Seniors out to develop new leaders

The journey as leaders dates back to January, when the volleyball team began its offseason training. That's when Allison Lawrence first noticed what this trio was capable of doing once they moved to the top of the class and was given the natural floor to take over the program.

None of the three consider themselves natural leaders. At times it feels forced or awkward, but given what they've been through, their experiences have shaped them into this role. There has been a coaching change, players coming and going, defeat – all to a higher degree than the average student-athlete goes through in three years.

"I think this group has been ready to lead, but they've been in the shadows of people ahead of them," Lawrence said. "They don't always fit that typical 'leader' persona, but once it became their time, I really noticed what they were capable of doing to grow this program in that capacity."

While the senior class of Janna Grimsrud, Missy Huddleston and Ashley Watkins has been leading the team through spring practices and into the summer, now their opportunity really comes. Montana reported for the 2019 season on Friday.

Seven players are back from last year's roster. Six freshmen moved onto campus this week to begin their new chapters. Of the 13 current Grizzlies, nine have never stepped foot on a collegiate volleyball court.

While that can seem daunting, the four that return from last year's breakthrough season are veterans and major contributors.

Watkins ranks sixth in school history for career assists, starting 62 of the past 63 matches over the past two seasons. The offense runs through No. 5. Huddleston was a starter on the outside, ranking second for serve-receive percentage, second for digs and is the team's top returning attacker. Grimsrud has experience with 35 matches and 11 starts under her belt, including an impressive blocking performance against Iowa State, a top-30 team, last fall. Montana's other returner is Sarina Moreno, who as a true freshman in 2018 started the final 27 matches at libero, setting a single-season school record for digs by a freshman.

"There's a lot of newness, but it's not necessarily a rebuild," Lawrence said. "We're in a unique position where we're both top and bottom heavy."

What the wave of youth does mean, however, is that it's all the more essential for senior leadership.

"The thing that I think we have going for us is that we've been through a lot," Huddleston said. "Good and bad, we've seen a lot, and we've experienced a lot. I think because of that, we're built to really set the standard. We want to lead by example and be the ones who are showing what is expected by the way we work and communicate."

Before their senior season began, the trio got together and talked about what types of leadership have been helpful for their development. They jotted those things down. They talked about the people and styles that have been ineffective during their careers. They erased those, mentally noting to avoid leading in that fashion.

"Everyone that has been in this program has taught me something," Watkins said. "I think being able to take things from others has helped shape me as a leader."

Leadership is a word easily thrown around in sports, and one that can mean different things to different people. It's about setting the standard. Communication. Teaching a drill. Walking a freshman to class.

To this group, it means all of those things. But it's not a hierarchy.

"I don't think any of us would necessarily call ourselves leaders," Grimsrud said. "We'd prefer to think of us hand in hand with the underclassmen. We're not ahead of them, but beside them. Or maybe even behind them, pushing them forward."

The truth is, many of the incoming freshmen will serve key roles this year. If the Grizzlies are to have success on the court, they will need several freshmen to fill big shoes. And these freshmen will be around for several years once this current crop of seniors is gone, becoming the future leaders for the program.

"The biggest thing that our program wants every player who enters and leaves to know is that it's bigger than them," Watkins said. "Every single person has an impact on the team and will have the chance to leave their mark, but it's bigger than you, and we as seniors need to remember that as well. We want to set the standard for the underclassmen, not just for this year but for years to come."

As the Grizzlies report for the 2019 season, there are plenty of unknowns. How will the team replace a first-team all-conference attacker? Who will step up in the middle and on the right side? How can Montana build off of last year's season that earned a berth in the Big Sky tournament for the first time since 2014?

Some of those questions will be answered over the next three weeks, as the team goes through two-a-day practices and a scrimmage vs. North Dakota leading up to its season opener on Aug. 30. Some will settle throughout the season. Others might take longer.

"I don't know exactly what this season will look like, but we're moving in the right direction – not just our success on the court, but in our relationships," Grimsrud said. "I'm really proud of that. Even if we lost every game last year, the culture we've created with the girls who are here is everything I've wanted for our legacy.

"Now we have created the culture and we know what we want, and I think that can carry over into this season. I'm really proud of who this program has made me as a person and as a player, and I'm really proud of where we've come as a group."

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Janna Grimsrud

Missy Huddleston

Sarina Moreno

Ashley Watkins

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