Versatile Clark finding her role

The initial thought was to redshirt Paige Clark.

The 6-1 freshman on Montana's volleyball team was recruited to play setter, and by giving her an extra year of training, it not only would develop her game more but also widen the class gap between her and returning setter Carly Anderson.

The problem was, Clark was too good.

No, she likely wasn't going to beat out Anderson, who started all 16 matches of the spring season and has started every match this fall, currently ranked second in the league for assists.

But Clark did enough good things during fall camp that it felt like a waste to have her sit on the bench as a redshirt.

The hard part was determining how to play her.

She started as a serving specialist, coming in to serve regularly for a middle blocker. She executed that role well, even getting an ace on set-point in an early-season match vs. Eastern Michigan.

The following week, Montana wanted to get her more involved and experimented with a 6-2 offense, having Clark and Anderson co-handle setting duties. The system allowed Clark to set from the back row while attacking while in the front. There were things to like about the 6-2, but it felt a little clunky as well, and Anderson's versatility again proved to be too valuable to take off the court for several rotations.

There was a thought to put Clark on the right pin, but Catie Semadeni – who ranks second on the team for kills and seventh in the Big Sky for hitting percentage – has really established herself, becoming one of the league's most-dominant opposites.

More recently, she was used on defense, racking up 10 digs at Northern Colorado.

Clark, who moved around positions quite a bit at Thunder Ridge High School in Idaho Falls, Idaho, doesn't really care where she plays. She likes the flashiness of attacking and the control of setting, getting to decide how a play ends.

"I like to play both," she said. "I just like volleyball."

The thing that Clark wanted most was to play.

At times, Clark was fully a part of Montana's rotation, and at other moments, she might only play a few points, or not at all, in a match.

"Our attitude was to keep throwing her into different positions in practice, and different scenarios, and trusting that her competitive energy and drive would allow her to find a way onto the court," head coach Allison Lawrence said. "We knew that she could have a big impact on the court; we just didn't know how."

That changed this past week when Lawrence experimented with another new position for Clark.

Montana's offense this season has run primarily through its middle blockers (Peyten Boutwell and Ellie Scherffius) and right-side attacker (Semadeni), with those positions accounting for more than half of the team's kills.

That's not how things normally are. Last year, for example, Montana's middles and right side accounted for roughly one-third of its kills, with its top-two kills leaders coming from the left side.

Players on the left generally take significantly more swings than those in the middle or on the right, but this year, Montana's four left-side attackers accounted for less than half of the team's swings and less than 40 percent of its kills entering last week.

"We felt like we needed more kills and a higher kill percentage from the L1 spot," Lawrence said, "and Paige has the arm to do that. The funny thing is, out of all of the positions we've put her at in practice, the left side is the spot she probably got the least amount of reps at."

Clark was once again on the move.

She spent most of last week in practice as a setter on the scout team, but sprinkled in attacking here and there throughout the week. That advanced as the week progressed, spending more time attacking during Wednesday's practice at Idaho and even more during Thursday's walk through.

"The coaches had talked to me about the possibility of me hitting, but it was never a for-sure thing," Clark said. "I wanted to hit, so in practice I was just trying to go as hard as I could to show them that I could do it."

Clark was more than ready for the opportunity.

Paige Clark at Idaho - 10/7/21

In the first set against the Vandals – a 25-16 Griz victory – Clark had five kills. She finished the three-set sweep with a team-best 12 kills.

The road win came in Clark's home state, with her parents in attendance.

"That night was so fun," she recalled. "We did so well and it was with a new lineup. Usually with new lineups it's hard to get kinks out, but we came out and were killing it. Everyone was so excited and the energy on the court felt different."

In addition to her teammates' support, Clark got extra inspiration from her high-school coach, Keisha Fisher, who 'hyped' Clark up over text messages throughout the weekend. Clark – a self-professed film nerd – also got extra prep time watching film and talking through situations with Anderson, her setter and travel roommate last weekend.

All of it showed, as two days after the win at Idaho, Clark totaled 21 kills on .294 hitting in a five-set battle at Eastern Washington.

The 21 kills were the most by a Grizzly since 2019 as she became the second Griz freshman to reach 21 kills in a match since set scores dropped from 30 points to 25 in 2008. Nearly one-third of all passes that day went to Clark, who took 51 swings, the most by a Montana player this season (the next closest is 37).

"Paige's biggest strength is the way she competes and how she brings people along with her," Lawrence said. "She acts like a glue and is someone her teammates trust. You're kind of swept up in her competitive passion and fire, and she adds a lot of belief on the court."

Listed as a setter, Paige Clark played outside hitter last week, leading Montana for kills in both road matches.

She averaged 4.13 kills per/set & became the 2nd Griz freshman to record 21 kills in a match since set scores dropped to 25 points in 2008!#GrizVB #BigSkyVB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/L6lbZPBvjz
— Montana Griz Volleyball (@MontanaGrizVB) October 13, 2021

Clark knows it won't all be easy. Even in the third set at Eastern Washington, she hit a rough patch in which she recorded three errors in a four-point sequence.

But Clark is also up for the challenge, bouncing back in the fourth set with eight kills compared to just one error as the Griz took the set 25-23.

"There were moments that I struggled, but Alli (Lawrence) kept looking at me and telling me I was good," Clark said. "She has confidence in me, and all of my teammates were supportive, which gave me confidence.

"I know that I can do good, and now I want to do even better so we can win those games."

CLARK Q&A
You're just a freshman, but what are you studying, and what do you want to eventually do with your degree?
I'm studying business, and I want to own a rec. There are none in Idaho Falls, and there's not a big club volleyball team either. The big, long-term dream is to own a rec and host volleyball tournaments.

When you're not playing volleyball, what do you like to do?
Me, Sierra (Dennison) and Maddie (Kremer) like to go for drives and listen to music.

What is your favorite thing about living in Missoula?
I like having all four seasons. It's already starting to snow, but we also have a really pretty fall. We have all four seasons, and I love that.

Who on the team do you trust with the aux cord?
Peyten (Boutwell). She'll put on throwbacks, and we have these Pirates of the Caribbean dubstep remixes that we play. They're so funny. She plays funny music instead of super-serious rap.

How many pennies do you think you could fit in the West Auxiliary Gym (Montana's practice gymnasium)?
Oh my gosh. So many. One billion, for sure. Or more. That's a lot of pennies.

What is something that a lot of people don't know about you?
When I was younger I did BMX racing. I mostly did it because my brother did, but there are pictures of me on a little bike.
Paige Clark_Halloween

If you could live at the zoo for a day, which animal would you live with?
The otters. I love them. They're cute and I love the water.

Who is someone who inspires you?
My high school coach (Keisha Fisher). She played college volleyball and has a family and is now a high school coach. She's really cool and I'm really close with her kids and family.

Why do you wear No. 2?
I had been No. 4 my entire life, but my mom's best friend's son passed away, and he wore No. 2 in football. My brother was No. 2 his junior year for him, and when I saw No. 2 I took it. I called the mom and told her and she started crying.

What was your best Halloween costume growing up?
I was a purple crayon one year. That, or a Care Bear.

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. To learn more about the weekend, read the match preview.

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

University of Montana Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Carly Anderson

Peyten Boutwell

Paige Clark

Ellie Scherffius

Catie Semadeni

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