Friday, September 9
Edinburg, Texas
1:30 PM (MT)
Montana
vs
Prairie View A&M
Photo by: Tommy Martino/UM Athletics
Howell’s Homecoming: Griz travel to southern Texas for special tournament
9/7/2022 4:31:00 PM | Volleyball
Montana vs. Prairie View A&M
Friday, Sept. 9 / 1:30 p.m. (MT) / ESPN+ Stream / Live Stats
Montana at UT Rio Grande Valley
Friday, Sept. 9 / 5:30 p.m. (MT) / ESPN+ Stream / Live Stats
Montana at UT Rio Grande Valley
Saturday, Sept. 10 / 1:30 p.m. (MT) / ESPN+ Stream / Live Stats
The Montana volleyball team is off to its best start in 14 years, which has called for some early-season celebrating. This weekend, there will be even more celebrating in store for senior Jackie Howell, who will be playing in her home state of Texas.
The Grizzlies are set to play in the UTRGV Tournament, facing Prairie View A&M on Friday (1:30 p.m. MT), before twice facing host UT Rio Grande Valley (Friday at 5:30 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 p.m.). All three matches will be broadcast on ESPN+.
To many, San Antonio is considered southern Texas. But Howell, a native of Mission, Texas – about 20 miles from UTRGV's campus – is truly from Texas' southern tip. Depending on where you are in the city, you can see the Mexico border.
She knows that her town can, at times, come with a bad reputation. But, to her, it's also home, which makes it so special to get to play there this weekend.
"When Alli (head coach Allison Lawrence) told me in the spring I was just in shock," Howell recalled of being notified of the tournament location. "I don't even think I said anything, I was just thinking 'Oh my God, we get to go play there.'
"I really appreciated it because to play in my hometown is really special to me. The whole city is tight-knit, almost like an extended family. So for so many people to get to come watch, it will just be so exciting."
The Grizzlies will be playing more than 2,000 miles from Missoula, but they might in fact have a home-court advantage. Through the tournament, Montana received a 50-person pass list for its supporters. Six of those tickets went to additional family members making the trip. The other 44 have gone to Howell's family, with dozens of additional tickets being purchased by family, friends and former coaches.
And to those Griz fans who have witnessed her in person, Howell's mother, Sonia Treviño, knows how to make some noise in the gym.
"My mom's voice carries, but my aunts are actually the loud, crazy ones in the family," Howell said. "They're making shirts. They're going to be real loud."
Treviño is the person who inspires Howell on and off the court, adding another layer to the excitement of playing just outside of Mission this weekend.
She was the one who introduced Howell to volleyball at a young age, being a collegiate athlete herself. Treviño started at a junior college before getting a Division-I opportunity at Florida State, where the Seminoles won a pair of conference titles and advanced to the NCAA tournament both seasons. She then returned to Mission, where she opened her own chiropractic business, raised a family and was recently elected to serve as her city's justice of the peace.
Similarly, Howell began her collegiate career at a junior college where she graduated summa cum laude with an associate degree in business administration. She was twice named to Tyler's dean's and president's lists, and on the court was a Region XIV all-conference outside hitter, earning All-America honorable mention honors.
She's now starting as a six-rotation outside hitter for the Grizzlies while working toward a degree in business management. She's listed as a senior on Montana's roster, but thanks to a COVID-19 waiver, 2022 will not be her final season with the Grizzlies.
"My mom is also from Mission and she really needed a scholarship to go to college at all," Howell said. "She started at a junior college and then went to Florida State. She played volleyball, she graduated with honors and now she's a doctor.
"Her work ethic is so motivating in ways that, no matter what she's doing, she always doing something to make herself better. She's doesn't just walk the walk but she backs it up. I don't understand how she works so hard, but I gain strength from her and just knowing that, in a lot of ways, I'm following in her footsteps."
Howell has started all six matches this season for Montana, ranking third on the team for digs, fourth for aces and fifth for kills. During her first season as a Grizzly, she played in all 102 sets while leading Montana with a .964 serve percentage and .951 serve-receive rate. She was in the top five on the team for digs, kills, aces and blocking and her 3.15 digs-per-set average during league play was the best in the Big Sky by a non-defensive specialist.
At just 5 foot, 9 inches, she takes pride in being an undersized outside hitter who can do a little bit of everything on the floor.
"Not being the tallest outside, I just try to do anything I can to stay on the court and help my team," Howell said. "Being able to hit in the front row and then go to the back row and hold my own, serve, bring energy… I just want to be a threat from everywhere."
In some ways, she gets that determination from her mother. In others, it likely comes from her roots in Mission.
She'll get to introduce her teammates to her hometown and family over the weekend as the team gathers for a dinner at her family's residence. She's excited for the authentic Mexican food, but mostly just to be with loved ones and show her teammates where she comes from.
"I'm really excited, but I'm also nervous," she said. "I want them to see where I come from, but it will also be completely different from what they're used to. It's going to be a culture shock in a lot of ways."
In a July 2021 feature story introducing Howell to Griz Nation, the new signee said: "Mission is home. My family is home. Wherever I go, I want to keep all my ties to Mission, so even though I'll be playing far from home, I'll be representing it from Montana."
This weekend, she'll get to represent home from home.
GRIZ BITS
SCOUTING PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
Prairie View A&M sits at 1-8 on the season, sweeping Huston Tillotson on Wednesday night to pick up its first win of the season… Big Sky foe Idaho State opened its season against PVAMU, beating the Panthers in four sets… Despite the record, PVAMU was picked to finish fourth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) preseason poll, earning one first-place vote… Last week, freshman outside hitter Kylee Owens was named the SWAC Newcomer of the Week after averaging 3.7 kills per set on .259 hitting across three matches… Senior setter Jakarta Hope earned All-SWAC preseason honors after also being a 2021 all-conference selection… PVAMU has nine freshmen on its roster, in addition to seven returners (four starters)… A season ago, the Panthers went 8-26 overall, including 7-10 in the SWAC… TaCho Tyler is in her eighth season as head coach, and 15th overall, at her alma mater… The Grizzlies and Panthers have never before met.
SCOUTING UT RIO GRANDE VALLEY
UT Rio Grande Valley is 7-1 on the young season, having won seven consecutive matches since a 3-2 season-opening loss to UNLV on Aug. 26… On Monday, senior outside hitter Sarah Cruz earned her second consecutive WAC Offensive Player of the Week award after averaging 5.73 kills per set on .355 hitting… Cruz ranks second in the entire country for kills (4.94 per set) and points (5.71 per set), while setter Luanna Emiliano ranks first for assists (11.00 per set)… As a team, UTRGV leads the nation for team kills, assists and blocks… Cruz, who recorded 30 kills in a match earlier this season, earned All-WAC first-team honors in 2021 after setting a school record with 4.37 kills per set… The Vaqueros went 17-11 in 2021 and return five starters from that squad… Todd Lowery became UTRGV's all-time wins leader last weekend… Montana and UTRGV have never before played.
LOOKING AHEAD
Montana will close its non-conference portion of its season next week in Charleston, South Carolina, traveling to the Palmetto State for the second year in a row. Montana will play the College of Charleston (Sept. 16), UNC Greensboro (Sept. 16) and host Charleston Southern (Sept. 17).
Gallery: (8-26-2022) VB: Ellesyn Invitational Day 1 - 8/26/22
Friday, Sept. 9 / 1:30 p.m. (MT) / ESPN+ Stream / Live Stats
Montana at UT Rio Grande Valley
Friday, Sept. 9 / 5:30 p.m. (MT) / ESPN+ Stream / Live Stats
Montana at UT Rio Grande Valley
Saturday, Sept. 10 / 1:30 p.m. (MT) / ESPN+ Stream / Live Stats
The Montana volleyball team is off to its best start in 14 years, which has called for some early-season celebrating. This weekend, there will be even more celebrating in store for senior Jackie Howell, who will be playing in her home state of Texas.
The Grizzlies are set to play in the UTRGV Tournament, facing Prairie View A&M on Friday (1:30 p.m. MT), before twice facing host UT Rio Grande Valley (Friday at 5:30 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 p.m.). All three matches will be broadcast on ESPN+.
To many, San Antonio is considered southern Texas. But Howell, a native of Mission, Texas – about 20 miles from UTRGV's campus – is truly from Texas' southern tip. Depending on where you are in the city, you can see the Mexico border.
She knows that her town can, at times, come with a bad reputation. But, to her, it's also home, which makes it so special to get to play there this weekend.
"When Alli (head coach Allison Lawrence) told me in the spring I was just in shock," Howell recalled of being notified of the tournament location. "I don't even think I said anything, I was just thinking 'Oh my God, we get to go play there.'
"I really appreciated it because to play in my hometown is really special to me. The whole city is tight-knit, almost like an extended family. So for so many people to get to come watch, it will just be so exciting."
The Grizzlies will be playing more than 2,000 miles from Missoula, but they might in fact have a home-court advantage. Through the tournament, Montana received a 50-person pass list for its supporters. Six of those tickets went to additional family members making the trip. The other 44 have gone to Howell's family, with dozens of additional tickets being purchased by family, friends and former coaches.
And to those Griz fans who have witnessed her in person, Howell's mother, Sonia Treviño, knows how to make some noise in the gym.
"My mom's voice carries, but my aunts are actually the loud, crazy ones in the family," Howell said. "They're making shirts. They're going to be real loud."
Treviño is the person who inspires Howell on and off the court, adding another layer to the excitement of playing just outside of Mission this weekend.
She was the one who introduced Howell to volleyball at a young age, being a collegiate athlete herself. Treviño started at a junior college before getting a Division-I opportunity at Florida State, where the Seminoles won a pair of conference titles and advanced to the NCAA tournament both seasons. She then returned to Mission, where she opened her own chiropractic business, raised a family and was recently elected to serve as her city's justice of the peace.
Similarly, Howell began her collegiate career at a junior college where she graduated summa cum laude with an associate degree in business administration. She was twice named to Tyler's dean's and president's lists, and on the court was a Region XIV all-conference outside hitter, earning All-America honorable mention honors.
She's now starting as a six-rotation outside hitter for the Grizzlies while working toward a degree in business management. She's listed as a senior on Montana's roster, but thanks to a COVID-19 waiver, 2022 will not be her final season with the Grizzlies.
"My mom is also from Mission and she really needed a scholarship to go to college at all," Howell said. "She started at a junior college and then went to Florida State. She played volleyball, she graduated with honors and now she's a doctor.
"Her work ethic is so motivating in ways that, no matter what she's doing, she always doing something to make herself better. She's doesn't just walk the walk but she backs it up. I don't understand how she works so hard, but I gain strength from her and just knowing that, in a lot of ways, I'm following in her footsteps."
Howell has started all six matches this season for Montana, ranking third on the team for digs, fourth for aces and fifth for kills. During her first season as a Grizzly, she played in all 102 sets while leading Montana with a .964 serve percentage and .951 serve-receive rate. She was in the top five on the team for digs, kills, aces and blocking and her 3.15 digs-per-set average during league play was the best in the Big Sky by a non-defensive specialist.
At just 5 foot, 9 inches, she takes pride in being an undersized outside hitter who can do a little bit of everything on the floor.
"Not being the tallest outside, I just try to do anything I can to stay on the court and help my team," Howell said. "Being able to hit in the front row and then go to the back row and hold my own, serve, bring energy… I just want to be a threat from everywhere."
In some ways, she gets that determination from her mother. In others, it likely comes from her roots in Mission.
She'll get to introduce her teammates to her hometown and family over the weekend as the team gathers for a dinner at her family's residence. She's excited for the authentic Mexican food, but mostly just to be with loved ones and show her teammates where she comes from.
"I'm really excited, but I'm also nervous," she said. "I want them to see where I come from, but it will also be completely different from what they're used to. It's going to be a culture shock in a lot of ways."
In a July 2021 feature story introducing Howell to Griz Nation, the new signee said: "Mission is home. My family is home. Wherever I go, I want to keep all my ties to Mission, so even though I'll be playing far from home, I'll be representing it from Montana."
This weekend, she'll get to represent home from home.
GRIZ BITS
- Montana is tied with Weber State for the best record in the Big Sky Conference, with both teams sitting at 4-2. The Grizzlies are off to their best six-match start to a season in 14 years, since beginning the 2008 season 4-2.
- All four of Montana's wins have come in straight sets.
- Sophomore outside hitter Paige Clark earned Big Sky Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Week honors on Monday. She has been in double figures for kills in all six matches this season and ranks 38th in the NCAA for points (4.74 per set) and 50th for kills (4.05). Clark, a 2021 all-conference pick as a true freshman, ranks second in the Big Sky for both categories.
- Junior setter Carly Anderson ranks 47th nationally with 10.26 assists per set. She is second in the Big Sky for assists, in addition to ranking third in the conference with 0.53 service aces per set.
- As a team, Montana ranks 38th in the NCAA for aces (2.11 per set) and 47th for opponent hitting percentage (.153). Opponents have recorded more aces than Montana just once this year.
- In the Big Sky rankings, Montana ranks first for aces and opponent hitting percentage; second for hitting percentage, kills and assists; fourth for digs; and sixth for blocks.
- The Grizzlies hit .365 in a three-set win at IUPUI last Saturday, the program's best attack percentage since 2014.
- In a pair of wins last Saturday, Montana limited its two opponents to a combined .070 hitting (57-43-201). It was the first time since 2006 that Montana has held back-to-back opponents under .100 hitting.
- Montana is the only team in the Big Sky to have three players hitting above .300. All three of the Grizzlies' middle blockers are doing so, with Ellie Scherffius ranking second (.370), Sierra Dennison ranking fifth (.316) and Elise Jolly in seventh (.302). Dennison (1.20, sixth) and Jolly (1.08, ninth) are also among the league leaders for blocking.
- Senior libero Sarina Moreno ranks sixth in the Big Sky with 3.79 digs per set. Her defense helped propel Montana to a 2-1 record last weekend in Indianapolis, being named to the Hampton Inn Invitational all-tournament team. Last weekend vs. Drake, she also moved to No. 2 on the school's all-time digs list (1,492).
SCOUTING PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
Prairie View A&M sits at 1-8 on the season, sweeping Huston Tillotson on Wednesday night to pick up its first win of the season… Big Sky foe Idaho State opened its season against PVAMU, beating the Panthers in four sets… Despite the record, PVAMU was picked to finish fourth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) preseason poll, earning one first-place vote… Last week, freshman outside hitter Kylee Owens was named the SWAC Newcomer of the Week after averaging 3.7 kills per set on .259 hitting across three matches… Senior setter Jakarta Hope earned All-SWAC preseason honors after also being a 2021 all-conference selection… PVAMU has nine freshmen on its roster, in addition to seven returners (four starters)… A season ago, the Panthers went 8-26 overall, including 7-10 in the SWAC… TaCho Tyler is in her eighth season as head coach, and 15th overall, at her alma mater… The Grizzlies and Panthers have never before met.
SCOUTING UT RIO GRANDE VALLEY
UT Rio Grande Valley is 7-1 on the young season, having won seven consecutive matches since a 3-2 season-opening loss to UNLV on Aug. 26… On Monday, senior outside hitter Sarah Cruz earned her second consecutive WAC Offensive Player of the Week award after averaging 5.73 kills per set on .355 hitting… Cruz ranks second in the entire country for kills (4.94 per set) and points (5.71 per set), while setter Luanna Emiliano ranks first for assists (11.00 per set)… As a team, UTRGV leads the nation for team kills, assists and blocks… Cruz, who recorded 30 kills in a match earlier this season, earned All-WAC first-team honors in 2021 after setting a school record with 4.37 kills per set… The Vaqueros went 17-11 in 2021 and return five starters from that squad… Todd Lowery became UTRGV's all-time wins leader last weekend… Montana and UTRGV have never before played.
𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸!
— Montana Griz Volleyball (@MontanaGrizVB) September 5, 2022
Congrats to Paige Clark, who was named the top offensive player in the @BigSkyConf over the past week!
📰 https://t.co/ljg4oaLeLM #GrizVB #BigSkyVB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/IG2CjLRt8R
LOOKING AHEAD
Montana will close its non-conference portion of its season next week in Charleston, South Carolina, traveling to the Palmetto State for the second year in a row. Montana will play the College of Charleston (Sept. 16), UNC Greensboro (Sept. 16) and host Charleston Southern (Sept. 17).
Players Mentioned
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