Thursday, October 14
Missoula, Mont.
7 PM
Montana
vs
Portland State
Photo by: Tommy Martino
After weekend split, Montana comes home to host alumni weekend, pair of Big Sky opponents
10/12/2021 4:59:00 PM | Volleyball
Montana vs. Portland State
Thursday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.
Tickets / Watch / Live Stats
Montana vs. Sacramento State
Saturday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.
Tickets / Watch / Live Stats
Coming off of a road split, Montana returns home to host Portland State (Thursday, 7 p.m.) and Sacramento State (Saturday, 7 p.m.). The athletics department is offering half-price tickets for Saturday's contest, which will take place following football's home game vs. the Hornets. Saturday will also be a celebration as the Griz welcome back nearly 20 former players for an alumni weekend.
Portland State has been one of the league's biggest surprise teams. The Vikings won five Big Sky titles in seven seasons from 2007-13, but have had just two winning seasons since then, including a 6-12 mark during the spring campaign. Picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll, the Vikings are living up to that status and more, currently 5-1 in league action (11-6 overall). After a four-set loss to defending champion Weber State, Portland State rattled off four consecutive wins over bottom-half teams (winning 12 of 13 sets), and then followed that stretch up with an impressive win last weekend over Northern Arizona.
Senior outside hitter Parker Webb ranks in the top five in the Big Sky for both kills (3.40 per set, fourth) and hitting percentage (.298, fifth), while junior Ellie Snook is looking like a lock to repeat as libero of the year. Her 5.42 digs-per-set average ranks eighth nationally and is more than a full dig better than second place (Montana's Sarina Moreno). She was named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday for the third time this season. As a team, Portland State leads the league for digs (16.85 per set) and opponent hitting (.185), but is also good offensively, ranking second for kills (12.85 per set).
Montana is just 18-61 all-time against the Vikings, doomed by losses in the first 20 meetings from 1975-82 and 21 in a row from 2005-13. Lately, though, the Griz have been more competitive, going 4-5 since the start of the 2014 season. That includes a 3-1 mark at home, winning back-to-back home meetings (2018, 2019).
Sacramento State enters the week with an 8-8 mark overall, including a 3-3 record in Big Sky play. The Hornets – which were picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll – have been up and down through three weeks of league action. They swept Eastern Washington and Southern Utah but also lost to Idaho State and needed five sets to defeat Idaho.
Sacramento State's Bridgette Smith – a high school teammate of Montana's Madi Chuhlantseff – ranks in the top 10 in the Big Sky for both kills (3.15 per set, eighth) and service aces (0.39 per set, sixth). The Hornets also have two of the league's top blockers, with junior middle blocker Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin and senior middle blocker Cianna Andrews both averaging more than 1.00 blocks per set. As a team, Sacramento State leads the Big Sky with 2.44 blocks per set (52nd in NCAA).
Montana is 14-34 all-time vs. Sacramento State, including 10-15 in Missoula. The Hornets have won four in a row in the series, and seven of the past eight, but the one Griz win came at home in 2018, a five-set victory in which the Griz overcame an 0-2 deficit a year after the Hornets won a Big Sky title.
On Saturday, the Grizzlies will welcome back several former players as the Griz host an alumni weekend. The list of RSVPs features players spanning from 1984 to as recently as the 2019 season. The group will be recognized on the court between the second and third sets, which will also be a time to celebrate the 1991 team.
GRIZ BITS
NARROW MARGINS
After a successful non-conference season, Montana's 1-5 mark in Big Sky play is not where the Grizzlies want to be. There is still plenty to improve on, but Montana believes it is close to turning the corner – as long as it can improve its late-set execution.
Of Montana's 15 set losses in Big Sky play, 12 have been decided by five points or fewer. Further, more than half (eight of 15 sets) have been decided by the minimum two points, with six going past the traditional 25-point mark.
The Grizzlies have been competitive throughout matches, but have struggled to put teams away:
INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING
Montana will next hit the road, traveling to Southern Utah (Thursday, Oct. 21) and Northern Arizona (Saturday, Oct. 23) to face the only two teams the Griz haven't yet seen.
Gallery: (9-30-2021) VB: vs. Idaho State (9.3021)
Thursday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.
Tickets / Watch / Live Stats
Montana vs. Sacramento State
Saturday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.
Tickets / Watch / Live Stats
Coming off of a road split, Montana returns home to host Portland State (Thursday, 7 p.m.) and Sacramento State (Saturday, 7 p.m.). The athletics department is offering half-price tickets for Saturday's contest, which will take place following football's home game vs. the Hornets. Saturday will also be a celebration as the Griz welcome back nearly 20 former players for an alumni weekend.
Portland State has been one of the league's biggest surprise teams. The Vikings won five Big Sky titles in seven seasons from 2007-13, but have had just two winning seasons since then, including a 6-12 mark during the spring campaign. Picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll, the Vikings are living up to that status and more, currently 5-1 in league action (11-6 overall). After a four-set loss to defending champion Weber State, Portland State rattled off four consecutive wins over bottom-half teams (winning 12 of 13 sets), and then followed that stretch up with an impressive win last weekend over Northern Arizona.
Senior outside hitter Parker Webb ranks in the top five in the Big Sky for both kills (3.40 per set, fourth) and hitting percentage (.298, fifth), while junior Ellie Snook is looking like a lock to repeat as libero of the year. Her 5.42 digs-per-set average ranks eighth nationally and is more than a full dig better than second place (Montana's Sarina Moreno). She was named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday for the third time this season. As a team, Portland State leads the league for digs (16.85 per set) and opponent hitting (.185), but is also good offensively, ranking second for kills (12.85 per set).
Montana is just 18-61 all-time against the Vikings, doomed by losses in the first 20 meetings from 1975-82 and 21 in a row from 2005-13. Lately, though, the Griz have been more competitive, going 4-5 since the start of the 2014 season. That includes a 3-1 mark at home, winning back-to-back home meetings (2018, 2019).
Sacramento State enters the week with an 8-8 mark overall, including a 3-3 record in Big Sky play. The Hornets – which were picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll – have been up and down through three weeks of league action. They swept Eastern Washington and Southern Utah but also lost to Idaho State and needed five sets to defeat Idaho.
Sacramento State's Bridgette Smith – a high school teammate of Montana's Madi Chuhlantseff – ranks in the top 10 in the Big Sky for both kills (3.15 per set, eighth) and service aces (0.39 per set, sixth). The Hornets also have two of the league's top blockers, with junior middle blocker Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin and senior middle blocker Cianna Andrews both averaging more than 1.00 blocks per set. As a team, Sacramento State leads the Big Sky with 2.44 blocks per set (52nd in NCAA).
Montana is 14-34 all-time vs. Sacramento State, including 10-15 in Missoula. The Hornets have won four in a row in the series, and seven of the past eight, but the one Griz win came at home in 2018, a five-set victory in which the Griz overcame an 0-2 deficit a year after the Hornets won a Big Sky title.
WELCOME BACKBack at home this week for a pair of #BigSkyVB matches!
— Montana Griz Volleyball (@MontanaGrizVB) October 11, 2021
🏐 Thursday vs. Portland State
🏐 Saturday vs. Sac State
🎟️ https://t.co/GLkDANpjx9#GrizVB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/woUH5nmwY4
On Saturday, the Grizzlies will welcome back several former players as the Griz host an alumni weekend. The list of RSVPs features players spanning from 1984 to as recently as the 2019 season. The group will be recognized on the court between the second and third sets, which will also be a time to celebrate the 1991 team.
At least eight members from that championship team will be in attendance, marking the 30-year anniversary of Montana's first conference title. After the Griz qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1990, as an at-large selection, Montana then won the Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles in 1991, before going on to face Pacific in the NCAA tournament. The 1991 team was historic, going 26-4 overall, including a perfect 16-0 in conference and 12-0 at home. Montana was led by Big Sky MVP Ann Schwenke, one of three AVCA All-Region selections that year. A year ago, GoGriz.com profiled the 1990 team that became the first in school history to qualify for the NCAA tournament.
GRIZ BITS
- Montana posted its best non-conference record in 16 seasons, going 5-5 including impressive wins over Kennesaw State and Drake – both contenders in their respective conferences. The Grizzlies also went 3-0 at the UND Classic, their first outright tournament championship since 2005.
- The Grizzlies hit a bit of a rut following the UND Classic, losing their next six matches. Montana, however, had one of the league's toughest starts to Big Sky play, facing three of the top-four teams in the Big Sky preseason poll in the first two weeks.
- Of the 62 sets Montana has played, 42 (67.7 percent) have been decided by five points or fewer (16-26 record). Twenty-seven (43.5 percent) have seen a margin of three points or fewer (11-16) and 20 (32.3 percent) have been decided by the minimum two points (8-12). Additionally, 12 sets have gone past the traditional 25 points.
- Montana ranks in the upper-half of the Big Sky standings for kills (12.31 per set, fourth); assists (11.23 per set, fourth); hitting percentage (.210, fifth); blocks (2.08 per set, fifth); and digs (13.98 per set, fifth). This comes after the Grizzlies ranked 10th or 11th in the Big Sky in every category in the spring except for digs (seventh).
- Montana's .210 team hitting percentage is on pace to rank ninth in school history, and its best since 2007. The Grizzlies are the only Big Sky team to have two players hitting above .280.
- While Montana ranks fourth in the Big Sky for kills, the Grizzlies have no individual close to the Big Sky leaders for kills per set. Instead, Montana has used a balanced attack led by senior middle blocker Peyten Boutwell (2.26 kills per set) and junior right-side attacker Catie Semadeni (2.19 per set). They are two of seven Griz attackers who are averaging at least 1.40 kills per set this season.
- Montana recorded a season-high 73 kills at Eastern Washington, marking the first time this year the Griz have lost while out-killing their opponent. Montana also hit .283 (third-best of the season) despite the defeat.
- Senior middle blocker Peyten Boutwell (1.03 per set, eighth) and sophomore middle blocker Ellie Scherffius (0.97 per set, 12th) are both among the league's best blockers. Boutwell's current average is on pace to be the Grizzlies' best since Capri Richardson in 2014. Montana hasn't had two individuals average more than 0.90 blocks per set since Natalie Jones and Brooke Bray did so in 2013. As a team, Montana is out-blocking its opponents on the season.
- Senior libero Sarina Moreno continues to move up the school's all-time digs list (1,276), jumping from eighth to fifth with 31 digs vs. Idaho State (Sept. 30) and continuing to climb. She passed Angie Bellinger (1988-91) last week, and with 26 digs this week will move into third place (Erin Adams, 1996-00).
- Listed as a setter, freshman Paige Clark has done a little bit of everything this season, but last week got her first extended opportunity as a front-row attacker. Clark led the Griz for kills against both Idaho (12) and Eastern Washington (21). Her 51 swings vs. the Eagles were 14 more than any other Grizzly has taken this season, and she became just the second Montana freshman to record 21 kills in a match since set scores dropped from 30 to 25 in 2008.
NARROW MARGINS
After a successful non-conference season, Montana's 1-5 mark in Big Sky play is not where the Grizzlies want to be. There is still plenty to improve on, but Montana believes it is close to turning the corner – as long as it can improve its late-set execution.
Of Montana's 15 set losses in Big Sky play, 12 have been decided by five points or fewer. Further, more than half (eight of 15 sets) have been decided by the minimum two points, with six going past the traditional 25-point mark.
The Grizzlies have been competitive throughout matches, but have struggled to put teams away:
- Of its 15 set losses, Montana has led by at least three points in seven of them.
- Montana has three times led a set 24-21 but has been unable to get the final point.
- The Griz have held 12 set-point opportunities (across five different set losses), but have been unable to finish off those sets.
INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING
- #1 Sarina Moreno – Ranks second in the Big Sky with 4.31 digs per set (5.00 in Big Sky matches)… Has been in double figures for digs in all but one matches this season, and has recorded 14 or more digs in all but three… Posted a season-high 31 digs vs. Idaho State (Sept. 30), the second-most of her career and the most by a Big Sky player in a four-set match this season… Also is the only Big Sky player to record 19 digs in a three-set match this season, doing so twice (at North Dakota on Sept. 11; at Idaho on Oct. 7)… Totaled 25 digs in a five-set win over Seattle (Sept. 1)… Has 12 service aces on the season (third on the team) and at least one in eight matches, including three vs. Eastern Michigan (Aug. 28) and two at Northern Colorado (Sept. 23)… Both aces vs. the Bears came during a 7-0 service run in which the Grizzlies erased what once was a 10-point deficit to hold set point at 25-24… Moved into Montana's top-10 list for career digs earlier this month and now ranks fourth, passing Angie Bellinger (1988-91) last week… With 1,276 career digs, needs 26 this week to move into third place (Erin Adams, 1996-00).
- #2 Paige Clark – Has seen time in 14 of 16 matches this season, earning two starts… Showing her versatility, she has been used as a server, setter and attacker… Saw her first significant time as a front-row attacker last week at Idaho (Oct. 7) and Eastern Washington (Oct. 9) and led Montana's offense in both matches, averaging 4.13 kills per set on .263 hitting… Totaled a team-most 12 kills at a .207 clip in a three-set win at Idaho, before totaling 21 on .294 hitting at Eastern Washington… The 21 kills were the most by a Grizzly since 2019 and most by a Griz freshman since 2018… Has 10 service aces on the season and at least one in five of six Big Sky matches (eight total)… Recorded three aces vs. Idaho State (Sept. 30)… Has twice been in double figures for digs, including a season-high 12 at South Dakota State (Sept. 3)… Was used as a setter/attacker in several matches, in a 6-2 offense, recording 12 assists and 10 digs on .368 hitting vs. California Baptist (Sept. 3), in addition to five digs, one ace and one block… Recorded her first career ace vs. Eastern Michigan (Aug. 28), with the serve coming on set point which gave the Grizzlies a 25-23 win… Also spent Set 3 vs. the Eagles at setter, recording 15 assists and one kill while running the offense… Made her collegiate debut vs. Kennesaw State (Aug. 28).
- #3 Jackie Howell – Has played in every set this season, earning starts in 13 matches… Leads Montana with a .967 serve percentage and .947 reception percentage… Also ranks third on the team with 1.87 digs per set and fourth with 11 service aces… Has been in double figures for digs six times, including three of the past four matches… Over the past four matches (Sept. 30-Oct. 9), has been a multi-faceted weapon, averaging 2.60 kills and 2.73 digs per set, in addition to five service aces and five blocks… Has two double-doubles during that span and has recorded nine or more kills in all four matches, after posting 23 total through the first 12 matches (and never more than six in a match)… Has a service ace in eight different matches (four in a row), led by three vs. CSU Bakersfield (Sept. 18)… Has been one of Montana's top servers, serving during multiple lengthy runs, including 5-0 a run vs. Seattle (Sept. 1), turning a 9-6 deficit into a Griz lead, and a 6-0 run in Set 5 vs. Drake (Sept. 10)… Has twice totaled 14 digs in a match (vs. Drake on Sept. 11; at Eastern Washington on Oct. 9).
- #4 Carly Anderson – Has helped facilitate a balanced offense that is hitting .210 and features two of the league's top-seven attackers… Ranks second in the Big Sky with 9.18 assists per set… Holds three of the top-five assists totals this season in the Big Sky, including a career-high 56 at Eastern Washington (Oct. 9)… In addition to the 56 assists vs. the Eagles, she also added five kills, three service aces and eight digs… Ranks second on the team with 13 service aces, including six in the past two matches… Was named to the UND Classic all-tournament team after averaging 8.69 assists per set and running an offense that hit .278 for the weekend (Sept. 10-11)… In addition to her setting, she also added 2.07 digs per set, plus 11 kills (zero errors, .550 hitting) and two service aces in three victories… Tallied 52 assists in a win over Seattle (Sept. 1) and 50 in a season-opening victory over Kennesaw State (Aug. 28)… Is also averaging 1.85 digs per set (fourth on the team), recording her first double-double of the season at North Dakota (33 assists, 10 digs)… Has 32 kills on the season (0.52 per set) and has recorded 25 straight kills without making an error.
- #8 Elsa Godwin – Has started 14 of 16 matches at outside hitter… Leads the Griz with 16 service aces and is second for digs (2.36 per set)… Ranks third on the team for both serve percentage (.949) and reception percentage (.931)… Has been in double figures for digs six times this season, including five times in the past 10 matches… Ranks fourth on the team with 89 kills (1.44 per set) and is hitting at a .128 clip, after hitting .005 in the spring... Recorded a career-high 14 kills, plus 10 digs, vs. Eastern Michigan (Aug. 28), before surpassing that total vs. Seattle (Sept. 1)… In a five-set win over the Redhawks, she totaled 16 kills at a .375 clip, also adding nine digs and four blocks… After falling behind 2-1, Montana won the final two sets, with Godwin totaling five kills (.556 hitting) and three blocks… Totaled 19 digs, nine kills and three aces vs. Green Bay (Sept. 10)… Added three more aces at North Dakota (Sept. 11), including two during a 9-0 run that flipped a 21-15 deficit into a 24-21 lead… Totaled 11 kills and three service aces vs. College of Charleston (Aug. 29)… Had nine kills through two sets vs. the Cougars, including points on four consecutive plays during an 8-0 run in Set 2.
- #10 Ellie Scherffius – Ranks third in the Big Sky with a .319 hitting percentage… Is among the team leaders for hitting (first), blocking (0.97 per set, second) and kills (1.97 per set, third)… Ranks in the top 15 in the Big Sky for blocking… Was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 13) and UND Classic MVP (Sept. 11) after averaging 2.92 kills per set on .500 hitting, plus 0.92 blocks per set, in three victories… In a five-set win over Green Bay (Sept. 10), Scherffius had seven of Montana's 15 points in the fifth set, including four kills and a block during a 5-0 run… Finished the day with a career-high-tying 15 kills on .520 hitting, plus six blocks… Has been in double figures for kills seven times and has hit .500 or above on five occasions… Has recorded five or more blocks seven times… Named to the CofC Invitational all-tournament team (Aug. 29) after averaging 2.43 kills per set on .540 hitting, in addition to 1.00 blocks per set… Recorded 15 kills on .650 hitting (15-2-20) in a win over Kennesaw State (Aug. 28), in addition to a team-high-tying six blocks… Later that day, vs. Eastern Michigan, she recorded nine kills and zero errors at an .818 clip (9-0-11), again adding six blocks… Entered the season with four career kills and three blocks while seeing limited action as a true freshman during the spring season.
- #12 Sarah Ashley – Has played in 13 matches this season, earning six starts at defensive specialist… Ranks fifth on the team for service aces (10) and digs (1.40 per set)… Served up three aces vs. Eastern Michigan (Aug. 28) and has at least one ace in seven contests… Has twice been in double figures for digs (10 vs. Kennesaw State and College of Charleston).
- #14 Peyten Boutwell – Has started all 16 matches at middle blocker… Leads the Griz with 1.03 blocks per set (eighth in the Big Sky), including 1.29 in league play (fifth)… Is on pace to post the Grizzlies' highest block-per-set average since 2014… Also leads Montana for kills (140, 2.26 per set)… Has been in double figures for kills seven times (four times in Big Sky play) and has reached five or more blocks on six occasions… Recorded a season-high nine stuffs in a three-set win at Idaho (Oct. 7), to go along with seven kills on .375 hitting… Totaled 11 kills and four blocks in a come-from-behind win over Drake (Sept. 11)… Totaled 13 kills on .276 hitting at Eastern Washington (Oct. 9)… Recorded 16 kills on .520 hitting vs. Seattle (Sept. 1), becoming the fourth Grizzly in the past 12 seasons to hit above .500 with at least 16 kills… Blocked seven balls vs. Eastern Michigan (Aug. 28)… Totaled 12 kills on .391 hitting in Montana's season-opening win over Kennesaw State (Aug. 28).
- #16 Catie Semadeni – Has had a strong start to her junior season, totaling 136 kills (2.19 per set, second on the team) on .284 hitting (second on the team, seventh in the Big Sky)… For comparison, she totaled 22 kills in 10 matches as a sophomore, hitting .011… Also ranks third on the team for blocking (0.71 per set)… Has six times been in double figures for kills and has reached eight or more kills in 11 matches… Recorded a career-high 16 kills on .297 hitting at Eastern Washington (Oct. 9), also adding five blocks… Led Montana with 11 kills on .360 hitting at Northern Colorado (Sept. 23), totaling three kills to fend off set point or give the Griz a one-point lead late in Set 2… Was named to EWU's all-tournament team after recording 10 kills on .350 hitting, plus three blocks, in Montana's only match, vs. CSU Bakersfield (Sept. 18)… At the UND Classic (Sept. 10-11), averaged 1.92 kills per set at a .283 clip, while also adding a team-best 13 blocks (1.00 per set)… Stuffed a career-high eight balls vs. Drake (Sept. 11), to go along with eight kills on .353 hitting… In Montana's season-opening win over Kennesaw State, she totaled 10 kills on .308 hitting, in addition to six blocks… Later that day, vs. Eastern Michigan, she added 11 kills at a .346 clip.
- #17 Elise Jolly – Has played in 14 matches, starting two at outside hitter… Is averaging 2.05 kills per set at a .158 clip… Was named to the UND Classic all-tournament team after averaging 3.50 kills on .415 hitting across the final two matches of the weekend (Sept. 11)… Had a career-high 16 kills on .353 hitting in a five-set win over Drake, before 12 kills at a .526 clip that evening at North Dakota… Has been in double figures for kills five times… Tallied 10 kills and nine digs in her Montana debut vs. Kennesaw State (Aug. 28) and 10 more, plus a pair of blocks, vs. College of Charleston (Aug. 29)… In Montana's win over Kennesaw State, she recorded four of the Grizzlies' eight kills in Set 5, hitting .500 (4-1-6) in the set… Her 10th and final kill came on match point, securing Montana's win.
- #21 Kelsey Nestegard – Has played in eight matches, including the last seven, being used as a server… Has five service aces on the season… Totaled two aces vs. Montana State (Sept. 21)… Made her season debut vs. Seattle (Sept. 1), recording an ace and being praised by Allison Lawrence for her aggressive serving and coverage on defense.
- #22 Maddie Kremer – Has played in 12 matches, starting at North Dakota (Sept. 11)… After playing in 10 of Montana's first 25 sets to open the season, she found her form at the UND Classic (Sept. 10-11)… Despite not playing in the first two sets vs. Drake (Sept. 11), she finished the match with 10 kills at .315 hitting, including seven kills and an ace in Set 4 and being praised by Allison Lawrence for the team's turnaround… That night vs. North Dakota, making her first career start, she added eight more kills and a block… Recorded seven kills and two blocks vs. Eastern Michigan (Aug. 28)… She led Montana with four kills and a block in a Set-2 win over the Eagles… Is averaging 1.25 kills across 24 sets this season.
Montana will next hit the road, traveling to Southern Utah (Thursday, Oct. 21) and Northern Arizona (Saturday, Oct. 23) to face the only two teams the Griz haven't yet seen.
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