Volleyball opens season in California

Montana at UC Davis / Friday, Aug. 30 / 11 a.m. MT / Davis, Calif.

Montana vs. Pacific / Friday, Aug. 30 / 6 p.m. MT / Davis, Calif.

Live Stats

Montana vs. San José State / Saturday, Aug. 31 / 1 p.m. MT / Davis, Calif.

Live Stats

For possibly the first time in school history, Montana held an exhibition match last week, giving the Grizzlies a jumpstart to the season. Montana had plenty of success during the match vs. North Dakota, but even more noticeable was the way in which the team played. Eight different Grizzlies made their unofficial collegiate debuts vs. North Dakota, and while several will admit there were jitters, they certainly didn't show. That's what will happen when playing in a match that doesn't count for anything.

While the statistics or result won't be recorded, the Grizzlies were able to learn a few things about themselves. They were able to mix and match lineups to see who might play where and with whom, but the most telling part was how loose the team played.

"Everybody was so loose," senior Missy Huddleston said. "In the past we've been a really tight team when we got into situations where we're losing point after point. This year, I felt like we were able to stop it right away, and everybody was just free the whole time."

It's something that Montana will try to emulate this week, when the Grizzlies travel to California and the games really do count.

"I think the scrimmage gave us a lot of confidence and really encouraged us in ways we didn't even know about ourselves," Lawrence said. "No matter who we put on the court we were hungry to win. When we play loose and free and with positive energy, it helps us be so much more relentless."

Montana officially opens the season on Friday with two matches – at UC Davis and vs. Pacific. Just a few hours later, on Saturday afternoon, the Grizzlies will be back in the gym for a match against San José State. Montana hopes to get off on a good foot, of course, but ultimately the team knows that regardless of the results, it's just three games in a long season.

A year ago, Montana went 0-3 on the opening weekend and lost its first five matches before rebounding to post its best record in a half-decade. Two years ago, Montana began the season 5-3 before going just 3-18 from that point forward. In 2013, Montana started the year 1-5 before rebounding to post a winning record.

A victory in the win column will show progress, but more than that, Lawrence wants to see the overly large freshman class sync with the upperclassmen and continue to develop what the team has been working on throughout preseason camp.

"Especially early on, so much of the focus is on us rather than the team across the net," Lawrence said. "We have a lot of work to do, and a lot to improve on individually and collectively, but it was a really fun camp with this group, and I'm excited to see how they continue to develop."

Montana's season opener vs. UC Davis can be streamed for free through Big West TV. The other two matches can be followed via live stats.

SCOUTING UC DAVIS

UC Davis won 16 matches in 2018 for the second consecutive year.
Like Montana, the Aggies are replacing a lot of talent, bringing in seven true freshmen and two redshirt freshmen.
The Aggies return two starters, including senior OH Lauren Matias, who averaged 2.28 kills per set in 2018.
The Aggies also return OH Mahalia White, who as a freshman in 2017 was a first-team All-Big West selection after averaging 3.55 kills per set. She has been cleared to return to action after missing all of 2018 with stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Sophomore Jane Seslar will take over at setter after the Aggies graduated their two. As a freshman, she averaged 2.70 assists per set.
UC Davis returns just one of its top four attackers from 2018 and none of its top four servers.
The Aggies were picked to finish sixth in the Big West preseason poll.
Dan Conners is in his sixth season leading the program, finishing no worse than two games under .500.

SERIES VS. THE AGGIES
Montana is 2-1 all-time vs. UC Davis, winning the only meeting in Davis, 3-2, part of a tournament in 2004. The Grizzlies also won in 2005 (3-0 in Missoula) before losing in 2006 (3-0 in Berkley).

SCOUTING PACIFIC

Pacific is coming off a season in which the Tigers went 13-16 overall.
Pacific ranked 56th nationally for kills per set in 2018, but returns just two of its top six attackers.
Riley Ramsey, who was named to the 2018 WCC All-Freshman Team, is the team's top returner, averaging 3.11 kills per set in 2018 including 29 at San Francisco in the season finale.
The Tigers return six players from last year's team that was filled with injuries, including zero seniors, one junior and six sophomores.
Pacific's biggest depth comes in the back row, as the Tigers return six of their top seven digs leaders.
Pacific was picked to finish sixth in the West Coast Conference preseason poll.
The Tigers are coached by Greg Gibbons, who in 2014 was named the WCC Coach of the Year. This is his 10th season at Pacific.

SERIES VS. THE TIGERS
Montana has played Pacific in two of its biggest matches in program history. The Grizzlies played the Tigers in both the 1990 and 1991 NCAA tournaments, the program's first two postseason appearances. Pacific won both matches, 3-0, and is 4-0 all-time vs. Montana, also winning in 2006 in Reno (3-1) and 2012 in Moscow (3-2).

SCOUTING SAN JOSÉ STATE

SJSU went 16-11 in 2018, placing fourth in the Mountain West, its best conference finish since 2006.
The Spartans graduated their libero, but return their top five attackers, three of their top four blockers, four of their top five digs leaders and five of their top six ace leaders.
Junior OH Latahevai Lousi was an All-Mountain West selection in 2018, averaging 3.23 kills per set and posting double figures for kills in 13 of 16 MW matches.
Thaliana Grajeda earned honorable mention All-MW recognition after averaging 0.82 blocks per set and hitting .323. She is 15 blocks shy of reaching the top 10 in SJSU history.
SJSU ranked 16th nationally in 2018 with 1.67 service aces per set.
The Spartans, who won their final four matches of 2018, were picked to finish fifth in the Mountain West in 2019.
Jolene Shepardson is in her sixth season at SJSU, going 62-86, including back-to-back winning seasons.

SERIES VS. THE SPARTANS
Montana has lost both matchups against San José State. The two teams played in 1982 in San Jose (3-1 SJSU win) before facing each other again in Des Moines, Iowa, two falls ago (3-0 SJSU win). In that match, two current Grizzlies played. Missy Huddleston led the Griz with nine kills on .304 hitting while Ashley Watkins had 21 assists and seven digs.

SEASON OPENERS
Montana has won more than half of its season openers over its history as a program, going 23-21 (.523) since 1975. The Grizzlies have won their season opener in two of the past four seasons, including in 2017 vs. UTEP, which was Allison Lawrence's debut as a head coach.

REPLACING PRODUCTION
After returning 100 percent of their starts and more than 95 percent of their kills, assists, blocks and total points from 2017 to 2018, the Grizzlies lost far more in 2019, including their top four attackers and three blockers. Overall, Montana returns just 54 percent of its digs from a season ago, 43 percent of its aces, 35 percent of its blocks and 16 percent of its kills.

PIECING TOGETHER A LINEUP
One of the main focuses during non-conference play will be to find a consistent rotation. There are sure to be growing pains for a team that has nine true or redshirt freshmen and just four players who have ever stepped foot on a collegiate court before.

Montana's freshmen class includes defensive specialist Isabelle Garrido (Issaquah, Wash.), outside hitter Lexie Gleasman (Chelan, Wash.), outside hitter Amethyst Harper (Fresno, Calif.), middle blocker Kelly Horning (Post Falls, Idaho), outside hitter Catie Semadeni (Fort Collins, Colo.) and middle blocker Alicia Wallingford (Vancouver, Wash.). Outside hitter Elsa Godwin (Missoula, Mont.), defensive specialist Kelsey Nestegard (Pullman, Wash.) and setter Casey Stites (Bozeman, Mont.) all redshirted a season ago.

Montana lost four starters from last year's team, which opens the door for several freshmen to earn spots in the starting lineup and regular rotation.

"I think this group is so hungry, and they know they're fighting for spots," Allison Lawrence 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."

While Montana lost plenty of talent from last fall, returning is starting setter Ashley Watkins, who ranks sixth in school history with more than 2,500 career assists. Watkins has started 62 of Montana's past 63 matches and 77 overall. Montana also returns seniors Missy Huddleston (top returning attacker, second for digs) and Janna Grimsrud (0.90 blocks-per-set average in limited time a year ago). Sarina Moreno started at libero for the final 27 matches of 2018, totaling 429 digs (4.25 per set), which ranks 11th in school history and most ever by a freshman.

TRENDING UP
Montana ranked last or second-to-last in the Big Sky Conference in every statistical category before Allison 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.

BUILDING MOMENTUM
Montana had a banner season in 2018, posting 10 victories, its highest win total since 2013. The Grizzlies won seven Big Sky matches and qualified for the Big Sky tournament for the first time since 2014. For comparison, Montana won just five conference matches in 2016 and 2017 combined.

HOME SWEET HOME
Despite playing two top-30 teams, Montana went 5-7 at home in 2018, winning five consecutive home matches from Sept. 1-Oct. 11. The Grizzlies averaged nearly 600 fans per home match, its largest figure in 23 seasons.

LOOKING AHEAD
Montana will take a short bus trip to Spokane, Washington, next week, facing Ball State, Grand Canyon and Gonzaga. The following weekend (Sept. 13-14), the Grizzlies will host the Farmers State Bank Invitational in Missoula.

Complete match notes in PDF format, including charts, tables, player pages and more

Preseason Camp Coverage:
Video: Press conference with Lawrence, Huddleston
Freshmen holding themselves to high standard
Gallery: Montana volleyball vs. North Dakota
10 questions leading into Friday's exhibition match vs. North Dakota
Video: Volleyball shifts from court to camera
Video: Preseason practice
Gallery: Volleyball helps freshmen move in
Gallery: Volleyball unveils new jerseys
Video: Update with Coach Lawrence
Gallery: Preseason camp
Video: C. Semadeni update
Video: First practice
Video: J. Grimsrud update
Gallery: First practice
Energy high on Day 1 of preseason camp
Seniors out to develop new leaders
2019 Montana volleyball prospectus

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

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Players Mentioned

Isabelle Garrido

Lexie Gleasman

Elsa Godwin

Janna Grimsrud

Amethyst Harper

Kelly Horning

Missy Huddleston

Sarina Moreno

Kelsey Nestegard

Catie Semadeni

Casey Stites

Alicia Wallingford

Ashley Watkins

University of Montana Athletics