Coming off of a successful preseason, Montana is confident heading into Big Sky play

Volleyball season has turned to conference play, and for the first time in nearly a month, Montana is set to return home. The Grizzlies will first travel to Northern Arizona on Thursday night – their Big Sky Conference opener – before hosting Idaho on Saturday, which is part of the University's Homecoming festivities. Fans with a ticket to Saturday's Griz football game can receive a buy-one-get-one-free ticket offer for that evening's volleyball match.

Montana at Northern Arizona
Thursday, Sept. 22 / 7:30 p.m. (MT) / Flagstaff, Arizona
ESPN+ Stream / Live Stats

Montana vs. Idaho
Saturday, Sept. 24 / 7:30 p.m. / Missoula, Montana
ESPN+ Stream / Live Stats / Tickets

Plenty has been happening throughout Griz Nation over the past month, so we're here to catch you up on everything you need to know about Montana volleyball's first month of the season:

First things first, it was a great opening month. In fact, with a 7-5 record, it marked Montana's best non-conference slate in 17 seasons. In addition to the most wins and best winning percentage since 2005, the Grizzlies also earned a .500 non-conference record in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1999-2000 (Montana went 5-5 in 2021). For comparison, in the six previous non-conference seasons prior to 2021, Montana went a combined 16-57 (.219) before league play.
The Grizzlies played in four preseason tournaments, earning at least one win each weekend. The season started on a high note with back-to-back home sweeps over North Dakota and UT Arlington, and continued with wins over Saint Francis, IUPUI, Prairie View A&M, UNC Greensboro and Charleston Southern.
Montana's .583 winning percentage currently is the second-best in the Big Sky.
Five of Montana's wins have come via the sweep, which is already tied for Montana's total from all of last year, which was the Grizzlies' highest since 2013. To put that number in perspective, Montana has earned 10 sweeps over the past one-plus seasons. Prior to that, the Grizzlies earned 10 total sweeps over a seven-year stretch from 2014-20, never more than three in a season.
Montana is also 2-2 in true road matches, with both losses coming to a UT Rio Grande Valley team that started the season 11-1.
It's a good thing that Montana is having road success (5-4 away from Missoula overall), because the Grizzlies have spent the majority of their season away from home. After opening the season with three home matches, Montana has played its last nine matches away from Missoula, with road matches still to come in four of its next five matches. All told, it will be a stretch of one home match over a 14-match period spanning 46 days.
Not only has Montana been on the road, but the team has been traveling far distances. The Grizzlies' preseason tournaments were in Indianapolis (1,771 miles away), the southern tip of Texas (2,054 miles) and Charleston, South Carolina (2,460 miles). Combined, that's 6,285 miles of travel and a lot of flights.
Six of Montana's 12 non-conference opponents currently hold winning records, including UT Arlington, IUPUI and Charleston Southern – teams Montana beat.
Montana ranks in the top one-third of the national rankings for service aces (1.75 per set, 77^th), kills (12.92 per set, 97^th), assists (11.90 per set, 103^rd), hitting percentage (.225, 110^th), digs (14.60, 113^th) and opponent hitting percentage (.193, 115^th).
The Grizzlies earned two Big Sky Conference Player of the Week awards during the preseason, with sophomore outside hitter Paige Clark earning offensive honors on Sept. 5 and junior setter Carly Anderson being recognized on Monday.
Montana is coming off of a momentum-building, five-set win over Charleston Southern, winning the final three sets after dropping the first two. Leading the way offensively was junior middle blocker Ellie Scherffius, who posted 20 kills on .567 hitting (20-3-30). To put those numbers in perspective, Scherffius became the first Grizzly to record 20 kills and hit above .500 in a match since Lauren Gustafson did so in 2007.
Scherffius was name to the all-tournament team of all four preseason tournaments. She currently ranks second in the Big Sky with a .355 hitting percentage, a mark that is on pace to be a school record.
A season after earning All-Big Sky recognition as a true freshman, Clark is once again doing big things. She has been in double figures for kills in 11 of 12 matches and currently ranks third in the Big Sky for points (4.36 per set) and fourth for kills (3.70 per set).
Anderson, Montana's Canadian setter, currently ranks in the top 50 nationally with 10.08 assists per set. Her 58 assists in the Grizzlies' come-from-behind win over Charleston Southern last week were not only a career best, but the highest total by a Big Sky setter this season.
During the offseason, senior Sarina Moreno elected to return for a fifth season. The libero recently moved into second on Montana's all-time digs list, surpassing 1,500 career digs. She currently ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 3.78 digs per set.
Montana ranks second in the Big Sky for kills, assists and hitting percentage, with its .225 hitting percentage being on pace to be the program's top mark since 1990. The Grizzlies have already hit above .300 three times this season, including .365 vs. Prairie View A&M (Montana's best since 2014) and .342 vs. Charleston Southern. Overall, Montana has hit .200 or better eight times (6-2 record), is a perfect 6-0 when hitting .242 or above and is 7-0 when out-hitting its opponent.
While Montana has been efficient on offense, it has also been strong on defense, ranking first in the Big Sky with 12.07 kills allowed per set and third with a .193 opponent hitting percentage. In a pair of wins on Sept. 2, Montana limited its two opponents to a combined .070 hitting (57-43-201). It was the first time since 2006 that Montana held back-to-back opponents under .100 hitting.
Montana is one of the top serving teams in the Big Sky, leading the league as of a week ago and currently ranked third (1.75 aces per set). Both Carly Anderson and Paige Clark have 15 or more aces on the season, two of eight players in the league to do so. As a team, Montana has been out-aced just twice this season.
While the Grizzlies are no longer the youthful bunch of the past several seasons, when they saw true freshmen account for 149 total starts – more than 50 percent of their starting lineup from 2019-Spring 2021 – Montana has received playing time from several underclassmen this fall. Five newcomers have made their Griz debuts so far this season, including defensive specialist Lexi Batezel – who has played in all 40 sets, starting five matches – and redshirt freshman Sierra Dennison – who has earned two starts at middle blocker.
Montana was picked to finish tied for seventh in the Big Sky Conference preseason coaches' poll, which was announced in August. The Grizzlies have finished higher than their preseason position in each of Allison Lawrence's four fall seasons as head coach, and will look to do so again this fall.

INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING
#1 Sarina Moreno – Leads Montana and ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 3.78 digs per set… Has been in double figures for digs eight times this season, including three consecutive matches entering the week… Earlier this season, moved into second on Montana's all-time digs list, surpassing 1,500 career digs (currently 1,571, 276 shy of first place)… Was named to the Hampton Inn Invitational all-tournament team (Sept. 2-3) after averaging 4.0 digs per set, plus three service aces, across three matches.

#2 Paige Clark – After earning All-Big Sky recognition as a true freshman, has picked up where she left off… Currently ranks third in the Big Sky (75^th in the NCAA) for points (4.36 per set) and fourth (93^rd) for kills (3.70 per set)… Has been in double figures for kills in 11 of 12 matches… Has hit above .300 in five matches, including 19 kills on .318 hitting last weekend vs. Charleston Southern (Sept. 17) and 18 kills at a .405 clip vs. UC Davis (Aug. 27)… Has a service ace in 10 matches, including six matches in a row, led by three vs. Charleston Southern (Sept. 17)… Was named to the UTRGV Tournament all-tourney team after averaging 3.50 kills on .294 hitting.

#3 Jackie Howell – Has started all 12 matches at outside hitter, playing in all 40 sets… Ranks second on the team with 2.65 digs per set… Has been in double figures for digs three times, most-recently tallying 18 in a five-set win over Charleston Southern (Sept. 17)… Holds a team-best .981 reception percentage, being targeted 264 times with just five reception errors… Entering Big Sky play, has gone 110-plus receptions since her last error, on Sept. 9… Earlier this season, recorded zero errors on 77 receptions, across four matches… Is averaging 1.33 kills per set on offense, reaching nine kills in three separate matches… Has nine aces on the year, including three vs. Saint Francis (Sept. 3) and two vs. UNC Greensboro (Sept. 16).

#4 Carly Anderson – Is the current Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week after helping Montana to a 2-1 weekend in South Carolina and averaging 10.45 assists per set and being named to the Chucktown Throwdown all-tournament team… Currently ranks second in the Big Sky and 48^th nationally with 10.08 assists per set… She also ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 0.43 service aces per set… Is coming off of a career performance vs. Charleston Southern (Sept. 17), recording a career-best 58 assists, the most by a Big Sky setter this season… Has an ace in 10 matches this season, including multiple aces five times… Has three double-doubles (assists-digs), all Griz victories… Ranks third on the team with 2.18 digs per set… Has at least one block in 10 matches, including a career-high seven vs. North Dakota (Aug. 26)… Has four-plus kills five times, and has 35 kills compared to just seven errors this season… Enters this week approaching several milestone numbers, needing 56 assists to reach 2,000 for her career, four blocks to reach 100 and two aces to reach 50; she recorded her 400^th career dig last weekend.

Big-time honors for our setter! Congrats, Carly!

📰 https://t.co/nhX1TOORxB #GrizVB #BigSkyVB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/4BDZS38HuP
— Montana Griz Volleyball (@MontanaGrizVB) September 19, 2022

#7 Lexi Batezel – Playing as a true freshman, has started five matches at defensive specialist and has played in every set… Is averaging 1.88 digs per set (fourth on the team), totaling 14 digs vs. UC Davis (Aug. 27) and 11 vs. Prairie View A&M (Sept. 9)… Has seven aces on the season, including five in her first two collegiate matches, serving three vs. North Dakota (Aug. 26) and two vs. UT Arlington (Aug. 26)… Has been targeted 10-plus times with zero reception errors four times.

#8 Maddie Pyles – Has played in five matches as a true freshman, seeing time at opposite hitter… Was a major spark off the bench during her collegiate debut, vs. UC Davis (Aug. 27), getting three kills, four blocks and an ace, with many of the points coming late in sets at critical moments.

#10 Ellie Scherffius – Impressively was named to the all-tournament team of all four of Montana's preseason tournaments… Ranks second in the Big Sky Conference (86^th in the NCAA) with a .355 hitting percentage… The percentage would be narrowly ahead of Jaimie Thibeault's 2009 school record (.353)… Has seven or more kills in eight matches, hitting above .300 in each of those matches… Has hit above .300 in nine of 12 matches, including .500 or better four times… Twice (vs. UT Arlington (Aug. 27); at IUPUI (Sept. 3)) has recorded at least eight kills with zero errors… Is coming off of a career-high 20-kill performance vs. Charleston Southern (Sept. 17), helping the Grizzlies overcome a 0-2 deficit… Hit .567 in the match (20-3-30), becoming the first Grizzly to tally 20 kills and hit over .500 in a match since Lauren Gustafson hit .581 with 20 kills in October 2007… Ranks second on the team with 0.85 blocks per set, recording multiple stuffs in all but one match, including a season-high six vs. Charleston Southern (Sept. 17).

#11 Sierra Dennison – After redshirting during the 2021 season, made her collegiate debut vs. UT Arlington (Aug. 27), earning the start at middle blocker and recording seven kills on .500 hitting (7-0-14), in addition to three blocks… Totaled eight blocks the following day vs. UC Davis (Aug. 27), the most by a Griz freshman since 2012... Has played in six matches, averaging 1.50 kills and 1.00 blocks per set.

#12 Sarah Ashley – Has played in 39 of 40 sets at defensive specialist, earning one start… Ranks fifth on the team with 1.46 digs per set, reaching double figures (11) in Montana's win over Charleston Southern (Sept. 17)… Also came up big with three aces against the Buccaneers… Was targeted 14 times at UT Rio Grande Valley (Sept. 10), recording zero reception errors, and nine times vs. Drake (Sept. 2), also passing well… Enters the week three digs shy of 250 for her career.

#16 Catie Semadeni – Has started six matches at opposite hitter, playing in 36 of 40 sets… Is averaging 1.75 kills per set (fourth on the team) on .198 hitting, to go along with 0.58 blocks per set… Has recorded five or more kills in nine of 12 matches, hitting above .300 in four of those matches, including back-to-back contests vs. Saint Francis (Sept. 3) and IUPUI (Sept. 3), when she hit .526 (10-0-19)… Had the best performance of the season vs. UNC Greensboro (Sept. 16), tallying a season-high 11 kills, compared to zero errors, on .440 hitting… Totaled a season-high five blocks vs. Charleston Southern (Sept. 17).

#17 Elise Jolly – Leads Montana and ranks ninth in the Big Sky Conference with 0.97 blocks per set… Also ranks third on the team with 2.24 kills per set… Has started all 10 matches she has played in, reaching nine or more kills four times (all Griz wins)… Is hitting .507 in matches in which she records nine or more kills (43-6-73), compared to .075 when she has eight kills or fewer (31-23-107)… His a career-best .632 vs. North Dakota (Aug. 26), putting down 13 kills on 19 swings (13-1-19)… It is the third-best hitting percentage by a Big Sky athlete this season… Has a block in nine of 10 matches, including three or more stuffs six times… Totaled seven blocks at UT Rio Grande Valley (Sept. 9), to go along with eight kills, and six blocks during her 13-kill performance vs. North Dakota (Aug. 26)… Totaled six aces vs. Prairie View A&M (Sept. 9), tied for the most in the Big Sky this season.

#22 Maddie Kremer – Has played in seven matches, recording 11 kills, eight digs, five blocks and an ace… Her biggest performance came vs. UC Davis (Aug. 27), when she had seven kills, three blocks and an ace while providing a spark off the bench.

SCOUTING THE FIELD
Northern Arizona – Historically one of the top teams in the Big Sky, NAU has had an interesting start to the 2022 season, winning just one of its first seven matches… The Lumberjacks faced a challenging schedule, including matches against Michigan (Big Ten), California (Pac-12) and New Mexico twice (Mountain West), but also chose to cancel four matches earlier this month due to a significant number of injuries… NAU's offense runs through Taylor Jacobsen, who leads the Big Sky and ranks sixth nationally with 5.04 kills per set… Jacobsen leads the nation with nearly 16 attacks per set and last week earned her 1,000^th career kill… Setting up the offense is Kate Hatch (9.04 assist per set), while Millie O'Ketter leads the league with 4.28 digs per set and 0.48 aces per set… The Lumberjacks have two of the league's top-10 blockers, led by Jordan Elder (1.11 per set, third)… Ken Murphy is in his 10^th season at NAU, leading the Lumberjacks to 2015 and 2018 Big Sky titles… Since his arrival, NAU has the most overall wins and Big Sky wins in the league, and is 85-22 (.794) on its home floor… Montana is 33-36 all-time vs. NAU, but hasn't beaten the Lumberjacks since 2013, losing nine in a row, and 13 of 14, with its last win in Flagstaff coming in 2010.

Idaho – Under the direction of first-year head coach Chris Gonzalez, Idaho lost its first nine matches to begin 2022 before getting hot and winning the UniWyo Invite in Laramie, Wyoming… There, Idaho won all three of its matches – dropping just a single set – and beat Wyoming on its home court, just two weeks after the Cowgirls swept the Vandals… Idaho ranks in the upper-half of the Big Sky for blocking (2.18 per set), but ranks last for kills, digs and opponent hitting… Taryn Vrieling is the Vandals' top offensive target, averaging 2.87 kills per set (ninth in the Big Sky)… Defensively, Madison Wilson (1.00 blocks per set, sixth) and Aine Doty (3.46 digs per set, seventh) lead the Vandals… Montana is 31-40 all-time against Idaho, including 15-17 in Missoula… From 1992-2019, Montana won just two of 24 meetings with Idaho, but since, the Grizzlies have won four of the past five, including their first win in Moscow since 1991 and victories in both matchups last fall.

LOOKING AHEAD
Montana will play its next three matches on the road, including Round 1 of the Brawl of the Wild vs. Montana State. The rivalry match will be Montana's only contest next week, as the Grizzlies will travel to Bozeman for a Friday-night tilt (Sept. 30).

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

Coming off of a successful preseason, Montana is confident heading into Big Sky play

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Carly Anderson

Sarah Ashley

Alexis Batezel

Paige Clark

Sierra Dennison

Jackie Howell

Elise Jolly

Maddie Kremer

Sarina Moreno

Maddie Pyles

Ellie Scherffius

Catie Semadeni

University of Montana Athletics

Coming off of a successful preseason, Montana is confident heading into Big Sky play

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Carly Anderson

Sarah Ashley

Alexis Batezel

Paige Clark

Sierra Dennison

Jackie Howell

Elise Jolly

Maddie Kremer

Sarina Moreno

Maddie Pyles

Ellie Scherffius

Catie Semadeni

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