Grizzlies open volleyball season with loss to defending WAC champions

Friday, August 25

Missoula, Mont.

7 PM

Montana

0-1,0-0Big Sky

UTRGV

1-0,0-0WAC

UTRGV

Montana

Photo by: Tanner Ecker/UM Photo

Grizzlies open volleyball season with loss to defending WAC champions

8/25/2023 10:30:00 PM | Volleyball

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By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana volleyball team opened its 2023 season on Friday night with a three-set loss to UTRGV, the defending WAC champions (25-20, 25-16, 25-21).

After posting is best season in 23 years, the Grizzlies wanted to challenge themselves during the 2023 preseason. Challenge would be an understatement for a team that plays No. 5 Pitt and No. 17 BYU on Saturday, after facing a 27-win UTRGV on Friday night.

While Allison Lawrence knew that the hill would be steep to climb, Friday's result was not what the head coach was looking for out of her team.

"I'm pretty disappointed in our lack of organization and our lack of ability to hold our structure and execute our system," she said. "We seemed frazzled early in each set, and after that could never gain confidence."

The Grizzlies led for just a single point in the match and dug themselves into early holes in each set. UTRGV scored the match's first five points in the opening set before taking a 6-0 lead in Set 2 and a 7-3 advantage to begin the third set.

Credit to the Grizzlies, who chipped away in two of the sets, despite the slow starts.

In Set 1, Montana used a 5-0 scoring run with Paige Clark serving to tie the set at 8-8. The two teams would then be tied at four consecutive points, and the Grizzlies momentarily tied the set late at 20-20, before UTRGV successfully challenged a touch call, turning a tie score into a two-point advantage for the visitors. UTRGV would then score four of the next five points to win the opening set.

In Set 3, Montana briefly took a lead behind the serving of Carly Anderson, who served up three consecutive aces and forced a UTRGV timeout with Montana on top 10-9.

The Vaqueros would score the next two points, however, ending Montana's momentum.

"UTRGV did a great job of making it really difficult to score," Lawrence said. "Even when we found little moments of rhythm, they always answered back with good ball control and hard work off the ball in transition."

Serving and passing was Montana's biggest weaknesses on Friday. The Grizzlies gave up 19 total points at the service line, being aced 11 times and recording eight service errors. Their first-touch defense didn't allow the Grizzlies' offense to set up in system often enough.

Montana was out-hit .278 to .156 and was never able to side out higher than 50 percent in a set.

Outside hitter Maddie Kremer paced Montana offensively with eight kills on .353 hitting. Middle blocker Madi Chuhlantseff – who was playing in her first collegiate match in 886 days after missing the past two-plus seasons with injuries – made the most of her return with six kills at a .385 clip. She also added two blocks.

UTRGV limited Montana's offense as a whole, however, holding Clark, the 2022 Big Sky kills leader, to six kills compared to 10 errors.

"When we were able to get the ball to our middles, I thought we were effective, but we weren't passing well enough to set any of our pins up for success," Lawrence said.

Day 2 of the Ellesyn Invitational features three matches, including Montana taking on No. 5 Pitt – a 2022 Final Four team – and No. 17 BYU – the third-winningest program in women's volleyball history. Earlier on Friday, BYU upset Pitt in four sets, in a rematch of last year's NCAA tournament second round.

"UTRGV is a team that would contend at the top of our conference," Lawrence said. "Tonight, we got in our own way a lot, but I think a lot of it can be countered with some adjustments.

"We have to find ways to be relaxed and comfortable in those settings, and we fell way short tonight. We have 11 more chances (in non-conference) and we'll keep going."