7 takeaways from spring volleyball season

Montana recently completed its spring volleyball season, capping a three-month stretch of early-morning practices with three weeks of scrimmages across the region. The Grizzlies hosted Montana State, Montana Tech and Providence in a home tournament on April 6, before competing in Spokane and Great Falls over the following two weeks.

While the Grizzlies are still several months away from opening up their 2019 season, the spring is an important time for development. Below are seven takeaways from Montana's spring season:

1. A smaller lineup – while frustrating at times – allowed for individualized attention and extra reps
Following the 2017 season – Allison Lawrence's first as head coach – the Grizzlies didn't graduate a single player, bringing back nearly every statistical contributor. In 2018, Montana graduated six players, leaving the gym half empty this spring, prior to the arrival of seven freshmen this fall.

While at times the small roster made it difficult to accomplish tasks – drills had to be altered to accommodate for such a small lineup – it also allowed for individualized attention. The NCAA limits how much time coaches can spend with student-athletes in the spring, so every practice and every day is valuable. Even more so when the attention is so specialized.

"The challenge in the last two years was taking a big group and giving them enough individual attention," Lawrence said. "This year, I really felt the freedom to take things slow and spend an entire day working on one very specific, technical aspect of a player's game. As a coach, it was really fun to get out of our normal blocks of training and get into some fun and creative individual training methods."

2. Watkins is growing, not only as a setter 21630

On a roster that returns just four players who saw the court a year ago, Ashley Watkins is the main constant. The rising senior has started 54 consecutive matches at setter, and over the past two seasons has played in all but four sets (out of 221!).

Fans can mark down Watkins at setter, and it's easy to see why. In two-plus seasons at the position (during her freshman season she was a setter/attacker combo while Montana ran a 6-2 offense), Watkins has already moved up to No. 6 on the school's all-time assists list.

But more than her play on the court, Lawrence has been more impressed with Watkins' development off of it.

"The setter position feels consistent because it has been Ashley for so long," she said. "At the same time, this particular Ashley is so different from any Ashley I've coached, so it feels new in an exciting way.

"I think last year she came into her own as a setter, but this year she's come into her own as a leader and a contributor off the court. She's really understanding her strengths as a human being and how she can be herself and meet all of the demands the team needs of her."

3. Huddleston moving to the right side
One of Montana's biggest losses during the offseason was that of graduating right-side player Mykaela Hammer, a four-year starter and a 2018 first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection. The Grizzlies' offense has run through the right side over the past two seasons, leaving big shoes to fill.

Lawrence started seeing Missy Huddleston's potential on the right side last fall. During drills in practice, she would occasionally take reps from the right side – opposed to her usual, left-side outside-hitter position.

"She seemed to be comfortable over there, especially with her decision making," Lawrence recalled.

With the opening, Huddleston spent the majority of the spring in a new position, and for now at least, it seems as if it will stick.

"Missy is incredibly physical, she jumps so high and she's an outstanding blocker," Lawrence said. "I think Missy's game fits really well on the right side, and I think she's more confident with her timing, spacing and style of play."

Playing on the left side – the traditional outside-hitter role – Huddleston played in all 31 games a year ago, averaging 1.41 kills per set – fifth on the team and first among returners. She also added 2.54 digs per set, a team-most aside from the libero position. Over the past three seasons, Huddleston has started 67 of 86 matches.

4. Grimsrud emerges as a talented middle blocker
During her first three seasons with the Griz, middle blocker Janna Grimsrud has shown flashes of greatness, including six blocks in just two sets against Iowa State – a team that advanced to the NCAA tournament. Overall, though, Grimsrud has been behind other middles on the depth chart, limiting her to nine matches a year ago and 35 during her three seasons.

After losing its top-three middle blockers from a year ago, Montana desperately needed someone to fill the void. Enter Grimsrud. 21529

"Janna really embodies that concept that coaches try to instill in their players," Lawrence said, referencing the common cliché that 'You never know when your opportunity is going to present itself, so be ready when it arises.'

"She's done that more than anyone that I've coached here," Lawrence continued. "She wasn't always in the role that she wanted to be in, but she was emerging as someone who was ready to take on a big role. She has created this opportunity, and the fact that it's coming at the same time that her team needs her is one of the coolest stories."

Grimsrud, a native of Buena Vista, Saskatchewan, has averaged 0.96 blocks per set in limited time over the past two seasons, and will undoubtedly get the chance to increase both her blocking and attacking numbers in 2019.

"I couldn't be more proud of Janna, but that's beside the point," Lawrence said. "She should be so proud of herself. She's such a giver, so I hope that she takes time to look in the mirror and see what she's doing."

5. While Montana graduated a large class, the new seniors are eager to take over
Montana's roster will look quite different in 2019. In addition to three players who redshirted last year, the Grizzlies will welcome in seven student-athletes who are currently preparing for high school graduation. Not everyone is new, however. Back are three rising seniors – Grimsrud, Huddleston and Watkins – in addition to Sarina Moreno, who started at libero as a true freshman.

The three seniors are now eager to take leadership over the program, but it wasn't always that way.

"When you lose a big group of seniors and have turnover, there's initially fear," Lawrence said. "Who are we now? Is it enough? I remember having our end-of-season meetings in December and some of our rising seniors had fear knowing it was now up to them to perform in a way they hadn't had to before."

For three years, there had always been someone ahead of them. A senior class that were the leaders, or the ones taking ownership of the program. Now it was up to them.

"Spring is always such a blur, so now remembering that meeting and seeing their faces and some of the self-doubt they had seems like so long ago," Lawrence said. "In the 6 a.m. darkness of winter, they learned they had it in them. They got to work and saw that they had been doing it, they had been leading – in a unique way to them."

Culture and chemistry is something Lawrence has been building since she took over the program just over two years ago. It's an area that needed immediate attention, and the growth has been seen in the team's development on and off the court.

"It's so cool to see these seniors buy in and want to lead well," she said. "It's not something that will always be seen to outsiders, but internally, it's so visible and tangible."

6. Ball control and serving will be an area of emphasis
As a whole, the spring season was a positive one for Montana, but that doesn't mean there aren't areas the team can progress in. The Grizzlies have improved their win total in each of the past two seasons under Lawrence, and despite a new roster, will try to continue the upward trajectory of the program.

One area of needed improvement is in ball control.

"There were moments in our spring competitions where you saw a breakdown in ball control and serve-receive," Lawrence said. "Even in easy plays, we're choosing to be passive rather than aggressive to take care of the ball. We have such a physical setter that when we put the ball near the net she can put a lot of stress on an opponent's block, so when we focus on that and have the pieces there, we look really polished, but we don't always show that consistency or confidence."

Another area of focus is serving. It was an area Montana spent plenty of time on this spring, but is also a harder area to simulate with just seven players on the court.

Still, it's an area Montana wants to be known for, and an area where a freshman could find the court if she shows she's capable of performing.

"Mentally, we have to take pride in holding our serve," Lawrence said. "I think we can be a good serving team, but right now we're a streaky serving team. Serving is an area where if you show you can lead and contribute, you're likely going to find your way onto the court."

7. Now it's up to the players
After months together in the gym, the coaching staff now has to remain hands off. Lawrence and her staff cannot require players to do anything over the summer, or be involved in any form of workouts. So when she left her team after the final scrimmage, she had a clear message.

"My challenge to them was that if we really believe in the work that we put in from January to May, then we have to maintain it over the summer. It's up to them to make sure they stay committed to themselves, their work and their team. It's the point where the program is completely in their hands.

"There's plenty of room to relax and enjoy summer in Missoula or their hometowns, but there's also room to get good work in so we're ready to go in August."

Gallery: (4/6/2019) VB: Spring Scrimmage (4.6.19)

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

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Janna Grimsrud

Mykaela Hammer

Missy Huddleston

Sarina Moreno

Ashley Watkins

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