Grueling preseason ends with Boise State Classic

Montana vs. South Dakota State
Thursday, Sept. 14 / 4:00 p.m. (MT) / Watch / Live Stats

Montana vs. Loyola Marymount
Friday, Sept. 15 / 4:00 p.m. (MT) / Watch / Live Stats

Montana at Boise State
Saturday, Sept. 16 / 1:00 p.m. (MT) / Watch / Live Stats

The message this season for Montana volleyball has been to look away from the overall record and focus the attention on the growth the team is showing on the court. The same can be true of this weekend's preseason finale at the Boise State Classic, where they will face a team receiving top 25 votes and have to play a Mountain West opponent on its home floor.

There is also a sense, following a 2-1 weekend at the UND Classic that felt Montana left feeling slightly disappointed, that the lessons are being learned and this is a team ready to pick up some results. They are ready to deliver a new message that this is a team that will win often.

"I think from my eyes, and from our teams' eyes, I think we really played like a different group this week," head coach Allison Lawrence said. "I think we proved we're learning the lessons we need to learn to carry into conference. It's hard to pinpoint and verbalize, but the feeling is there."

Lawrence said that the win over New Mexico, a Mountain West team that entered with a 5-2 record, is one of the more fun matches that she has been a part of in her career. After taking the first two matches in Grand Forks, they had chances against North Dakota to sweep the weekend. The Fighting Hawks staved off multiple set points in a 29-27 second set to extend the match, and then avoided a Grizzly match point while winning the fifth 19-17.

The result hurt, but Lawrence said that all weekend the team competed well. On the offensive side in particular, the head coach said that the team started to find a better rhythm and play with a sense of freedom.

The loss to North Dakota spoiled a perfect weekend, but it also provided a bit of a chip.

"It ended tough with North Dakota, but we're excited to take that feeling into this weekend where we will play another tough three teams and see what we can do," Lawrence said.

Carly Anderson earned a spot on her second All-Tournament team of the preseason run after controlling the Montana offense. Anderson is averaging over 9.00 assists per set to rank third in the Big Sky. She also hit at least .350 in every match, with a pair of five-kill performances, to keep defenses off balance.

It has opened up lanes for her teammates, and in particular Paige Clark, who joined Anderson on the All-Tournament team. The Big Sky leader in kills last season, Clark had a bit of a slow start to the year with double-digit kills in just three of the first six matches. She picked it up in North Dakota, reaching double-figures in all three matches including a season high 17 kills in the win over New Mexico.

The outside hitter missed a stretch of the preseason due to injury and is starting to look like the First Team All-Big Sky talent that she is.

"I think (Paige's) kills sometimes feel like they count for multiple kills because she's got a cannon and is a big intimidator for our opponents," Lawrence said. "She's a weapon in the front row and in the back row. A big change for her has been playing all around in six rotations, and I think she looked more comfortable than ever and scored some big points in the back row this tournament."

After a 7-5 finish to the non-conference last season that boosted Montana into conference play with plenty of momentum and confidence, the opening four weeks this year have had a different vibe. It continues this weekend, where Montana will again need great performances in every single match to stay in it.

South Dakota State swept Montana just two year ago. Loyola Marymount are receiving votes to be ranked and reached the NCAA Tournament last season. Boise State have one of the best players in the country on their roster in Paige Bartsch.

The Grizzlies proved last weekend, however, that they can win these matches. They should be competitive across the board as they prepare for the Big Sky opener against Weber State on Sept. 20. The Wildcats finished third in the Big Sky last year, and this weekend's talent level should give Montana an idea of what they will be up against come league play.

"The whole point of this schedule, this particular year was to play time-and-time again teams that we feel would be where we want to be in our conference," Lawrence said. "Pitt and BYU are outliers, but to feel like every week we are getting more and more comfortable against top-third level of competition in our conference allows us to relax and know that's where we're at. That identity piece is crucial to what we're doing, and I'm proud of them because it takes some pain to get there.

"It's another really exciting opportunity because I think all these teams would be at the top of their conference," Lawrence concluded. "Here we go again."

ALL-TOURNEY ANDERSON

Setter Carly Anderson was named to the All-Tournament team at the Buffalo Invite and the UND Classic. She averaged nearly 10 assists per set in Buffalo, and followed it up with 9.15 per set in North Dakota but an increased role in the attack.

She had 13 kills on .363 hitting in leading Montana to a 2-1 record at the UND Classic.

Anderson, a senior from Canada, ranks 42nd in the country and 2nd in the Big Sky in total assists. She has been named to a preseason All-Tournament Team four times in her career, who of which were at the UND Classic.

She enters this weekend with 2,943 career assists, and should reach the 3,000-assist mark in the match against Loyola Marymount. She ranks eighth in program history.

LAWRENCE LEADS ON

The 2022 Big Sky Coach of the Year Allison Lawrence signed a contract last week that will run until the conclusion of the 2024 season, keeping her in Missoula for a minimum of two years. It was a well-earned deal for someone who has transformed Montana volleyball in her time in charge.

Lawrence won her 58^th career match in North Dakota to move into third place in program history. Dick Scott, who coached for 21 years, is the program leader with 403 wins, followed by Jerry Wagner (2006-14) with 102.

"When you're trying to turn something around or change it, and when you deeply care, the health of the program is so connected to your health," Lawrence said earlier in the week. "It feels really good to know that the program is so healthy, and I think that allows me to acknowledge that I also feel healthy in it. My driver this whole time has been, can I love this thing back to life? That piece has been unbelievably meaningful to me."

ACES WILD

Montana used an aggressive service game in North Dakota that played a crucial role in the 2-1 record. The Grizzlies were good in 2022 from the service line, but have improved on that so far this year. Montana ranks 49^th in the country in total aces and have three matches with double-digit team aces already this year.

The 14 aces in a win over New Mexico was the most by a Montana team since 2008. It is also the most matches with 10-plus aces since the 2007 season when they had four.

Carly Anderson ranks 30^th in the country with 18 aces, and Paige Clark is 69^th with 16.

GRIZ NOTES

Montana improved to 3-6 overall with a 2-1 weekend at the UND Classic, but left the tournament hoping for more. The Grizzlies lost the final match to North Dakota in five sets, and two of the set losses came in extended play (29-27 in the second set and 18-16 in the fifth). Montana had two set points in the second and a match point in the fifth, but couldn't put UND away.
The Grizzlies have played one of the most difficult schedules in the NCAA so far with the nine opponents combining for a .611 winning percentage. They have faced off against a pair of nationally ranked teams in Pitt and BYU. It's the first time since 1993 that Montana has played against multiple non-Big Sky ranked opponents in the same year.
On a neutral court this year, Montana has been very good. The Grizzlies are 3-1 at neutral sites, and with another neutral-site win in Boise would reach four wins there for just the second time since 2005. Allison Lawrence led Montana to a 5-4 neutral site record in 2017. The Grizzlies were 3-3 last year at neutral sites.
After a difficult opening weekend, Montana has been slowly climbing the Big Sky statistic ranks as a team. They are still seventh in hitting percentage (.186) and opponent hitting percentage (.229).
The service game keyed Montana on to a win over a 5-2 New Mexico team with 14 aces. It was the second-most by a Big Sky team this season. The Grizzlies have 65 total aces as a team, the 49^th-most in the NCAA.
The Grizzlies also crack the top 100 in the country in total attacks and fall just outside of it in digs, often extending points with a good ground defense led by Alexis Batezel.
Despite playing against arguably the strongest non-conference schedule in program history, Montana is still in a great position through three weekends. Since 2005, the Grizzlies have four four-win preseasons. They have won five preseason games just twice, and had a remarkable 7-5 record at the conclusion of the preseason last year. The record may not be ideal, but if they are able to win even one game in Boise it will put them in a good spot historically speaking and have them poised to make a run during Big Sky play.

WHERE THEY RANK

Montana have several players in the top 10 of the Big Sky Conference in a number of different statistical categories. Here are the players, statistics, and ranks.

Ellie Scherffius: 6^th in hitting percentage (.306), 5^th in blocks (1.06/set)
Paige Clark: 5^th in aces (16), 8^th in points (3.50/set), 9^th in kills (2.83/set)
Carly Anderson: 2^nd in aces (18), 3^rd in assists (9.03/set)
Alexis Batezel: 4^th in digs (4.08/set)

SCOUTING THE FIELD

South Dakota State Jackrabbits (2-7)

South Dakota State enter Thursday on a two-match losing streak. The two wins on the season have come against Winthrop and Alcorn State. They have been swept four times this year, including a loss Green Bay, a team Montana defeated in four sets.
The Jackrabbits went 17-14 overall in 2022 and 11-7 in Summit League play. They were eliminated in the conference quarterfinals, but advanced to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship and won a first-round match against Louisiana. They were eliminated by UTRGV in the second round.
SDSU has been better than the record indicates, particularly on offense where they are nearly a top 100 team in the country in several categories. They average 12.81 kills/set, which is third-best in the Summit League and 111^th in the NCAA.
Katie Van Egdom leads the Summit League in total kills (118) and points (127.5). Her 3.50 kills per set is also 125^th in the NCAA.
Head coach Dan Georgalas is in his fourth season and has a 45-45 record all-time at South Dakota State.

Loyola Marymount Lions (4-3)

Loyola Marymount enter winners of two straight matches, both of which were played at home in the Gersten Pavillion. They have handed out and received plenty of sweeps this year, with five of the seven matches ending in three sets. They also have a four-set win and a five-set loss.
The Lions went 18-10 in 2022 with a 13-5 record in WCC play. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament where they lost a first-round matchup to #10 Oregon. Of the 10 losses they suffered, eight came against ranked opponents. They also had a pair of ranked wins.
The Lions are receiving 14 votes to be be ranked in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Coaches Poll. They are currently ranked 36^th.
LMU's three losses have come against #1 Texas, #9 BYU and Utah State, which is receiving votes to be ranked in the top 25. Their strength of schedule is ranked #40, which is five places behind Montana (#35) in the rankings.
Montana will be the second Big Sky opponent for LMU this season. They swept Weber State, the three-sed in the league in 2022, in Ogden on Sept. 1.
The Lions have played stifling defense this season, ranking third in the NCAA in blocks per set (3.17) and 32^nd in opponents hitting percentage (.150).
LMU have also been highly efficient on the offensive side, hitting .260 as a team to rank 47^th in the NCAA and first in the WCC, a highly competitive league.
Jacquelyn Moore has been a force this year, ranking 12^th in the NCAA in hitting percentage (.486), 42^nd in blocks (1.33), and 63^rd in aces (0.50). She also leads the team with 2.67 kills per set.
Former Grizzly Amethyst Harper is currently a member of LMU. Harper, who played at UM from 2019-2021, ranks second on the team with 2.63 kills per set on .317 hitting.

Boise State Broncos (2-5)

Boise State enters the weekend on a five-match losing streak. They opened the season with a pair of sweeps over Idaho State. Since then, they have lost three matches to Power 5 schools and another two matches in five sets to Stephen F. Austin and Northern Arizona.
The Broncos were 15-14 overall in 2022 and finished 7-11 in Mountain West play. They are very familiar with the Big Sky Conference with a 4-2 record against the league in the past two years.
Head coach Shawn Garus is in his 15^th season at Boise State. He has a 245-173 record leading the Broncos and was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2016.
Garus has led Boise State to 12 winning seasons over his 14 years in charge, leading the Broncos to two NCAA Tournaments and a pair of NIVC appearances.
Helena Capital product Paige Bartsch leads the Broncos in the junior year of a decorated career. She was the Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2021 and the Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year in 2022 before earning a spot on the All-Conference team.
Bartsch currently ranks fourth in the entire NCAA in points per set (5.63), sixth in attacks per set (12.62), and ninth in kills per set (4.69). She is also 16^th in the country in aces (0.65/set) and leads the Mountain West in all of the mentioned categories. She is the twin sister of Lady Griz forward Dani Bartsch.
The rest of the Broncos roster has struggled with injuries and form. They rank 283^rd out of 331 teams in hitting percentage (.152) and are also outside of the top 250 in opponents hitting percentage (.233).

SERIES HISTORY

The Grizzlies have the most history with Boise State as a former Big Sky Conference member. The two teams have met 40 times previously with Montana holding a 23-17 advantage. The last meeting came in 2004, a Bronco sweep in Boise. The Broncos are up 10-6 all-time in Boise.

Montana and South Dakota State will meet for the fifth time with SDSU holding a 3-1 advantage. They have won the previous three, including a matchup in Brookings in 2021. Montana won the only previous neutral site match between the schools in 2005.

This will be just the second meeting between the Grizzlies and the Lions. Montana won the previous matchup on a neutral court in Santa Barbara, Calif. in 1992.

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Players Mentioned

Carly Anderson

Alexis Batezel

Paige Clark

Ellie Scherffius

University of Montana Athletics