Montana opens spring scrimmage period, including home competition on Saturday
4/1/2019 5:45:00 PM | Volleyball
The spring is a unique time for a volleyball program. It's the period of in between, after the previous senior class has moved on and before the incoming class arrives. Sure it's seen in other sports, as well, but it's magnetized in a sport like volleyball, where a roster – when at full strength – barely fills both sides of the net.
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The Grizzlies have been in the gym since January, first specializing in individual and small-group training before progressing to full-squad, 20-hour-per-week practices. The team has been on the court, but the team hasn't necessarily been fully together.
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After having zero seniors in 2017, the Grizzlies graduated a large senior class in 2018. To replace that group, Montana will welcome seven newcomers to the mix over the summer. The problem is, all seven are still in high school classrooms around the region, and won't move to Missoula until the summer.
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That circles us back to the present where Montana has been working out tirelessly each morning, but with barely enough athletes to fill one side of the court.
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"It's challenged us as coaches to structure practice in a new way that's still hyper-competitive," third-year head coach Allison Lawrence said. "With fewer people, no one can hide from the ball or not contribute with their voice. If they do, it exposes you in a different way."
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Spring is a grind, regardless of the year and circumstances, but particularly this year for Montana.
Â
The hope, though, is that the lack of bodies in the gym right now will make for a better product come the fall. Sure, some of the incoming freshmen will be asked to fill big shoes, perhaps more immediate roles than some true freshmen would generally be asked to do.
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But those currently on roster are also diversifying their skillset.
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"Because there are fewer people, each player is forced to play a little outside of their normal range of responsibility – defensively, especially," Lawrence said. "I think it can be a good thing, though, because it allows each person to take more area of the court, and in some cases, play a position for a segment of a drill that isn't their primary position."
Â
Lawrence acknowledged that with fewer bodies, the team has also been forced to become creative with drills. Instead of traditional six-on-six play, maybe it's one-on-one or one-on-two. These are the parameters, go find a way to win.
Â
"It's different enough that it makes them think about what will give them the biggest advantage," Lawrence said. "How are you going to score points? How are you going to problem solve?"
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The Grizzlies will have three competition weekends in April, beginning with a home tournament on Saturday in Missoula. The Grizzlies will host Montana State, Montana Tech and Providence, with action taking place inside Dahlberg Arena and the West Auxiliary Gym from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Â
Montana will travel to Great Falls on April 13 and Spokane Falls Community College on April 20, the latter being a tournament featuring 15 teams from across the region.
Â
"These next few weeks will give us a little taste of the upcoming season and give us an excitement for the fall," Lawrence said.
Â
"I hope, first and foremost, that we as a staff have made practice stressful enough that when we get into competition, just the joy of competing can be present for them all the time. Aside from that, I'd like to see us fight and scrap and problem solve together. Let's take some of the pressure out and just go compete hard."
Â
The Grizzlies have been in the gym since January, first specializing in individual and small-group training before progressing to full-squad, 20-hour-per-week practices. The team has been on the court, but the team hasn't necessarily been fully together.
Â
After having zero seniors in 2017, the Grizzlies graduated a large senior class in 2018. To replace that group, Montana will welcome seven newcomers to the mix over the summer. The problem is, all seven are still in high school classrooms around the region, and won't move to Missoula until the summer.
Â
That circles us back to the present where Montana has been working out tirelessly each morning, but with barely enough athletes to fill one side of the court.
Â
"It's challenged us as coaches to structure practice in a new way that's still hyper-competitive," third-year head coach Allison Lawrence said. "With fewer people, no one can hide from the ball or not contribute with their voice. If they do, it exposes you in a different way."
Â
Spring is a grind, regardless of the year and circumstances, but particularly this year for Montana.
Â
The hope, though, is that the lack of bodies in the gym right now will make for a better product come the fall. Sure, some of the incoming freshmen will be asked to fill big shoes, perhaps more immediate roles than some true freshmen would generally be asked to do.
Â
But those currently on roster are also diversifying their skillset.
Â
"Because there are fewer people, each player is forced to play a little outside of their normal range of responsibility – defensively, especially," Lawrence said. "I think it can be a good thing, though, because it allows each person to take more area of the court, and in some cases, play a position for a segment of a drill that isn't their primary position."
Â
Lawrence acknowledged that with fewer bodies, the team has also been forced to become creative with drills. Instead of traditional six-on-six play, maybe it's one-on-one or one-on-two. These are the parameters, go find a way to win.
Â
"It's different enough that it makes them think about what will give them the biggest advantage," Lawrence said. "How are you going to score points? How are you going to problem solve?"
That will change this weekend, though, when the Grizzlies begin their scrimmage period, playing live volleyball against opposing teams.It may be winter, but the season will be here before we know it. Putting in the work to get better each day! #GrizVB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/YRdjvSQoym
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) January 30, 2019
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The Grizzlies will have three competition weekends in April, beginning with a home tournament on Saturday in Missoula. The Grizzlies will host Montana State, Montana Tech and Providence, with action taking place inside Dahlberg Arena and the West Auxiliary Gym from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Â
Montana will travel to Great Falls on April 13 and Spokane Falls Community College on April 20, the latter being a tournament featuring 15 teams from across the region.
Â
"These next few weeks will give us a little taste of the upcoming season and give us an excitement for the fall," Lawrence said.
Â
"I hope, first and foremost, that we as a staff have made practice stressful enough that when we get into competition, just the joy of competing can be present for them all the time. Aside from that, I'd like to see us fight and scrap and problem solve together. Let's take some of the pressure out and just go compete hard."
"You are not only fighting for your team You are fighting for girls and women everywhere."#NCAAVB #IWD2019
— NCAA Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) March 8, 2019
🎥 @MontanaGrizVB pic.twitter.com/ZbtfNhEifR
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