Energy high on Day 1 of preseason camp
8/10/2019 5:54:00 PM | Volleyball
School doesn't start until the end of the month, but the Montana volleyball team is back in the gym, holding its first – and second – practice of the season on Saturday. The Grizzlies will continue two-a-day practices over the next two weeks, culminating with an exhibition match vs. North Dakota on Aug. 23 in Missoula. The season starts the following week, Aug. 30, in California.
Third-year head coach Allison Lawrence was hesitant to get too high on her team after just one day, but she was definitely encouraged by what she saw out of both the returners and newcomers.
"We had really good chemistry," Lawrence said. "Everybody's energy levels fed off each other's. The freshmen blended in really well and upped the energy in the gym, so they were pushing people around them right away, even though they're learning a new system."
Rust, as always, is expected on the first day of organized training in three months, and the first ever with this specific group. Lawrence and her staff, though, encouraged each player to focus on their energy, effort, hustle and attention to detail.
"We had great responses from everyone," she said. "It was fun to see them play together, and you could tell that this group had been in communication over the summer."
Montana welcomed its six new players to campus this week, with the freshmen moving into their dorms. Montana's freshman class hails from four states, including three from Washington – Isabelle Garrido (Issaquah), Lexie Gleasman (Chelan) and Alicia Wallingford (Vancouver). Amethyst Harper is from Fresno, California; Kelly Horning was raised in Post Falls, Idaho; and Catie Semadeni moved to Missoula from Fort Collins, Colo.
While many players have been on campus all week – or all summer, for some of the returners – the team's official report day was Friday. The day was mostly filled with meetings – as a team, groups and with support staff – and also featured the issuing of team gear.
MIXING IT UP
With so much newness, it's important to take things slow. After all, this is the time, before matches and school schedules ramp up, to hone in on the fundamentals and foundation that will make individuals successful later on during the season. On the other hand, Montana has several roster decisions to make in a limited amount of time, so it's also important to see what players can do in action, not just in drills.
"We're trying to separate practice into blocks," Lawrence said. "We'll work on something new, or something technical, and then bring it into live play."
Flipping back and forth between the two allows for the players to immediately incorporate something they're learning into game action, and letting live play teach the skill to them on the fly.
"Once we get into season, we have to learn to change pace really well – throughout the week, through a given day, throughout a set," Lawrence said. "It's a skill we need as a group, so we're practicing it a lot.
KEEPING THE ENERGY HIGH
Lawrence was pleased with the team's first practice, but her final message to the team before wrapping up the first practice was to maintain the high energy. It's easy to get amped for the first practice, but what about practice No. 12 next week?
"Every time we come together in the practice gym, we're going to talk about the importance of that moment, and how it's connected to the days before and the days ahead," Lawrence said. "We as coaches have to explain the 'why' in what we do every time we do something different, and be deliberate about where our focus is during a drill. This will help us all train our minds to respond in this way."
Despite six newcomers, it won't take long for everyone to get well acquainted with each other. The team is together each day from sun up to sun down. During preseason camp, the players and coaches eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together, in between their two practices. Three days a week, Montana will also have a lift in the weight room.
It's not all volleyball, though. Following dinner each night, the team will have some form of team-bonding activity, and next week, the team will break away from the gym for a night camping on Flathead Lake.
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
A year ago, Montana returned every starter from its 2017 squad, including more than 95 percent of its kills, assists, blocks and total points. The continuity helped the Grizzlies post their best season in a half-decade.
It won't be the same this fall, with Montana bringing back just four players who saw the court last year. Those four account for 54 percent of the team's digs, 43 percent of its service aces, 35 percent of its blocks and 16 percent of its kills.
That means that several positions are up for grabs over the next three weeks.
Ashley Watkins has started 62 of the past 63 matches at setter over the past two seasons and ranks sixth in school history for career assists. Who she will set to, though, is mostly an unknown right now.
"Our first priority is to establish trust, right away, amongst everybody," Lawrence said. "Part of that is because we need some freshmen to fill some pretty big roles. We need everyone to be comfortable playing with each other, so we'll set aside plenty of time each day to allow for that."
Returning on the pins in fellow senior Missy Huddleston, who started 21 matches a year ago and is the Grizzlies' top returning attacker. Also competing for spots on the left and right sides are redshirt freshman Elsa Godwin and three true freshmen – Gleasman, Harper and Semadeni. In the middle, senior Janna Grimsrud is the only returner. She impressed in limited action a year ago, averaging 0.90 blocks per set. Joining her in the middle is Horning and Wallingford.
Sarina Moreno started the final 27 matches at libero in 2018, posting the 11th-most digs in school history, and the most ever by a true freshman. She will compete with Garrido and redshirt freshman Kelsey Nestegard for the libero and defensive specialist positions. Casey Stites, who also redshirted last season, is Montana's other setter.
Click on blue Facebook icon below to view photo gallery
RUN IT BACK
Montana will continue its preseason training on Sunday with two more practices. Fans' first opportunity to see the Grizzlies in action will be Friday, Aug. 23, as North Dakota visits Missoula for a rare exhibition match. The contest is free to the public, and afterward a youth clinic will be held, in addition to Montana's annual Great Griz Encounter with the football team.
Third-year head coach Allison Lawrence was hesitant to get too high on her team after just one day, but she was definitely encouraged by what she saw out of both the returners and newcomers.
"We had really good chemistry," Lawrence said. "Everybody's energy levels fed off each other's. The freshmen blended in really well and upped the energy in the gym, so they were pushing people around them right away, even though they're learning a new system."
Rust, as always, is expected on the first day of organized training in three months, and the first ever with this specific group. Lawrence and her staff, though, encouraged each player to focus on their energy, effort, hustle and attention to detail.
"We had great responses from everyone," she said. "It was fun to see them play together, and you could tell that this group had been in communication over the summer."
PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FORSenior Janna Grimsrud can't contain her excitement following her last first practice!#GrizVB #GoGriz #UpWithMontana pic.twitter.com/nj8TttaruM
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) August 10, 2019
Montana welcomed its six new players to campus this week, with the freshmen moving into their dorms. Montana's freshman class hails from four states, including three from Washington – Isabelle Garrido (Issaquah), Lexie Gleasman (Chelan) and Alicia Wallingford (Vancouver). Amethyst Harper is from Fresno, California; Kelly Horning was raised in Post Falls, Idaho; and Catie Semadeni moved to Missoula from Fort Collins, Colo.
While many players have been on campus all week – or all summer, for some of the returners – the team's official report day was Friday. The day was mostly filled with meetings – as a team, groups and with support staff – and also featured the issuing of team gear.
MIXING IT UP
With so much newness, it's important to take things slow. After all, this is the time, before matches and school schedules ramp up, to hone in on the fundamentals and foundation that will make individuals successful later on during the season. On the other hand, Montana has several roster decisions to make in a limited amount of time, so it's also important to see what players can do in action, not just in drills.
"We're trying to separate practice into blocks," Lawrence said. "We'll work on something new, or something technical, and then bring it into live play."
Flipping back and forth between the two allows for the players to immediately incorporate something they're learning into game action, and letting live play teach the skill to them on the fly.
"Once we get into season, we have to learn to change pace really well – throughout the week, through a given day, throughout a set," Lawrence said. "It's a skill we need as a group, so we're practicing it a lot.
KEEPING THE ENERGY HIGH
Lawrence was pleased with the team's first practice, but her final message to the team before wrapping up the first practice was to maintain the high energy. It's easy to get amped for the first practice, but what about practice No. 12 next week?
"Every time we come together in the practice gym, we're going to talk about the importance of that moment, and how it's connected to the days before and the days ahead," Lawrence said. "We as coaches have to explain the 'why' in what we do every time we do something different, and be deliberate about where our focus is during a drill. This will help us all train our minds to respond in this way."
TIME TO BONDAll smiles on Day 1! 😃#GrizVB #GoGriz #UpWithMontana pic.twitter.com/VeuYfUhGw7
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) August 10, 2019
Despite six newcomers, it won't take long for everyone to get well acquainted with each other. The team is together each day from sun up to sun down. During preseason camp, the players and coaches eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together, in between their two practices. Three days a week, Montana will also have a lift in the weight room.
It's not all volleyball, though. Following dinner each night, the team will have some form of team-bonding activity, and next week, the team will break away from the gym for a night camping on Flathead Lake.
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
A year ago, Montana returned every starter from its 2017 squad, including more than 95 percent of its kills, assists, blocks and total points. The continuity helped the Grizzlies post their best season in a half-decade.
It won't be the same this fall, with Montana bringing back just four players who saw the court last year. Those four account for 54 percent of the team's digs, 43 percent of its service aces, 35 percent of its blocks and 16 percent of its kills.
That means that several positions are up for grabs over the next three weeks.
Ashley Watkins has started 62 of the past 63 matches at setter over the past two seasons and ranks sixth in school history for career assists. Who she will set to, though, is mostly an unknown right now.
"Our first priority is to establish trust, right away, amongst everybody," Lawrence said. "Part of that is because we need some freshmen to fill some pretty big roles. We need everyone to be comfortable playing with each other, so we'll set aside plenty of time each day to allow for that."
Returning on the pins in fellow senior Missy Huddleston, who started 21 matches a year ago and is the Grizzlies' top returning attacker. Also competing for spots on the left and right sides are redshirt freshman Elsa Godwin and three true freshmen – Gleasman, Harper and Semadeni. In the middle, senior Janna Grimsrud is the only returner. She impressed in limited action a year ago, averaging 0.90 blocks per set. Joining her in the middle is Horning and Wallingford.
Sarina Moreno started the final 27 matches at libero in 2018, posting the 11th-most digs in school history, and the most ever by a true freshman. She will compete with Garrido and redshirt freshman Kelsey Nestegard for the libero and defensive specialist positions. Casey Stites, who also redshirted last season, is Montana's other setter.
Click on blue Facebook icon below to view photo gallery
RUN IT BACK
- In 2018, Montana won 10 matches, its highest win total since 2013.
- Montana won seven Big Sky matches in 2018, after winning just five in 2016 and 2017 combined. The results helped the Grizzlies qualify for the Big Sky tournament for the time since 2014.
- Despite playing two top-30 national teams, Montana went 5-7 at home in 2018, winning five consecutive matches from Sept. 1-Oct. 11.
- The Grizzlies averaged nearly 600 fans per home match in 2018, their largest figure in 23 seasons.
- Montana ranked last or second-to-last in the Big Sky Conference in every statistical category before Lawrence took over as head coach prior to the 2017 season. In two seasons since, the Grizzlies have risen by at least three spots in each category, and have increased their assists, kills, blocks and digs by roughly 100 spots apiece in the national rankings.
Montana will continue its preseason training on Sunday with two more practices. Fans' first opportunity to see the Grizzlies in action will be Friday, Aug. 23, as North Dakota visits Missoula for a rare exhibition match. The contest is free to the public, and afterward a youth clinic will be held, in addition to Montana's annual Great Griz Encounter with the football team.
This experience is about the relationships, not the things. We're thankful to be back together for another season of Griz Volleyball!#GrizVB #GoGriz #UpWithMontana pic.twitter.com/l2H2bwU0R3
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) August 9, 2019
Their experiences – good and bad – have shaped them. Now our senior class is out to develop the future leaders of Montana Volleyball!
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) August 9, 2019
📰 https://t.co/nV94B0eW8e #GrizVB #GoGriz #UpWithMontana pic.twitter.com/VVk88o1P5m
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