Freshmen holding themselves to high standard

The way Allison Lawrence sees it, there's no better way to get a player ready for something than to put her to the test right away. That's why the Montana volleyball team has spent so much of its preseason training camp in game-like situations.

Two years after having zero seniors on roster, Montana will rely heavily on its freshman class in 2019. It's a group that includes six recent high school graduates and three more players who redshirted last fall. That made nine players on Friday, in an exhibition match vs. North Dakota, who had never stepped on a collegiate volleyball court before.

The newcomers will be listed as freshmen through the entire season, but in a just a few weeks, many of their experiences will already make them so much more.

"We, of course, stop and explain things, but we're trying to put them in game-like situations as much as possible," Lawrence said. "We're letting them figure things out and learn on the fly, because that's what we need them to do."

While the freshmen lack experience, for now, they haven't shown typical freshmen mistakes. Fans saw that firsthand during the Grizzlies' exhibition match vs. North Dakota last week, with several newcomers displaying impressive athleticism.

"The normal process for a freshman is to come in, have a lot of jitters about playing well and then you see the fatigue catch up to them," Lawrence said. "It's zero to 100 so quickly.

"We've seen that, as a group and individually, but I've been really impressed with the group's mentality. They're fighting through the fatigue. They're looking to the leadership of the returners. They're responding and pushing themselves through."

It's not just coachspeak, either. It's easy for a coach to speak highly of players she recruited and has begun developing, but the upperclassmen have seen it, too.

"These freshmen are so fun to watch and play with," senior Missy Huddleston said. "The thing that I've noticed is you don't have to teach them as much. They learn things quickly, so instead of teaching, I see my role as just being a leader by example. They came in super hungry."

Case in point: Montana had just finished its first day of preseason camp – the first collegiate practices ever for the six newcomers – and reported for two more practices on Day 2. When Lawrence began running through specific drills she had worked on the day prior, she was struck by what had been picked up and changed in a mere 24 hours. The freshmen, on their own, had made it a point to study what the coaches were asking of them and to memorize the playbook.

"I don't think I've ever seen that type of dedication and self-discipline, that early," Lawrence said. "We didn't ask them to do it, they just did it. I think this group is so hungry, and they know they're fighting for spots."

Montana graduated its top four attackers from last year's team and returns just 16 percent of its kills, after returning 99.9 in 2018. The team's returning blocks and service aces are also below 50 percent, meaning there's plenty of opportunity.

"We have a lot of competitors on this team, so I think I'm just trying to work as hard as I can to try and catch up and prove that I want to be here as bad as anyone else," said Kelly Horning, a freshman middle blocker from Post Falls, Idaho.

Last week's scrimmage against North Dakota gave Lawrence her first chance to see the freshmen compete in an actual game-like situation, against a different team and with fans watching. She has yet to set her lineup for this week's regular-season opener, but she does know that it will rely heavily on freshmen.

She knows there could be some growing pains, and a strong learning curve once real competition begins, but she's also confident in this group.

"What I love about them the most is that they've come in ready to be held accountable," she said. "They're ready to be held to a higher standard. It's normal to have to slow things down and incorporate things slowly for freshmen, but they're coming in expecting to be expected to perform."

Gallery: (8/23/2019) VB: vs. North Dakota (8.23.19)

Amethyst Harper, a freshman from Fresno, California, says that focus comes from playing on a team that all has a similar work ethic.

"Knowing that someone is working just as hard as you to be in that position, that motivates you to work harder," she said. "It's not like in high school, where some people are there just to have fun."

While the freshmen out-number the veterans on the roster, the young players look to the upperclassmen for help. Horning says she's able to see what senior Janna Grimsrud is doing at the middle blocker position, which helps her correct errors quickly without having to ask a lot of questions. Harper said the freshmen keep her in check about small details and being in the right place – things one tends to easily forget when she's been playing a long time.

The newcomers are not only adapting to a new team at a new level, but also a new city.

"It's been a lot of fun," Horning said. "I think the best part has been meeting new people and being around the girls.

Harper has experienced a similar response from those around her.

"Being from California, it's definitely a new experience," she said. "I'm grateful for it, though. I'm just so happy to have a team that's so easy to connect with. The seniors and other freshmen have welcomed me with open arms."

When the Grizzlies take the court later this week, expect to see plenty of new faces. As the season progresses, expect to see those new faces become key parts of the team's success.

"Everybody wants to play as a freshman," Harper said. "That's a dream for every player, so that's definitely a focus of mine. There has been a lot of competition in practice, and I think everyone is increasing their competitiveness, which will make the whole team better."

Game week moods! #GrizVB #GoGriz #UpWithMontana pic.twitter.com/g9LYWvEeVm
— Montana Griz VB (@MontanaGrizVB) August 26, 2019

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Janna Grimsrud

Amethyst Harper

Kelly Horning

Missy Huddleston

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