cal State Fullerton, the Grizzlies trailed the opening frame 20-12 before fighting back to get within one point at 21-20.
- Blocking: Montana out-blocked its opponent in two of the three matches, and on the weekend out-blocked the opposition 24-18. Sophomore Baily Permann led the Grizzles with 1.00 blocks per set.
- Huddleston: Over the final two matches of the weekend, junior Missy Huddleston averaged 11.0 kills and 15.0 digs per set, recording double-doubles in both matches.
- Urbach: Playing in her old gym, Alexis Urbach, a transfer from UC Riverside, had 16 kills on .483 hitting against the Highlanders. She also added a service ace, two blocks and four digs.
LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT LINEUP
After one week of play, Montana is still in the midst of trying to find the ideal starting lineup. The Grizzlies used a different lineup for all three matches last weekend. Across the 12 sets, they used five different combinations. Most notable was moving outside hitter Maddy Marshall to libero.
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WE'RE (All) BACK!
The 2017 season was a rebuilding year, with a new head coach and zero seniors on roster. But the Grizzlies made promising strides a year ago, and now have the benefit of returning every statistical leader. In fact, every player who earned a start in 2017 is back.
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Returning Production
- Kills: 99.9%
- Blocks: 99.5%
- Assists: 95.7%
- Service Aces: 83.6%
- Digs: 81.6%
Among the starters is kills leader Mykaela Hammer, who averaged 3.22 kills per set, in addition to setter Ashley Watkins and libero Silerolia Gaogao. Watkins (9.90 assists per set) and Gaogao (4.07 digs per set) ranked sixth in the Big Sky Conference for assists and digs, respectively.
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TRENDING UP
Montana made great strides during its first season under Allison Lawrence, seeing a three-win improvement from the 2016 campaign. UM improved in every statistical category from 2016 to 2017, including a 40-percent increase in blocking (132-spot improvement nationally).
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It was a similar trend in Big Sky Conference play, with Montana improving its ranking in hitting percentage, opponent hitting, assists, kills, blocks and service aces.
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WELCOME TO UM
In addition to returning nearly every contributor from 2017, the Grizzlies also added five freshmen to their roster. The newcomers made an immediate impact during fall camp, with Lawrence praising each of them for what they brought to the court.
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"Olivia (Bradley) is fast and she thinks on her feet," Lawrence said of the Nampa, Idaho, native. "When she doesn't know what she's supposed to be doing – which is rare – she kind of pushes through it and grinds it out."
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Bradley made two starts during her opening weekend, leading the team with five blocks vs. Akron (Aug. 25).
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Montana's other freshmen are outside hitter Elsa Godwin (Missoula, Mont.), defensive specialist Sarina Moreno (Missoula, Mont.), defensive specialist Kelsey Nestegard (Pullman, Wash.) and setter Casey Stites (Bozeman, Mont.).
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LOOKING AHEAD
The Grizzlies will travel for their final two weeks of preseason. First up, is a trip south for a tournament co-hosted by New Mexico State and UTEP. In addition to the two host schools, the Grizzlies will also play Arizona.
This time tomorrow. Be here! #GrizVB #GoGriz #MontanaTough pic.twitter.com/A3er6Zzl35
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) August 30, 2018
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