Montana making the most of all hours of the day

The time crunch from the start of preseason training until the first match is always a challenge to overcome, but one that every volleyball team faces.

The biggest thing is how each team uses that time, which equates to approximately 438 hours.

No matter how much time the Grizzlies spend in the gym, they feel like there could always be more. It's like staying up late studying for a test. Even when you feel prepared, there's always more that could be comprehended.

Head coach Allison Lawrence knows that, which is why the team is in the gym two times per day, and has been nearly every day since the Grizzlies were allowed to start practicing together on Aug. 9.

But she also knows how bodies work. That they need breaks to recover and recharge. And not just the body, but the mind as well.

"You can practice as much as you want in a day, but there are only so many hours that make a productive practice," Lawrence said. "We really try to balance mental, emotional and physical fatigue with the feeling that we need to push through to be prepared."

Montana does that through conversations with student-athletes and through analytics, like measuring jumps to understand where athletes are at physically. The Grizzlies work hard when they're on the court, but also make time for less strenuous ways to get better off of it.

After each practice, the team has a meal together across campus at the Food Zoo, and then meets as a team to discuss topics that go into their team culture. In between practices, the players often find themselves in the locker room, playing a game or watching a show, or even napping. This past week, the team took a day away from volleyball to go camping at Flathead Lake – serving the purpose of team bonding while cooking meals, paddle boarding or talking by the campfire, and doing so in a beautiful location without the physical stresses of volleyball.

Volleyball camping trip — *Team camping trip to Flathead Lake*

"Fall camp is kind of a blur because there's so much physical work and so much information to retain," said newcomer Elise Jolly. "You're learning on the go, and it's just hit and run. But it's also a lot of fun because you have a support system, and even when you're super tired, you learn so much about people when you spend all day with them."

That, to Lawrence, is what gives her comfort when she fights the battles of knowing how hard to push.

"All of it – the time on the court and the time off of it – is beneficial because it's all playing into our growth," she said.

Added Jolly: "We know each other better because of the time we spend together, and when that's the case, it even translates on to the court and you can play better together on the court. Whatever we're doing, it's just good to be doing it together."

Jolly is one of six newcomers on the roster, but she brings a veteran side to her role.

She started her collegiate career at the University of Delaware, but after redshirting that season, transferred to Saint Anselm College, a Division-II school in her home state of New Hampshire. She earned all-conference recognition in 2018 and 2019 before her team was unable to have a season in 2020 (or Spring 2021), giving her even more excitement for the present.

"Just playing as a team is the thing that gives me the most excitement," she said. "Being in the gym together, and having a normal fall camp, it doesn't seem real. It's been so long, and I'm just excited that we're actually here, and that at the end of this, we actually get to play."

While Jolly is adjusting to a new school and team, one of her teammates, Sarina Moreno, is now the veteran of the group.

Moreno got thrown into the starting libero role early during her freshman season, back in 2018, and hasn't looked back, accumulating more than 1,000 digs. She is on pace to finish her career ranked in the top three in Griz history for digs, but like Jolly, her bigger focus right now is appreciating the present.

"It feels different in the sense that I am ready to play all out," Moreno said. "Being an upperclassman, I'm not scared of making mistakes. I'm trying to go into every practice like it's my last one, because I know it could be, and I'm not taking anything for granted."

Moreno experienced that last season, first due to COVID-19 postponing the fall season, and then during the spring, when she suffered an ankle injury during the Griz-Cat rivalry. She missed several matches from an already shortened season, and came back with a greater appreciation for the sport.

"Getting hurt really put into perspective that any game can be your last one," she said. "You hear that all the time in sports, but when something like that happens to you, it really put into perspective how much you love the game that you're playing and why you play it."

Moreno is one of several seniors on roster this season, but is the most veteran of the bunch, being the only one who has played each of the past three seasons.

She's seen a lot of positives from fall camp so far, noting that there seems to be good chemistry among the newcomers and returners, and that everyone is meshing really well in order to play at the highest level. She also praised newcomer Erik Bateham, an assistant coach, for what he's brought to the program.

"Our passing has gotten a lot better," Moreno said. "We have more confidence than in the past and our communication has gotten better. Erik has brought a lot of new ideas that will help us in the future with rotations."

Gallery: (8-10-2021) VB: 1st Fall Practice (8.9.21)

The team's two-practices-per-day strategy is partially to get in a large amount of work. It allows Montana to maximize on the limited time the team is allowed to practice, and do so before the school semester begins.

But it also serves a second purpose.

Last weekend, for example, Montana held two intrasquad scrimmages on Saturday, exactly two weeks before the 2021 opener. Statistics were tracked and a score was kept, but most notable was the fact that the student-athletes got an opportunity to experience what two matches in one day feels like.

That will be the case on the day of its opener, Aug. 28, with Montana playing Kennesaw State in the morning before facing Eastern Michigan a few hours later. The two will do that again the following week, at a tournament at South Dakota State, and again a week later in North Dakota.

One of the biggest takeaways from preseason camp has been how quickly the team has transformed.

"We're definitely coming together well as a team," Jolly said. "Even with typical mishaps or mistakes, our system is coming together and everyone is figuring out their spots and places. Everything feels more fluid this week compared to last, which is crazy that it's only been a week and we've already seen this much growth."

Still, there is plenty of growth to come. The team knows the recent history and the disappointment from this past spring. The outside expectations for this fall are low, too, with the Big Sky Conference poll being announced earlier on Wednesday.

There isn't anger or the feeling of something to prove to those who voted the Grizzlies low. But they also think higher of themselves than others do, and they're eager for a full season to try and show it.

"We're excited to go out there and show what we can do, and see how we can continue improving in all areas," Jolly said. "Having it taken away before, and now having it right in front of you again, I'm getting chills just thinking about it."

Montana will open its 2021 season Aug. 28 in Charleston, South Carolina. The Grizzlies will host nine home matches this fall, beginning Sept. 1 vs. Seattle, followed by the Griz-Cat rivalry vs. Montana State (Sept. 21). Season tickets and single-match tickets are now available.

Preseason Training Camp Links

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Elise Jolly

Sarina Moreno

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