Thursday, October 13
Missoula, Mont.
7 PM
Montana
vs
Northern Arizona
Photo by: Derek Johnson
Grizzlies eager to play in front of home crowd
10/12/2022 3:58:00 PM | Volleyball
Montana vs. Northern Arizona
Thursday, Oct. 13 / 7 p.m. / Missoula, Montana
ESPN+ Stream / Live Stats / Tickets
Montana vs. Northern Colorado
Saturday, Oct. 15 / 7 p.m. / Missoula, Montana
ESPN+ Stream / Live Stats / Tickets
After playing 13 of its past 14 matches away from Missoula – and posting a winning record during that stretch – Montana finally returns home for an extended period. The Grizzlies will play seven of their next nine matches at home, including four in a row beginning Thursday vs. Northern Arizona. They will also host 2021 champion and preseason favorite Northern Colorado on Saturday evening, following the Montana's football game. Fans can get buy-one-get-one-free tickets in an online-only promotion using the promo: BOGO.
Montana started Big Sky Conference play 3-0, but lost both matches last weekend against the league's top two teams. The Grizzlies lost to Sacramento State in four sets and were swept at Portland State, two teams who are tied for first in the league standings at 5-1.
Despite the defeats, Montana came away with some positives, particularly from the Sacramento State match. Montana won the third set, becoming the first Big Sky team in more than a year to take a set off the Hornets at The Nest. Sacramento State has now won 30 of its past 31 sets against Big Sky competition at home, with the lone loss coming to Montana.
Overall, though, Montana didn't play particularly well against the stiff competition. Against the Hornets, the Grizzlies were aced 15 times. Montana allowed Portland State to hit .381, the highest by an opponent this season.
Montana, which entered last week ranked in the top two in the league for kills, hitting percentage, opponent hitting, assists and service aces, will look to get back on track this week at home.
Montana is 3-1 at home this season and will look to improve that record against a Northern Arizona squad it faced just three weeks ago. On Sept. 22 in Flagstaff, Montana earned a reverse sweep over the Lumberjacks, winning in five sets after dropping the first two, to beat Northern Arizona for the first time in Flagstaff since 2010.
Paige Clark had 19 kills, while Elise Jolly (15 kills on .344 hitting) and Catie Semadeni (14 kills on .444 hitting) were also in double figures. Sarina Moreno totaled 21 digs while Carly Anderson set up the offense with 54 assists, being named the league's player of the week several days later.
It will take a similar effort on Thursday, as Montana looks to beat Northern Arizona for the first time in Missoula since 2011.
Northern Arizona doesn't look strong on the surface, holding just a 2-10 record. When digging a little deeper, though, one will see that the Lumberjacks are a dangerous squad. For starters, they are coming off of a win over Northern Colorado last weekend, taking down the defending Big Sky champions and a team that was picked to repeat as champs in the league's preseason poll. Secondly, NAU's record could be significantly better if a couple of breaks went its way. The Lumberjacks have won at least one set in seven straight matches, with five of the past six going a full five sets.
The Lumberjacks are also a team that knows how to win, earning conference titles in 2015 and 2018 and winning a league-high 176 matches over the past decade.
NAU's Taylor Jacobsen leads the Big Sky with 5.13 kills per set, recording 28 last month vs. Montana. Millie O'Ketter is the league leader for digs, at 4.55 per set.
As good as NAU has been, it could be argued that Northern Colorado has been even better. Head coach Lyndsey Oates is a four-time Big Sky Coach of the Year, guiding the Bears to eight Big Sky titles and five NCAA tournament appearances, most recently last fall.
Picked to win the league, UNC got off to a hot start with impressive wins over North Carolina and Colorado State – two teams receiving AVCA top-25 votes at the time. It has been an up-and-down road since then, with UNC sitting at 2-3 in the league standings with losses to Idaho State, Montana State and Northern Arizona, but wins over first-place Portland State and Sacramento State (the only league team to beat either of those squads).
During league play, UNC has two of the top offensive weapons in Rachel Hickman (3.67 kills per set, third) and Makenzie Harris (3.59, fourth), in addition to setter Syd Cole, who averages a league-best 12.38 assists per set. Cece Huhn ranks second in the Big Sky with 1.19 blocks per set, while Mchaela Boon ranks second for digs, at 5.43.
Montana is looking for its first win over the Bears since 2013, having dropped 15 matches in a row in the series.
First serve for both matches will be at 7 p.m., with both contests being broadcast on ESPN+.
Montana will remain in Missoula to host Weber State (Thursday, Oct. 20) and Idaho State (Saturday, Oct. 22) next week.
Thursday, Oct. 13 / 7 p.m. / Missoula, Montana
ESPN+ Stream / Live Stats / Tickets
Montana vs. Northern Colorado
Saturday, Oct. 15 / 7 p.m. / Missoula, Montana
ESPN+ Stream / Live Stats / Tickets
After playing 13 of its past 14 matches away from Missoula – and posting a winning record during that stretch – Montana finally returns home for an extended period. The Grizzlies will play seven of their next nine matches at home, including four in a row beginning Thursday vs. Northern Arizona. They will also host 2021 champion and preseason favorite Northern Colorado on Saturday evening, following the Montana's football game. Fans can get buy-one-get-one-free tickets in an online-only promotion using the promo: BOGO.
Montana started Big Sky Conference play 3-0, but lost both matches last weekend against the league's top two teams. The Grizzlies lost to Sacramento State in four sets and were swept at Portland State, two teams who are tied for first in the league standings at 5-1.
Despite the defeats, Montana came away with some positives, particularly from the Sacramento State match. Montana won the third set, becoming the first Big Sky team in more than a year to take a set off the Hornets at The Nest. Sacramento State has now won 30 of its past 31 sets against Big Sky competition at home, with the lone loss coming to Montana.
Overall, though, Montana didn't play particularly well against the stiff competition. Against the Hornets, the Grizzlies were aced 15 times. Montana allowed Portland State to hit .381, the highest by an opponent this season.
Montana, which entered last week ranked in the top two in the league for kills, hitting percentage, opponent hitting, assists and service aces, will look to get back on track this week at home.
Montana is 3-1 at home this season and will look to improve that record against a Northern Arizona squad it faced just three weeks ago. On Sept. 22 in Flagstaff, Montana earned a reverse sweep over the Lumberjacks, winning in five sets after dropping the first two, to beat Northern Arizona for the first time in Flagstaff since 2010.
Paige Clark had 19 kills, while Elise Jolly (15 kills on .344 hitting) and Catie Semadeni (14 kills on .444 hitting) were also in double figures. Sarina Moreno totaled 21 digs while Carly Anderson set up the offense with 54 assists, being named the league's player of the week several days later.
It will take a similar effort on Thursday, as Montana looks to beat Northern Arizona for the first time in Missoula since 2011.
Northern Arizona doesn't look strong on the surface, holding just a 2-10 record. When digging a little deeper, though, one will see that the Lumberjacks are a dangerous squad. For starters, they are coming off of a win over Northern Colorado last weekend, taking down the defending Big Sky champions and a team that was picked to repeat as champs in the league's preseason poll. Secondly, NAU's record could be significantly better if a couple of breaks went its way. The Lumberjacks have won at least one set in seven straight matches, with five of the past six going a full five sets.
The Lumberjacks are also a team that knows how to win, earning conference titles in 2015 and 2018 and winning a league-high 176 matches over the past decade.
NAU's Taylor Jacobsen leads the Big Sky with 5.13 kills per set, recording 28 last month vs. Montana. Millie O'Ketter is the league leader for digs, at 4.55 per set.
As good as NAU has been, it could be argued that Northern Colorado has been even better. Head coach Lyndsey Oates is a four-time Big Sky Coach of the Year, guiding the Bears to eight Big Sky titles and five NCAA tournament appearances, most recently last fall.
Picked to win the league, UNC got off to a hot start with impressive wins over North Carolina and Colorado State – two teams receiving AVCA top-25 votes at the time. It has been an up-and-down road since then, with UNC sitting at 2-3 in the league standings with losses to Idaho State, Montana State and Northern Arizona, but wins over first-place Portland State and Sacramento State (the only league team to beat either of those squads).
During league play, UNC has two of the top offensive weapons in Rachel Hickman (3.67 kills per set, third) and Makenzie Harris (3.59, fourth), in addition to setter Syd Cole, who averages a league-best 12.38 assists per set. Cece Huhn ranks second in the Big Sky with 1.19 blocks per set, while Mchaela Boon ranks second for digs, at 5.43.
Montana is looking for its first win over the Bears since 2013, having dropped 15 matches in a row in the series.
First serve for both matches will be at 7 p.m., with both contests being broadcast on ESPN+.
GRIZ BITS📸#NCAAWVB Photo of the Week 🏐@MontanaGrizVB celebrates a road rivalry win over Montana State to go 3-0 in conference play! 🥳 https://t.co/AVCxAgeyMj pic.twitter.com/Z6YaFar7kY
— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) October 4, 2022
- Montana is looking to get back on track following consecutive road losses to Sacramento State and Portland State. The Hornets and Vikings sit atop the league standings, both at 5-1, while Montana fell to fourth place, at 3-2.
- Prior to last week's results, Montana was riding high, earning a 3-0 start to league play and a five-match winning streak overall. The Grizzlies' 10-5 start to the season was their best 15-match start since 2000.
- Montana is balanced on both offense and defense, ranking third in the Big Sky for hitting percentage (.215) and fourth for opponent hitting (.191). The Grizzlies also rank third for assists (11.54 per set) and kills (12.53) and are fifth for digs (14.92).
- Sophomore outside hitter Paige Clark is one of the league's top attackers, ranking third for both kills (3.53) and points (4.22). She has been in double figures for kills in 14 of 17 matches, with two of the exceptions coming last week when she was held to 12 total kills.
- Setter Carly Anderson has had a fantastic start to her junior season, earning Big Sky Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Week honors in September and ranking third in the league with 9.81 assists per set. The versatile setter has four double-doubles (assists-digs), is among the team's top servers and is totaling 15 kills compared to three attack errors during league play. Late last month, she earned her 2,000th career assist and ranks 10th in program history for career assists, despite being just a junior.
- Both Clark (0.37 per set, fifth) and Anderson (0.34 per set, seventh) are among the league leaders for service aces. Clark has at least one ace in 10 of the past 11 matches, including 11 in the past six contests.
- Senior middle blocker Elise Jolly ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 1.02 blocks per set. She had a career night at Montana State, where she stuffed a personal-best eight attacks.
- Senior libero Sarina Moreno ranks fifth in the Big Sky for digs (3.85 per set). She has been in double figures for digs in 14 matches this season, including 20 in a four-set match last week at Sacramento State. She ranks second in school history with more than 1,600 for her career (201 shy of Montana's school record).
- Junior middle blocker Ellie Scherffius ranks ninth in the Big Sky with a .316 hitting percentage. She has hit above .400 in a match seven times this season, and earlier this year became the first Grizzly in 15 years to total 20 kills at a .500 clip.
- Senior outside hitter Jackie Howell has started every match this season and leads the Grizzlies for reception percentage. Known more for her defense, she had her best offensive match of the season at Montana State (11 kills on .256 hitting), also tallying a double-double (11 digs).
- Senior right-side attacker Catie Semadeni has recorded double-digit kills in three of the past seven matches, including 14 kills on .444 hitting at Northern Arizona. She needs 39 kills to reach 500 for her career.
LOOKING AHEADGriz Volleyball's stock is rising! 📈#GrizVB #BigSkyVB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/kImpfcU4Ur
— Montana Griz Volleyball (@MontanaGrizVB) October 6, 2022
Montana will remain in Missoula to host Weber State (Thursday, Oct. 20) and Idaho State (Saturday, Oct. 22) next week.
Happy 🇨🇦 Thanksgiving to our northern friends near and far! pic.twitter.com/Egkn4wGP7C
— Montana Griz Volleyball (@MontanaGrizVB) October 11, 2022
Players Mentioned
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