Photo by: Tommy Martino/UM Athletics
Montana volleyball being shaped, motivated by ‘Grit, Gratitude, Family’
8/19/2022 9:56:00 AM | Volleyball
An important part to any successful team or organization is a clear, concrete set of values or objectives that help set the tone for what it stands for, believes in and hopes to achieve. So, when Allison Lawrence was named Montana's head volleyball coach in 2017 – and the first thing she was asked to do was to change the program's culture – a mission statement or set of keywords were at the top of her priority list.
"I felt that it was really important to determine what defines us and what we will stand by, not just on the court, but in the classroom, in the community and as teammates," Lawrence said. "We wanted to have some really, clear, concise values that our team picked out."
Enter: "Grit, Gratitude, Family."
The Origin
The thing about core values is that they can't be created overnight, because in order for them to stick, they must be authentic. Words can't be rushed and they can't be forced.
During Lawrence's first season leading the Grizzlies, she created a big list of words that she associated, or hoped to associate, with the program.
"These values define and guide us in every aspect of our lives here at UM. We act in ways that reflect our commitment to and belief in these values," the team handbook states.
But in order for something to really stick, Lawrence knew two things.
Grit
Driven. Resilient. Hard working. Self-accountability. Determined. Dedicated. Courageous.
If you ask the players, most will say that grit is often the hardest value to uphold because it generally takes the most conscious effort to perform. It's easy to be determined at times, but can you do it when you have a setback? Everyone wants to be hard working, but what about when you're having a bad day?
"Grit is something you have to put more effort into," senior Jackie Howell said. "We all get frustrated and have rough practices or bad games. Grit is something you have to maintain through your actions, even when things are hard or aren't going your way."
Grit takes a conscious effort, and often times requires one to be vulnerable. But that's also the beauty in grit, because in many ways, grit is the root of the Grizzlies' core values.
When a teammate shows grit, it's easier to reciprocate gratitude. When there's grit and gratitude, a family dynamic can be formed.
"All three words are linked together, and in a lot of ways, they all build off of grit," senior Catie Semadeni said.
To Lawrence, grit can be broken down into two parts.
The first is what most people think of when they hear the word.
"Physically, on the court, it means that you have a motor," Lawrence said. "We think toughness and finding another gear, and, to me, that gear shows up when both everything is on the line during a match and when nothing is on the line during practice."
But grit also can mean having hard conversations and building a culture through that type of toughness.
"I think this is an area that has grown tremendously, and it's a testament to our athletes," Lawrence said. "Grit can be saying what needs to be said when it needs to be said. Both to give and take compliments and give and take criticism when it's needed for growth."
Gratitude
Reliable. Open minded. Coachable. Grounded. Humble. Selfless. Giving.
The key to a good mission statement or list of core values is that those associated with it can repeat it back with ease. Ask any player on the volleyball team about the program's core values, even the ones who just arrived to campus a week ago, and they roll off the tongue subconsciously.
That's because they're everywhere. In the locker room. On the whiteboard at practice. In the team handbook.
"Daily, we're talking about 'Grit, Gratitude, Family,'" Semadeni said. "It's not something we have to work at as much anymore, because it's more of a presence in our culture and in our program. It's naturally there."
Added Lawrence: "The big thing about values is there's no way to be about them except for them to become habit. In my mind, the ways that the athletes have made them habit is by talking about them, verbalizing them and seeing them in each other."
Montana's core values have changed the way the team speaks, thinks and even motivates.
Before each practice begins, for example, each player's first responsibility is to go up to the whiteboard and write out a specific, individual goal for that practice. During water breaks, the players will go back to the board and put a grade next to their goal, to regularly assess how they're doing and to keep it top of mind throughout the peaks and valleys of practice.
During that time, the team will also circle up and speak out affirmations – words of gratitude, if you will – for ways they're seeing their teammates uphold these values.
Everything, even the compliments they're picking out in their teammates, points back to their three core values.
You're showing grit in this moment, and that's why I love playing next to you.
I feel gratitude for your back-row defense, which makes me a better player.
The way you picked me up helped motivate me for the next rep.
"It's not something we have to think about anymore; it's what we do and who we are," Semadeni said.
Gratitude, of course, means being grateful for your teammates around you, but also for the opportunity presented.
"Gratitude feels simple, but when you do something really hard with a group of people – when you're trying to achieve something that no team has done in a long time here – I think that requires a ton of awareness of how rare this opportunity is and awareness of how lucky we all are to have the chance to work so hard toward that common goal," Lawrence said.
"Even in the moments where we've suffered together, if we can see those things as something that only this group gets to do together, and find the joy and gratitude in that, it builds toughness and awareness in a way that nothing else quite does."
Family
Honest. Vulnerable. Accepting of differences. Best intentions. Loyal. Willing to sacrifice. Understanding. Accepting and embracing roles.
Lawrence admits that 'family' is probably one of the biggest clichés among sports teams. It's easy to toss out the term in interviews, or call a teammate a sister.
But the word, among Montana's core values, goes deeper than that.
"It's a choice to opt in every single day and understand your responsibility and carry your weight; that deeper connection is what makes it feel more of a family," Lawrence said.
Family means showing up ready to give to the team.
For some, that means in a very tangible, point-scoring way on the court. For others, it's by pushing a teammate in practice or supporting them from the sidelines.
But it also extends beyond the current group assembled in the locker room.
"I got here the year after 'Grit, Gratitude, Family' was established," Semadeni said. "The alumni are the ones who started it, and when they connect with us, they help us see the bigger picture of Montana volleyball."
Part of building a cornerstone means connecting with the past, especially the group that has had the most success, when Montana went to three NCAA tournaments in five seasons in the early 1990s.
Over the past four seasons, Montana has hosted a pair of alumni weekends, welcoming dozens of former players back to Missoula. A group has even begun regularly writing letters or sending video messages to the current roster to share advice or encourage them in ways that only someone who stood in their shoes can.
The alumni weekends have been about connecting with former teammates, of course, but also encouraging the current batch of Grizzlies.
"You're hearing all of these stories and seeing how connected they are to their teammates, all of these years later, and you realize it's the same thing you're going through, just a different era," Howell said. "The experiences they had, the connections they built, it's the same thing we're going through now."
"Even if they didn't name the values back then, they were still acting them out the same way we're trying to," Semadeni added.
Mindset Shifting
The more that Montana's core values become part of each player's identity, the more their actions, communication and relationships change.
Similar to how 'Grit, Gratitude, Family' has changed the way a teammate compliments or affirms another teammate, it has also changed how the team sets goals.
Going back to the goal-setting example on the whiteboard, when a student-athlete composes a goal, the idea isn't simply an end result, but tangible action steps that will lead to that result.
"Instead of, 'Don't let any balls drop in front of me', maybe now it's 'Take an extra step'," Howell said. "That's training us how to make a tangible goal that will lead to the bigger goal."
The same can be said for the why.
"We want to win conference," Semadeni said. "But with 'Grit, Gratitude. Family,' you can make tangible goals with a vision that is easier to rally behind. We want to win conference, not just to win conference, but because we're a gritty, grateful, family oriented team.
"'Grit, Gratitude, Family' gives us a purpose every single day, which is really hard to maintain as an athlete."
The Big Picture
Montana's core values have shaped how Lawrence and her staff recruit. They're not just looking for a good volleyball player, but one who will integrate those values when they arrive to Missoula.
And they aren't afraid to have that be part of the recruiting pitch.
"We don't want to only recruit athletes who we think exhibit those traits, but we tie the values into the conversations early on so that they know exactly what we are about," Lawrence said. "When they choose to come here, they are choosing to hold those values."
Howell came to Montana a season ago, after beginning her career at Tyler Junior College. 'Grit, Gratitude, Family' was something she was well aware of before she ever got to Missoula.
When she did get to campus, she found it easier to integrate because the expectation had been discussed and the foundation was set.
"I think it's really good for the new players because it helps them mesh into the program really quickly, knowing that if you show grit, have gratitude and act like a family, you will mesh into this team."
That, to Lawrence, has been one of the most rewarding pieces of the core values. The words were chosen by the players, and first and foremost, it's on them to uphold the values.
"The coaches initiated the process and are doing it with them, but sometimes that means taking a step back and following the players' lead," she said. "It's not just coaches teaching what we're about, but it's the student-athletes who are doing our culture in ways that it replicates for new players and is generated from within our team and is always ongoing."
At the start of each new season, Lawrence opens the floor to her team, allowing them to re-pick the words that they will be defined by. She knows that each team is different and wants to give them the option to alter the words that are important to them.
So far, there have been no takers.
"We are gritty players. We show gratitude every day. And we're a family as a team," Semadeni said. "'Grit, Gratitude, Family is so cool because the whole purpose is to show a bigger perspective about how we will carry this with us throughout life after graduation.
"We take pride in that and we've rallied around those values so much over the last four years. There's no reason to change them."
"I felt that it was really important to determine what defines us and what we will stand by, not just on the court, but in the classroom, in the community and as teammates," Lawrence said. "We wanted to have some really, clear, concise values that our team picked out."
Enter: "Grit, Gratitude, Family."
The Origin
The thing about core values is that they can't be created overnight, because in order for them to stick, they must be authentic. Words can't be rushed and they can't be forced.
During Lawrence's first season leading the Grizzlies, she created a big list of words that she associated, or hoped to associate, with the program.
"These values define and guide us in every aspect of our lives here at UM. We act in ways that reflect our commitment to and belief in these values," the team handbook states.
But in order for something to really stick, Lawrence knew two things.
- The list needed to be whittled down to a concise, clear motto that would be easy to regurgitate and easy to point back to.
- The list needed to be player-led.
Grit
Driven. Resilient. Hard working. Self-accountability. Determined. Dedicated. Courageous.
If you ask the players, most will say that grit is often the hardest value to uphold because it generally takes the most conscious effort to perform. It's easy to be determined at times, but can you do it when you have a setback? Everyone wants to be hard working, but what about when you're having a bad day?
"Grit is something you have to put more effort into," senior Jackie Howell said. "We all get frustrated and have rough practices or bad games. Grit is something you have to maintain through your actions, even when things are hard or aren't going your way."
Grit takes a conscious effort, and often times requires one to be vulnerable. But that's also the beauty in grit, because in many ways, grit is the root of the Grizzlies' core values.
When a teammate shows grit, it's easier to reciprocate gratitude. When there's grit and gratitude, a family dynamic can be formed.
"All three words are linked together, and in a lot of ways, they all build off of grit," senior Catie Semadeni said.
To Lawrence, grit can be broken down into two parts.
The first is what most people think of when they hear the word.
"Physically, on the court, it means that you have a motor," Lawrence said. "We think toughness and finding another gear, and, to me, that gear shows up when both everything is on the line during a match and when nothing is on the line during practice."
But grit also can mean having hard conversations and building a culture through that type of toughness.
"I think this is an area that has grown tremendously, and it's a testament to our athletes," Lawrence said. "Grit can be saying what needs to be said when it needs to be said. Both to give and take compliments and give and take criticism when it's needed for growth."
Gratitude
Reliable. Open minded. Coachable. Grounded. Humble. Selfless. Giving.
The key to a good mission statement or list of core values is that those associated with it can repeat it back with ease. Ask any player on the volleyball team about the program's core values, even the ones who just arrived to campus a week ago, and they roll off the tongue subconsciously.
That's because they're everywhere. In the locker room. On the whiteboard at practice. In the team handbook.
"Daily, we're talking about 'Grit, Gratitude, Family,'" Semadeni said. "It's not something we have to work at as much anymore, because it's more of a presence in our culture and in our program. It's naturally there."
Added Lawrence: "The big thing about values is there's no way to be about them except for them to become habit. In my mind, the ways that the athletes have made them habit is by talking about them, verbalizing them and seeing them in each other."
Montana's core values have changed the way the team speaks, thinks and even motivates.
Before each practice begins, for example, each player's first responsibility is to go up to the whiteboard and write out a specific, individual goal for that practice. During water breaks, the players will go back to the board and put a grade next to their goal, to regularly assess how they're doing and to keep it top of mind throughout the peaks and valleys of practice.
During that time, the team will also circle up and speak out affirmations – words of gratitude, if you will – for ways they're seeing their teammates uphold these values.
Everything, even the compliments they're picking out in their teammates, points back to their three core values.
You're showing grit in this moment, and that's why I love playing next to you.
I feel gratitude for your back-row defense, which makes me a better player.
The way you picked me up helped motivate me for the next rep.
"It's not something we have to think about anymore; it's what we do and who we are," Semadeni said.
Gratitude, of course, means being grateful for your teammates around you, but also for the opportunity presented.
"Gratitude feels simple, but when you do something really hard with a group of people – when you're trying to achieve something that no team has done in a long time here – I think that requires a ton of awareness of how rare this opportunity is and awareness of how lucky we all are to have the chance to work so hard toward that common goal," Lawrence said.
"Even in the moments where we've suffered together, if we can see those things as something that only this group gets to do together, and find the joy and gratitude in that, it builds toughness and awareness in a way that nothing else quite does."
Family
Honest. Vulnerable. Accepting of differences. Best intentions. Loyal. Willing to sacrifice. Understanding. Accepting and embracing roles.
Lawrence admits that 'family' is probably one of the biggest clichés among sports teams. It's easy to toss out the term in interviews, or call a teammate a sister.
But the word, among Montana's core values, goes deeper than that.
"It's a choice to opt in every single day and understand your responsibility and carry your weight; that deeper connection is what makes it feel more of a family," Lawrence said.
Family means showing up ready to give to the team.
For some, that means in a very tangible, point-scoring way on the court. For others, it's by pushing a teammate in practice or supporting them from the sidelines.
But it also extends beyond the current group assembled in the locker room.
"I got here the year after 'Grit, Gratitude, Family' was established," Semadeni said. "The alumni are the ones who started it, and when they connect with us, they help us see the bigger picture of Montana volleyball."
Part of building a cornerstone means connecting with the past, especially the group that has had the most success, when Montana went to three NCAA tournaments in five seasons in the early 1990s.
Over the past four seasons, Montana has hosted a pair of alumni weekends, welcoming dozens of former players back to Missoula. A group has even begun regularly writing letters or sending video messages to the current roster to share advice or encourage them in ways that only someone who stood in their shoes can.
The alumni weekends have been about connecting with former teammates, of course, but also encouraging the current batch of Grizzlies.
"You're hearing all of these stories and seeing how connected they are to their teammates, all of these years later, and you realize it's the same thing you're going through, just a different era," Howell said. "The experiences they had, the connections they built, it's the same thing we're going through now."
"Even if they didn't name the values back then, they were still acting them out the same way we're trying to," Semadeni added.
Mindset Shifting
The more that Montana's core values become part of each player's identity, the more their actions, communication and relationships change.
Similar to how 'Grit, Gratitude, Family' has changed the way a teammate compliments or affirms another teammate, it has also changed how the team sets goals.
Going back to the goal-setting example on the whiteboard, when a student-athlete composes a goal, the idea isn't simply an end result, but tangible action steps that will lead to that result.
"Instead of, 'Don't let any balls drop in front of me', maybe now it's 'Take an extra step'," Howell said. "That's training us how to make a tangible goal that will lead to the bigger goal."
The same can be said for the why.
"We want to win conference," Semadeni said. "But with 'Grit, Gratitude. Family,' you can make tangible goals with a vision that is easier to rally behind. We want to win conference, not just to win conference, but because we're a gritty, grateful, family oriented team.
"'Grit, Gratitude, Family' gives us a purpose every single day, which is really hard to maintain as an athlete."
The Big Picture
Montana's core values have shaped how Lawrence and her staff recruit. They're not just looking for a good volleyball player, but one who will integrate those values when they arrive to Missoula.
And they aren't afraid to have that be part of the recruiting pitch.
"We don't want to only recruit athletes who we think exhibit those traits, but we tie the values into the conversations early on so that they know exactly what we are about," Lawrence said. "When they choose to come here, they are choosing to hold those values."
Howell came to Montana a season ago, after beginning her career at Tyler Junior College. 'Grit, Gratitude, Family' was something she was well aware of before she ever got to Missoula.
When she did get to campus, she found it easier to integrate because the expectation had been discussed and the foundation was set.
"I think it's really good for the new players because it helps them mesh into the program really quickly, knowing that if you show grit, have gratitude and act like a family, you will mesh into this team."
That, to Lawrence, has been one of the most rewarding pieces of the core values. The words were chosen by the players, and first and foremost, it's on them to uphold the values.
"The coaches initiated the process and are doing it with them, but sometimes that means taking a step back and following the players' lead," she said. "It's not just coaches teaching what we're about, but it's the student-athletes who are doing our culture in ways that it replicates for new players and is generated from within our team and is always ongoing."
At the start of each new season, Lawrence opens the floor to her team, allowing them to re-pick the words that they will be defined by. She knows that each team is different and wants to give them the option to alter the words that are important to them.
So far, there have been no takers.
"We are gritty players. We show gratitude every day. And we're a family as a team," Semadeni said. "'Grit, Gratitude, Family is so cool because the whole purpose is to show a bigger perspective about how we will carry this with us throughout life after graduation.
"We take pride in that and we've rallied around those values so much over the last four years. There's no reason to change them."
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball2025 Griz Volleyball Senior Feature
Sunday, November 16
Griz Volleyball Press Conference - 11/3/25
Wednesday, November 05
Griz Volleyball vs. Weber State Postgame Report - 10/25/25
Sunday, October 26
Griz Volleyball vs. Idaho State Postgame Report - 10/23/25
Friday, October 24
