Grizzlies look to bounce back in Cheney

Montana at Eastern Washington
Saturday, Sept. 23 / 3:00 p.m. (MT) / Watch / Live Stats

The constant travel and long trips associated with the non-conference season may be over, but the full rhythm of the season still eludes the Montana volleyball team as they split the opening week of league play. After a Wednesday home match versus Weber State, the Grizzlies have a quick turnaround for a road match against Eastern Washington on Saturday, Sept. 23.

The match begins at 3:00 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPN+.

Montana (4-9, 0-1 Big Sky) had moments in the Big Sky opener against Weber State where it looked the part of a team ready to compete against the best that the league has to offer. But an inconsistent first and final set led to a 3-1 defeat, the third in a row for the Grizzlies.

It's early in the season, but a good measuring stick for where Montana stacks up in the Big Sky. Weber State have been a top three team for years with multiple championships. If the Grizzlies can clean up a few areas, they feel that they can compete with teams like the Wildcats.

The successful 10-6 Big Sky record in 2022 came from Montana winning the game it was supposed to win. They were 10-0 against teams that finished below them in the league standings, and 0-6 against teams at the top of the league. This Saturday will be the first test of that pattern this season.

It won't be easy in Cheney. The Eagles have a statistical advantage in nearly every category over the Grizzlies. Sage Brustad is one of just two Big Sky players with 4.00-plus kills per set this season and also leads the league in service aces and points.

Montana is hoping to repeat the 2022 result. They won in four sets, including the final three, as part of a road trip sweep against Eastern Washington and Idaho for the first time in program history. They are looking for more history this weekend. The Grizzlies haven't won back-to-back matches in Cheney since 1994-95.

More important than any history is the immediate need to get back into the win column. Montana plays the most difficult schedule possible in the league this year, with multiple matches against every team outside of Idaho and Idaho State, which were picked ninth and 10^th in the preseason poll. Every win will be important for postseason implications, and they can start a run on Saturday.

GRIZ NOTES

Montana are currently on a three-match losing streak.
The Grizzlies are looking for their first road win of the season. Montana are currently 0-3 in away games and 0-4 at home. All fours wins have come on neutral floors.
Consistency has been a key this year for Montana. Five Grizzlies have played in all 51 sets this year while three others have played in at least 49.
Montana had 14 blocks against Weber State, a new season-high. It's tied for the most in a single match since having 16 in a five-set win over Idaho in 2019.
The Griz rank 40^th in the NCAA and second in the Big Sky with 86 total service aces this season. Carly Anderson is 32^nd in the country, and Paige Clark is 140^th.
Ellie Scherffius set a new career high with eight blocks on Wednesday. The senior averages over a block per set, has had 12 matches with multiple blocks and seven matches with at least five. She also hit over .250 for the fifth straight match and the 10^th time this season against Weber State.
Scherffius ranks 36^th in the country with 55 total blocks on the year. She has 225 in her career at Montana, and already has more solo blocks this year (10) than in any of her previous three seasons.
Paige Clark has had 10-plus kills in six out of the previous seven matches. She had a season-high 22 kills in Montana's win over South Dakota State (9/14).
Clark is 29 kills away from reaching 750 in her career.
Carly Anderson is not only one of the leaders in the Big Sky in assists, she also has an ace in 10 straight matches and has multiple kills in six of the previous seven matches.
Madi Chuhlantseff had a season-high six blocks in the loss to Weber State on Wednesday. She has at least five blocks in four matches this season and has double-digit kills in four as well.
Alexis Batezel has reached double-figures in digs in 12 of the 13 matches this year for Montana. She had 19 against Weber State, averaging nearly five per set.
Sarah Ashley has played a key role in Montana's back line this year, recording 10-plus digs in five matches and ranking third on the team with 17 aces. She has four matches with multiple aces.
Catie Semadeni nearly reached 10 kills for the fourth time this season on Wednesday but finished one short. She has hit over .320 in the three matches where she has reached double-figures.
Maddie Kremer has been a six-rotation player this year and has had bright moments on offense and defense. She has three double-doubles on the year and had a 12-dig night with no errors in serve receive on Wednesday, although she was held to seven kills on .057 hitting.

EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES (6-7, 0-1 Big Sky)

Eastern Washington went .500 in the non-conference and closed it out by winning three of the final four matches. They picked up a five-set win over Portland before taking a season-sweep against regional rival Gonzaga.
The Eagles were picked eighth in the Big Sky preseason poll and opened league play against the favorites in Northern Colorado. The Bears swept EWU in Greeley on Thursday night.
The Big Sky leaders in total aces with 87, Eastern Washington narrowly edge out Montana at 37^th in the national rankings.
Sage Brustad has 193 kills this season. She is second on a per set basis, but leads the league in total kills and is 16^th in the NCAA. Brustad is also 8^th in the country in total points with 234.5.
Brustad also leads the conference and ranks 15^th in the NCAA with 26 total aces this season.
Kate Hatch plays the full rotation at setter and currently ranks fourth in the league with 8.58 assists/set.
Bri Gunderson averages 0.96 blocks per set to rank 8^th in the Big Sky.
Head coach Jon Haruguchi is in his second season at Eastern Washington after six years at Big Sky power Northern Colorado. The Eagles went 11-18 (6-10 Big Sky) in his first season at the helm.

SERIES HISTORY
Montana has a 59-44 lead in the all-time series vs. Eastern Washington, but have struggled to win in Cheney. The Eagles are 27-19 against the Griz on their home floor. In 2022, Montana snapped a four-match losing streak in Cheney with a four-set win.

QUICK STAT COMPARISON

Hitting Percentage: EWU .208, 6^th in Big Sky; UM .193, 8^th
Opponent Hitting Percentage: EWU .226, 6^th; UM .247, 9^th
Assists: EWU 10.83/set, 7^th; UM 10.78, 8^th
Kills: EWU 12.28/set, 7^th; UM 11.78, 8^th
Blocks: EWU 2.17/set, 3^rd; UM 1.99, 6^th
Aces: EWU 1.85/set, 3^rd; UM 1.69, 5^th
Digs: EWU 14.64/set, 4^th; UM 12.94, 9th

UP NEXT
Montana finally get some much-needed rest with just a single match next week, and it's a big one. The Grizzlies will look to retain the Main Line Trophy with a fourth straight win over the rival Bobcats. Tickets can be purchased HERE.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Carly Anderson

Sarah Ashley

Alexis Batezel

Madi Chuhlantseff

Paige Clark

Maddie Kremer

Ellie Scherffius

Catie Semadeni

University of Montana Athletics