Clark, Anderson earn All-Big Sky honors

The Big Sky announced the league's All-Conference teams on Tuesday. Montana's Paige Clark, the league's top attacker, earned a spot on the First Team while setter Carly Anderson was recognized on the second team.

This is the first time Montana has had two players on the All-Big Sky first or second team since 2009, when Jaimie Thibeault and Taryn Wright were honored. It comes on the heels of Montana's most successful season since 1999.

"These players individually have had such remarkable impact on our program, but I think just getting two of those awards shows how much respect the other coaches have for the athleticism in our program and what we're doing," head coach Allison Lawrence said. "I think in particular what this team has done to improve and get better and compete."

Clark ended the season as the Big Sky's leader in kills. She averaged 3.90 kills per set on the year but increased that number over four when playing against conference opposition. Clark was crucial to the Grizzly offense that finished third in the Big Sky this year in hitting percentage.

She had double-digit kills in all but three matches for Montana this season. To end the season, Clark reeled off a run of seven straight matches with at least 15 kills. There were several mind-blowing performances along the way, including three matches out of five where she reached 20 kills.

"Paige is a player that, because she is so terminal, when you play with her you look for her to make exciting plays that bring us a ton of momentum," Lawrence said. "You also look to her to get us out of bad situations, and I think both attributes make her so impactful."

One of those 20 kill matches, on Oct. 20 against Weber State, came in just three sets of play. In Montana's win against Eastern Washington on the road, Clark recorded nine kills in the deciding fourth-set, pushing Montana to a victory.

She earned Big Sky Conference Player of the Week twice on the season. She is now a two-time All-Big Sky selection after making the second-team last year as a freshman. Clark is the first Grizzly since Thibeault, a three-time First Team and one-time Second Team selection, to be named to multiple All-Big Sky teams.

"I hear from fans all the time how they love watching Paige play and they love her energy," Lawrence said. "Her style and her personality are so infectious, and I think the fans pick up on something that really runs deep through our team and for anyone that gets to play with her or coach her.

"It's always fun when someone has such a heavy arm, nothing is more satisfying than a kill that comes off a hand that fast. But I think her real impact is actually just how she is with her teammates and how she brings people with her."

Anderson earned a spot on the second team after ranking second in the Big Sky in assists. The junior averaged 10.17 assists, helping dictate a Montana offense that had one of its 10 best statistical seasons ever.

"I think setters, unless you know a team really well, it is hard to see all the layers of how a setter impacts a team and not just an offense," Lawrence said. "I think Carly is one where she just has an athleticism that I think brings us a lot of advantages. She is so dynamic off the ball that a lot of passes or first contacts that would put other teams in trouble, she keeps us in rhythm."

Anderson does so many things well for this Montana team. The assist numbers speak for themselves, but what doesn't jump out on paper is all of the other aspects of her game. The dump attacks that catch the opposing team off guard and swing momentum. The defensive work on the ground that she is able to put in, along with her play at the net which is much bigger than her 5-9 frame.

She had 79 kills this season. She went over 50 assists in a match on five occasions, one of which was a four-set win against Idaho State. Defensively, Anderson averaged 2.18 digs per set and 0.52 blocks. Her versatility and athleticism have helped lead Montana to the 17-11 record.

"It's not just foot speed, it's not just jumping ability. It's volleyball IQ. It's decision-making," Lawrence said. "I think there are just so many layers that go unseen and she carries herself in a way where she really doesn't love attention and she wants to just problem solve and then give her hitters the credit."

Anderson was also named Big Sky Player of the week this season on Sep. 19. She averaged 10.45 assists with 23 digs, seven kills, five blocks and three service aces as Montana went 2-1 at the Chucktown Throwdown in South Carolina.

Clark and Anderson both finished tied for fifth in the conference with 0.34 aces per set as well, contributing to an aggressive overall service approach for Montana.

The duo will be on display in the first round of the Big Sky Championships on Wednesday. Montana takes on Sacramento State in the opening round at 1:00 p.m.

Individual Awards
MVP: Syd Cole, Northern Colorado
Co-Libero of the Year: Michaela Boon, UNC/Ellie Snook, PSU
Top Newcomer: Madison Friebel, Portland State
Outstanding Freshman: Emrie Satuala, Idaho State
Coach of the Year: Allison Lawrence, Montana

Big Sky Volleyball All-Conference First Team
Syd Cole, Northern Colorado, Setter
Rachel Hickman, Northern Colorado
Parker Webb, Portland State
Kira Thomsen, Montana State
KJ Ince, Northern Colorado
Paige Clark, Montana
Kalani Hayes, Sacramento State
Dani Richins, Weber State
Makenzie Harris, Northern Colorado
Bridgette Smith, Sacramento State
Makayla Lewis, Portland State
Madison Friebel, Portland State

Big Sky Volleyball All-Conference Second Team
Carly Anderson, Montana
Ashtin Olin, Sacramento State
Emrie Satuala, Idaho State
Jordan Radick, Montana State
Ellie Snook, Portland State
Sage Brustad, Eastern Washington
Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin, Sacramento State
Sophia Meyers, Portland State
Makayla Sorensen, Weber State
Michaela Boon, Northern Colorado
Emma Mangum, Weber State
Alyssa Radke, Eastern Washington

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Carly Anderson

Paige Clark

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