Griz look to cap non-conference play on a high note

The Montana volleyball team will close its non-conference slate this weekend in Charleston, South Carolina, playing three matches in the CSU Chucktown Throwdown. The Grizzlies will play College of Charleston and UNC Greensboro on Friday, before facing host Charleston Southern on Saturday morning. No video stream will be available, but fans can track live stats and follow in-match updates on Twitter.

Montana vs. College of Charleston
Friday, Sept. 16 / 8 a.m. (MT) / Live Stats

Montana vs. UNC Greensboro
Friday, Sept. 16 / 1 p.m. (MT) / Live Stats

Montana at Charleston Southern
Saturday, Sept. 17 / 8 a.m. (MT) / Live Stats

EARLY-SEASON SUCCESS
Montana started the 2022 season with five wins in its first seven matches, its best seven-match start to a season in 17 years. The Grizzlies then lost back-to-back matches at UT Rio Grande Valley – a team that is tied for the national lead with 10 wins on the year – to fall to 5-4 on the young season. Still, this weekend, Montana has the opportunity to do a few things that haven't been done in Missoula in several decades:

One win this weekend would give Montana six non-conference victories, its highest total since 2005.
After going .500 in non-conference action in 2021, Montana is on track for its best two-year record since 1999-00, the last time the Grizzlies posted a .500 non-conference record in back-to-back seasons (for comparison, in the six previous non-conference seasons prior to 2021, Montana went a combined 16-57 (.219) before league play).

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

Montana's success can be attributed to both its offense (the Grizzlies lead the Big Sky for service aces and rank second for kills, assists and hitting percentage) and its defense (they rank second for opponent hitting percentage and lead the league for fewest kills allowed).
Montana ranks in the top-third nationally for service aces, opponent hitting, kills and digs, including 43^rd for service aces (1.93 per set).
Junior middle blocker Ellie Scherffius is the top hitter in the Big Sky, totaling 69 kills compared to just 15 errors for a league-best .383 hitting percentage (57^th in NCAA). She has hit at least .300 in each of the past eight matches, including .500 three times. Montana's individual school record for hitting percentage in a season is .353, set in 2009 by Jaimie Thibeault.
Outside hitter Paige Clark ranks third in the Big Sky with 3.86 kills per set (65^th in NCAA), and it's easy to see why. The sophomore has been in double figures for kills in all nine matches this season. She also ranks second in the league with 4.53 points per set (49^th in NCAA).
Dialing up the offense is junior setter Carly Anderson, who ranks third in the Big Sky with 9.93 assists per set (62^nd in NCAA). Anderson is also Montana's top server, with 14 aces (0.48 per set), which also ranks third in the league.
Libero Sarina Moreno ranks fifth in the Big Sky for digs, at 3.83 per set. The fifth-year senior recently surpassed 1,500 digs for her career and moved into second place on Montana's career list.

GRIZ BITS

Entering the week, Montana is tied for second in the Big Sky, one of three league teams with a winning record.
Although early, Montana's team hitting percentage of .226 is on pace to be the Grizzlies' best percentage since 1991 and their .178 opponent hitting percentage would be the best since 2000. Montana's league-best 1.96 aces-per-set average would be the program's best since 1988.
Just two of Montana's nine matches have gone past three sets and zero have extended to a fifth frame.

SCOUTING THE FIELD
College of Charleston – College of Charleston enters the weekend with a 3-7 record, losing seven of its past nine matches after beginning the season with wins over Fresno State and The Citadel… Led by preseason All-CAA selection Lexi Wierzbicki, CofC was picked to finish third in the Colonial Athletic Association preseason poll… Wierzbicki, a senior, earned first-team All-CAA honors in 2021 after averaging 3.03 kills per set… Fellow senior Gabi Bailey leads the Cougars' offense in 2022, with 3.19 kills per set… Sophomore Claire Campbell ranks 12^th nationally with a .442 hitting percentage… While the Cougars have five returning seniors, they also have been starting a pair of freshmen recently and have started 10 different players this season… Jason Kepner is in his 16^th season heading CofC, earning nine conference titles and five NCAA tournament appearances… The Cougars went 16-12 a season ago, including a 3-1 early-season win over Montana in Charleston… In that match, four Grizzlies – including returners Elise Jolly and Ellie Scherffius – were in double figures for kills, but CofC hit .315 as a team and out-dug and out-blocked the Grizzlies… Last year was the first meeting between the two schools.

UNC Greensboro – UNC Greensboro is 6-4 on the young season, with five of its wins coming at home… Senior setter Gabriela McHugh was a 2021 Southern Conference first-team selection after ranking in the top 25 nationally for assists… She was also named to the All-SoCon preseason team last month… Junior outside hitter Taylor Robertson is UNCG's top attacker this fall, averaging 3.26 kills per set… Defensively, UNCG leads the SoCon with a .166 opponent hitting percentage (60^th in NCAA) and 15.00 digs per set (top 25 percent in NCAA)… The Spartans went an impressive 23-7 a season ago, earning a share of the SoCon regular-season title… The Spartans are directed by Corey Carlin, who is now in his ninth season… This is the second all-time meeting between the two schools, with UNCG earning a five-set, neutral-site win in 2009.

Charleston Southern – Charleston Southern is 5-6 on the season, but has won its last two matches in the city of Charleston… The Buccaneers are led by graduate senior Peyton Thompson, an All-Big South first-team selection in 2021 and preseason pick in 2022… Thompson led the Big South with 4.06 kills per set in 2021 while also leading CSU for aces and ranking second for digs… CSU has three other upperclassmen starters on its roster – Angelika Rusin (4.66 digs per set, first in the Big South; Indigo Young (.376 hitting percentage, second; and Emilee Karelse (9.09 assists per set, second) – but also welcomed in 10 newcomers… CSU was picked to finish sixth in the Big South preseason poll… The Buccaneers went 9-17 a season ago under David McFatrich, who is now in his fourth season as head coach… Montana is 1-0 all-time vs. CSU, sweeping a neutral-site match in 2002.

Ellie Scherffius has been as good as they come, leading the @BigSkyConf for hitting percentage and hitting above .300 in 8 straight matches!#GrizVB #BigSkyVB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/R9qtGK7kDB
— Montana Griz Volleyball (@MontanaGrizVB) September 14, 2022

Q&A WITH ELLIE SCHERFFIUS
Junior middle blocker Ellie Scherffius lead the Big Sky with a .383 hitting percentage, averaging 2.38 kills per set (second on the team) in addition to a team-best 25 blocks (0.86 per set). She has been named to the all-tournament team in each of Montana's three preseason tournaments to begin 2022.

Below is a Q&A with the junior middle blocker:

You lead the Big Sky Conference for hitting percentage and have hit .300 or above in eight consecutive matches. How much does it help when you get a kill early in a match, setting the tone for the remainder of the match?
"I feel like I always have a lot more confidence after getting my first kill. And then, starting the season strong, and earning a couple all-tournament awards, each week my confidence is growing. Going into each new game, I feel like I'm more confident than I was the game before, but not in a cocky way.

Last year was a breakout season for you, leading the team for attacking and blocks while starting 26 matches. How have you seen your game improve even more since last year?
"I feel like it's improved in a lot of ways, mostly my hitting range. Last year, I felt like I had one shot that I was really confident in. Now, I feel like I've opened up so many different shots. I can hit deep, I can hit short, I can tip in a smarter way. That's opened up so many options for me and makes the game way easier."

You're one of the team's top attackers but also lead the team for blocks. Would you rather get a big kill or a big block?
"A kill. Well, actually, that's a tough one. If it's a block and it goes straight down, that's pretty fun. But I'd still probably say a kill though."

What's your favorite thing to do off the court?
"I've gotten into reading and enjoy that. In the summer I like being at the lake or hiking. Also, one of my favorite things to do is get coffee. I get an iced, white-chocolate mocha from Loose Caboose pretty much every day."

You're a country music fan. Who's your favorite artist?
"Morgan Wallen. I saw him in concert this past May in Billings. It was definitely the best concert I've been to."

You grew up in Billings, but moved to Alaska midway through high school. Being a state that a lot of people haven't visited, what's something most people don't know about Alaska?
"I'd say that it's not as small and remote as everyone thinks. There are definitely small cities with not a lot of people, but I live right outside of Anchorage, which is bigger than Missoula. The winters are always dark, but summers are awesome when it's always light out."

One of your notable achievements from high school is that you won state championships in track & field in both Montana and Alaska. Did you ever consider running in college instead of pursuing volleyball?
"I had a couple of schools reach out to me, but I think I realized once I moved to Alaska that I wanted to continue volleyball instead of track. Sometimes we'll do sprints in the gym or in warmups and it makes me miss it a little bit, but I think I made the right decision."

With you being a large part of it, the team is off to one of its best non-conference seasons in decades. What has that been like?
"I feel like our team is in a good place right now. We have confidence from where we're at in the preseason standings. Taking that and bringing it into conference is going to help a lot. I feel like this is going to be the best year since I've been here."

LOOKING AHEAD
Four of Montana's first five Big Sky matches will be played on the road, including its opener at Northern Arizona on Sept. 22. The Grizzlies will return later that week to host Idaho (Sept. 24), part of the University's homecoming festivities.

Gallery: (8-26-2022) VB: Ellesyn Invitational Day 1 - 8/26/22

Griz look to cap non-conference play on a high note

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Carly Anderson

Paige Clark

Elise Jolly

Sarina Moreno

Ellie Scherffius

University of Montana Athletics

Griz look to cap non-conference play on a high note

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Carly Anderson

Paige Clark

Elise Jolly

Sarina Moreno

Ellie Scherffius

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