Photo by: Ryan Brennecke/ University of Montana
Griz volleyball aims to make a jump in 2024
8/9/2024 3:46:00 PM | Volleyball
The Montana volleyball team opened up fall practice on Thursday as they begin the three-week prep period before the first match of the season in late August. It's a team with plenty of newcomers, but there are also many recognizable faces from last year's 11-win team.
The excitement is palpable as the team returns to play, looking to make a leap from a good team in the middle of the standings to a great team that can play at a championship caliber level.
Now in her 8th season leading the program, head coach Allison Lawrence is excited to see what this roster of 10 returners and eight newcomers is capable of when the season arrives.
"This time of year is always so exciting because there are so many unknowns," Lawrence said. "This year, especially, going into the season with this group is such a unique balance of a lot of experience and a lot of newness. It's been fun to plan for and ramp up for emotionally because there is a lot of potential for this group to do some new and amazing things."
The team brings back both starters on the outside, as Paige Clark and Maddie Kremer return for their senior seasons. The duo combined for 613 of Montana's 1,347 kills last season and should be poised for another big year in 2024.
Libero Alexis Batezel also returns after leading the team with 446 digs last year, and the Grizzlies will also have the defensive presence of Jackie Howell, who missed the 2023 year because of injury, back in the mix. There are six other returners who could push for time on the floor.
They will have to compete with a large group of newcomers that features six freshmen and two transfers. Casi Newman (UC Davis) arrives for her final year of collegiate eligibility with nearly 2,000 career assists to her name. Brenley Hansen (Salt Lake CC) is making the jump to the D-I level and could help fill up the gap in the middle.
The freshmen could also compete for playing time right away as some exciting talents join the Grizzly roster. The entire group was assembled strategically around the strengths of the returners, and the depth should help push Montana to another level.
"I think we brought in a bigger group this year and brought in the specific newcomers that we did to make our training environment as competitive as possible," Lawrence said. "I think that's what I'm most excited for is just to see what the depth looks like. It doesn't even feel necessarily like depth, it feels like it's anyone's position at any moment. That dynamic in our own gym will prepare us for tight matches in conference play."
The Grizzlies will have five seniors on the roster. Clark and Kremer arrived together as freshmen in 2021, and Howell joined the same year as a transfer. Prior to that season, Montana had reached 10 total wins just once in the previous seven seasons. The trio has never failed to hit double-digit wins, winning 11 as freshmen, 17 as sophomores, and 11 again last year. There are zero players left on the roster from the 2-14 team that competed during the spring of 2021, but the seniors know the history of the program and are eager to take it to new heights.
"I think the seniors have really high expectations for themselves and one of our goals last year was to go deeper into the conference tournament, and we didn't accomplish that," Lawrence said. "I think there's some unfinished business, so we need a response to that. But also this is a separate, new group and story from last year. We're going to use parts of last year that were helpful, and then we're going to leave the rest and make something totally new out of this season."
Montana hasn't won a conference tournament game since 2013, and are looking to get over that hump and into the semifinals this year. It is part of the process of getting from good to great.
But to get there, Lawrence and her team are focused on the grind of getting better every day as opposed to looking ahead to matchups and fixating on results.
"I think we have a full acceptance and appreciation of how hard it is to win consistently, but we brought people in here to establish that and I think that's what they want to do and aim to do," Lawrence said. "But I don't think we're mired or stuck in this, where do we want to end and finish in conference or in preseason? I think those are useful tools for measuring whether you are achieving goals, but I think just the feel of the training environment and then how we play and compete are a step further along the path than we've ever been before."
The Grizzlies open the season at the Grand Canyon Invitational beginning on Aug. 30. They will play their first competitive home match of the season on Sept. 5 against Utah Valley as part of the Ellesyn Invitational Sponsored by Homewood Suites & Erck Hotels.
Gallery: (8-8-2024) VB: First Practice (8.8.24)
GRIZ NOTES
CLARK'S QUEST FOR FOUR STRAIGHT ALL-BIG SKY HONORS
Senior Paige Clark is looking to become a four-time All-Big Sky selection this season. She was named First Team in 2022 and Second Team in 2021 and 2023. She is just the sixth Grizzly in program history to make three separate All-Conference teams, and is looking to join Jaimie Thibeault (2007-10) as the only four-timers in school history.
It's not the only history on the line for Clark in 2024, as she enters the year with 910 career kills, which ranks 20th all-time in program history. She has averaged 357 kills per season over the last two years (365 in '22, 349 in '23). If she were to match those numbers, she could rise as high as third all-time. She is currently 200 kills away from entering the top 10.
"I think as a senior the ceiling is as high as she wants it to go," head coach Allison Lawrence said of Clark. "That can sound a little trite, I suppose, but she's an emotional leader and plays with her heart. I think if you've followed our program the last three years and have been a fan of Paige you've seen that and have been swept up by her emotions in big matches."
It's that aspect that makes Clark a player that fans of Montana volleyball won't soon forget. The big celebrations following a kill, whether it was her or a teammate that delivered it, the smiles on the floor, the intensity of her play. The way she goes about the game makes her stand out. Her talent makes her exceptional.
"She expects great things of herself and of the program, and one thing I love about Paige is how much she verbalizes how much she's wanted to be here since the moment that she committed and that this is her place, these are her people. We don't live in a sports culture where that happens as often, and I think in a college town those stories are really wonderful to root for. I think she's physically and mentally capable of cementing a legacy and really being remembered as someone who changed this place and gave everything she had."
GOOD TO GREAT
The motto of the season for Montana volleyball in 2024 is "good to great." It's been a long process for the Grizzlies to try to climb to the top of the Big Sky Conference. When Lawrence took over as head coach in 2017, the Grizzlies hadn't won more than eight matches in the previous four years. She's reached that now in five of her six full seasons in charge.
The goal now is not to settle for reaching double-digit wins and a first round exit. Montana wants to earn its place among the conference's elite teams.
The recruiting class that was brought in is full of players who were winners in every sense of the word at the high school level. The highly competitive young group pairs with returners who have watched the program's trajectory and are aiming to take it even higher.
It's led to a common refrain from Lawrence and the rest of the time.
"I think we're kind of right in the process of going from good to great," Lawrence said. "We battled through phases of that last year. It is a mentality shift and it's another big push after what feels like we already made a big push to get to the top third of the conference. I think we looked for athletes, and wanted a team identity, that really found joy in the grind of winning."
SENIOR LEADERS
Montana has five seniors on the 2024 roster. The group took different paths to this point, but combine now to lead a young and hungry Grizzly team. Paige Clark and Maddie Kremer both arrived as freshmen in 2021. Jackie Howell came the same year as a transfer. Ginny Pace played her first season in 2022, while Casi Newman joins the team for one last dance.
The group has plenty of playing experience and should form a solid core to the team again in 2024. The largest class of newcomers in Lawrence's tenure at Montana will also look to the group for guidance as leaders both on and off the floor.
"I think when you have returners and seniors who have the trajectory and story of the program as their own experiences, I think they can teach and model that really well," Lawrence said. "When you have great seniors, then the new players know what is expected at all times because they can visibly see people doing it everywhere around them."
NEW FACES ON CAMPUS
The Grizzlies have the largest batch of newcomers since Lawrence took over as head coach in 2017, and they will look to make an impact all across the floor. There are two transfers and six freshmen on this year's roster, bringing the total number of players to 18, also a program high under Lawrence.
Casi Newman (UC Davis) and Brenley Hansen (Salt Lake CC) have transferred to Montana to help fill up two positions where Montana lost significant contributors from 2023. Newman is a setter with nearly 2,000 career assists and Hansen is a capable middle blocker with explosive attacking power.
Montana also added six new freshmen players. Josie Blazina, Sydney Pierce, Delaney Russell, Alex Stone, and Halle Walker were announced in November. Emma Williams joined late to become the 18th player on the roster.
There is plenty of talent in the group. Stone and Russell were both named AVCA Honorable Mention All-Americans as high school seniors, and Russell was the Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year and Colorado 5A Player of the Year. Her team won 58 straight games to close out her career.
Pierce went 31-0 as a senior on her way to a state title and was a three-time All-State selection for Billings West. Walker was All-Conference in 2023 and won multiple league championships.
Williams won a 6A Oregon State Championship and was highly successful at the club level. Blazina played on the Midland All-Star team and was a state champion in track and field. The entire group brings different strengths, but as a whole it's a unit made up of winners that should bring that mentality to Montana.
NICHOLSON JOINS THE STAFF
Montana volleyball went without a third assistant in 2023, but they have filled out the staff this year with the addition of Olivia Nicholson.
Nicholson joined Montana after a professional career overseas and a successful collegiate career at Colorado State. She also played two years of beach volleyball at Texas A&M – Kingsville.
"It feels really great to have a full staff and have someone with Olivia's playing experience and coaching resume," Lawrence said of the hire. "Her presence just really stands out. I met her when she was at Colorado State at a recruiting showcase, and I think when you meet her you are just struck by her maturity and personality.
"She comes across as someone who is very capable, very deliberate, very caring and has very high standards," Lawrence continued. "She just makes a really strong impression and I remember thinking, 'That is someone that I'd love to work with.'"
GRIZ LOOK TO MAKE POSTSEASON JUMP
Montana is on an impressive two-year run, but there is still one goal that has eluded them during the last two seasons. The Grizzlies were eliminated in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament in both 2022 and 2023.
It's been more than a decade since the Griz advanced past the opening round of the conference tournament. They defeated Northern Arizona in 2013 to reach the semifinals, but have been eliminated in their first match on six straight occasions. Before the win in 2013, you would have to go back to 1996 for another Griz postseason win.
They are aiming to reach that semifinal round in 2024 with a solid core of veteran players and plenty of talented newcomers.
THE ELLESYN INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY HOMEWOOD SUITES & ERCK HOTELS
Montana will be hosting a tournament during the non-conference portion of the schedule for the third straight season. It is once again named after Elle Farmer, who joined the program through Team IMPACT prior to the 2022 season.
In 2023, the field included a pair of teams that reached the Final Four in the prior season. This year won't have the same high-level opposition, but instead should provide three very good contests for the Grizzlies.
Montana opens the four-day tournament on Thursday, Sept. 5 against Utah Valley at 6:00 p.m. There will be two neutral site matches on Friday. Montana will play the opener on Saturday, Sept. 7 against Southern Miss at 11:00 a.m. The Grizzlies close out the tournament with Sunday's lone game at 2:00 p.m. against Boise State.
HOMEWOOD SUITES & ERCK HOTELS
The presenting sponsor of Montana Volleyball is Homewood Suites and Erck Hotels. The hotel is partnering with Griz Volleyball to bring exclusive deals and rates to fans coming to town for any Griz volleyball event.
The following promotions are available for Montana volleyball fans through the partnership with Erck Hotels.
The excitement is palpable as the team returns to play, looking to make a leap from a good team in the middle of the standings to a great team that can play at a championship caliber level.
Now in her 8th season leading the program, head coach Allison Lawrence is excited to see what this roster of 10 returners and eight newcomers is capable of when the season arrives.
"This time of year is always so exciting because there are so many unknowns," Lawrence said. "This year, especially, going into the season with this group is such a unique balance of a lot of experience and a lot of newness. It's been fun to plan for and ramp up for emotionally because there is a lot of potential for this group to do some new and amazing things."
The team brings back both starters on the outside, as Paige Clark and Maddie Kremer return for their senior seasons. The duo combined for 613 of Montana's 1,347 kills last season and should be poised for another big year in 2024.
Libero Alexis Batezel also returns after leading the team with 446 digs last year, and the Grizzlies will also have the defensive presence of Jackie Howell, who missed the 2023 year because of injury, back in the mix. There are six other returners who could push for time on the floor.
They will have to compete with a large group of newcomers that features six freshmen and two transfers. Casi Newman (UC Davis) arrives for her final year of collegiate eligibility with nearly 2,000 career assists to her name. Brenley Hansen (Salt Lake CC) is making the jump to the D-I level and could help fill up the gap in the middle.
The freshmen could also compete for playing time right away as some exciting talents join the Grizzly roster. The entire group was assembled strategically around the strengths of the returners, and the depth should help push Montana to another level.
"I think we brought in a bigger group this year and brought in the specific newcomers that we did to make our training environment as competitive as possible," Lawrence said. "I think that's what I'm most excited for is just to see what the depth looks like. It doesn't even feel necessarily like depth, it feels like it's anyone's position at any moment. That dynamic in our own gym will prepare us for tight matches in conference play."
The Grizzlies will have five seniors on the roster. Clark and Kremer arrived together as freshmen in 2021, and Howell joined the same year as a transfer. Prior to that season, Montana had reached 10 total wins just once in the previous seven seasons. The trio has never failed to hit double-digit wins, winning 11 as freshmen, 17 as sophomores, and 11 again last year. There are zero players left on the roster from the 2-14 team that competed during the spring of 2021, but the seniors know the history of the program and are eager to take it to new heights.
"I think the seniors have really high expectations for themselves and one of our goals last year was to go deeper into the conference tournament, and we didn't accomplish that," Lawrence said. "I think there's some unfinished business, so we need a response to that. But also this is a separate, new group and story from last year. We're going to use parts of last year that were helpful, and then we're going to leave the rest and make something totally new out of this season."
Montana hasn't won a conference tournament game since 2013, and are looking to get over that hump and into the semifinals this year. It is part of the process of getting from good to great.
But to get there, Lawrence and her team are focused on the grind of getting better every day as opposed to looking ahead to matchups and fixating on results.
"I think we have a full acceptance and appreciation of how hard it is to win consistently, but we brought people in here to establish that and I think that's what they want to do and aim to do," Lawrence said. "But I don't think we're mired or stuck in this, where do we want to end and finish in conference or in preseason? I think those are useful tools for measuring whether you are achieving goals, but I think just the feel of the training environment and then how we play and compete are a step further along the path than we've ever been before."
The Grizzlies open the season at the Grand Canyon Invitational beginning on Aug. 30. They will play their first competitive home match of the season on Sept. 5 against Utah Valley as part of the Ellesyn Invitational Sponsored by Homewood Suites & Erck Hotels.
GRIZ NOTES
- Montana has won 28 matches over the previous two seasons. It's tied for the most wins in a two-year stretch since 2008-09 (28 wins). The last time the Grizzlies won more matches in a two-year stretch was 1994-95 (38 wins).
- The Grizzlies have won 10-plus matches in three straight seasons. The last time they had at least three straight double-digit win seasons came from 2005-11, when they reached the 10-win mark seven straight times. From 2012-21, the Grizzlies won 10 matches in a single season just twice.
- The offense put together one of the best attacking years in program history in 2023. Montana hit .214 as a team, the 8th-best in program history but the top mark in the 25-point rally scoring era.
- Middle blocker Ellie Scherffius graduated from Montana in 2023 and left as the program's co-all-time leader in hitting percentage (.294). Montana will also have to replace Madi Chuhlantseff in the middle. Chuhlantseff hit .340 in 2023, the 2nd-best single season hitting percentage in program history.
- Grizzly setter Carly Anderson transferred to Wisconsin for the 2024 season. Anderson finished her four-year career at Montana with 3,671 assists, which ranked 6th in program history. Montana returns sophomore Gracie Cagle at the position, and also picked up a transfer from UC Davis in Casi Newman.
- In Big Sky play, Montana is 17-16 over the previous two seasons. It's the most league wins in a two-year stretch since winning 18 matches in 2013-14.
- The Grizzlies reached the postseason for the third consecutive year in 2023. It's the first time since 2008-10 that Montana has qualified for the Big Sky Tournament three straight years. If Montana qualifies again this season, it will be the most consecutive appearances at the conference tournament since 1994.
- The coaching staff will have a new addition this year as Olivia Nicholson joins longtime coaches Allison Lawrence and Dana Hallisey. Nicholson played collegiately at Colorado State, the same school as Hallisey, before playing professionally in Europe the last two years.
- Montana return the following from 2023:
- Starts: 35.1%
- Kills: 46.7%
- Assists: 11.4%
- Aces: 54.7%
- Digs: 66.2%
- Blocks: 37.5%
- Points: 44.2%
CLARK'S QUEST FOR FOUR STRAIGHT ALL-BIG SKY HONORS
Senior Paige Clark is looking to become a four-time All-Big Sky selection this season. She was named First Team in 2022 and Second Team in 2021 and 2023. She is just the sixth Grizzly in program history to make three separate All-Conference teams, and is looking to join Jaimie Thibeault (2007-10) as the only four-timers in school history.
It's not the only history on the line for Clark in 2024, as she enters the year with 910 career kills, which ranks 20th all-time in program history. She has averaged 357 kills per season over the last two years (365 in '22, 349 in '23). If she were to match those numbers, she could rise as high as third all-time. She is currently 200 kills away from entering the top 10.
"I think as a senior the ceiling is as high as she wants it to go," head coach Allison Lawrence said of Clark. "That can sound a little trite, I suppose, but she's an emotional leader and plays with her heart. I think if you've followed our program the last three years and have been a fan of Paige you've seen that and have been swept up by her emotions in big matches."
It's that aspect that makes Clark a player that fans of Montana volleyball won't soon forget. The big celebrations following a kill, whether it was her or a teammate that delivered it, the smiles on the floor, the intensity of her play. The way she goes about the game makes her stand out. Her talent makes her exceptional.
"She expects great things of herself and of the program, and one thing I love about Paige is how much she verbalizes how much she's wanted to be here since the moment that she committed and that this is her place, these are her people. We don't live in a sports culture where that happens as often, and I think in a college town those stories are really wonderful to root for. I think she's physically and mentally capable of cementing a legacy and really being remembered as someone who changed this place and gave everything she had."
GOOD TO GREAT
The motto of the season for Montana volleyball in 2024 is "good to great." It's been a long process for the Grizzlies to try to climb to the top of the Big Sky Conference. When Lawrence took over as head coach in 2017, the Grizzlies hadn't won more than eight matches in the previous four years. She's reached that now in five of her six full seasons in charge.
The goal now is not to settle for reaching double-digit wins and a first round exit. Montana wants to earn its place among the conference's elite teams.
The recruiting class that was brought in is full of players who were winners in every sense of the word at the high school level. The highly competitive young group pairs with returners who have watched the program's trajectory and are aiming to take it even higher.
It's led to a common refrain from Lawrence and the rest of the time.
"I think we're kind of right in the process of going from good to great," Lawrence said. "We battled through phases of that last year. It is a mentality shift and it's another big push after what feels like we already made a big push to get to the top third of the conference. I think we looked for athletes, and wanted a team identity, that really found joy in the grind of winning."
SENIOR LEADERS
Montana has five seniors on the 2024 roster. The group took different paths to this point, but combine now to lead a young and hungry Grizzly team. Paige Clark and Maddie Kremer both arrived as freshmen in 2021. Jackie Howell came the same year as a transfer. Ginny Pace played her first season in 2022, while Casi Newman joins the team for one last dance.
The group has plenty of playing experience and should form a solid core to the team again in 2024. The largest class of newcomers in Lawrence's tenure at Montana will also look to the group for guidance as leaders both on and off the floor.
"I think when you have returners and seniors who have the trajectory and story of the program as their own experiences, I think they can teach and model that really well," Lawrence said. "When you have great seniors, then the new players know what is expected at all times because they can visibly see people doing it everywhere around them."
NEW FACES ON CAMPUS
The Grizzlies have the largest batch of newcomers since Lawrence took over as head coach in 2017, and they will look to make an impact all across the floor. There are two transfers and six freshmen on this year's roster, bringing the total number of players to 18, also a program high under Lawrence.
Casi Newman (UC Davis) and Brenley Hansen (Salt Lake CC) have transferred to Montana to help fill up two positions where Montana lost significant contributors from 2023. Newman is a setter with nearly 2,000 career assists and Hansen is a capable middle blocker with explosive attacking power.
Montana also added six new freshmen players. Josie Blazina, Sydney Pierce, Delaney Russell, Alex Stone, and Halle Walker were announced in November. Emma Williams joined late to become the 18th player on the roster.
There is plenty of talent in the group. Stone and Russell were both named AVCA Honorable Mention All-Americans as high school seniors, and Russell was the Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year and Colorado 5A Player of the Year. Her team won 58 straight games to close out her career.
Pierce went 31-0 as a senior on her way to a state title and was a three-time All-State selection for Billings West. Walker was All-Conference in 2023 and won multiple league championships.
Williams won a 6A Oregon State Championship and was highly successful at the club level. Blazina played on the Midland All-Star team and was a state champion in track and field. The entire group brings different strengths, but as a whole it's a unit made up of winners that should bring that mentality to Montana.
NICHOLSON JOINS THE STAFF
Montana volleyball went without a third assistant in 2023, but they have filled out the staff this year with the addition of Olivia Nicholson.
Nicholson joined Montana after a professional career overseas and a successful collegiate career at Colorado State. She also played two years of beach volleyball at Texas A&M – Kingsville.
"It feels really great to have a full staff and have someone with Olivia's playing experience and coaching resume," Lawrence said of the hire. "Her presence just really stands out. I met her when she was at Colorado State at a recruiting showcase, and I think when you meet her you are just struck by her maturity and personality.
"She comes across as someone who is very capable, very deliberate, very caring and has very high standards," Lawrence continued. "She just makes a really strong impression and I remember thinking, 'That is someone that I'd love to work with.'"
GRIZ LOOK TO MAKE POSTSEASON JUMP
Montana is on an impressive two-year run, but there is still one goal that has eluded them during the last two seasons. The Grizzlies were eliminated in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament in both 2022 and 2023.
It's been more than a decade since the Griz advanced past the opening round of the conference tournament. They defeated Northern Arizona in 2013 to reach the semifinals, but have been eliminated in their first match on six straight occasions. Before the win in 2013, you would have to go back to 1996 for another Griz postseason win.
They are aiming to reach that semifinal round in 2024 with a solid core of veteran players and plenty of talented newcomers.
THE ELLESYN INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY HOMEWOOD SUITES & ERCK HOTELS
Montana will be hosting a tournament during the non-conference portion of the schedule for the third straight season. It is once again named after Elle Farmer, who joined the program through Team IMPACT prior to the 2022 season.
In 2023, the field included a pair of teams that reached the Final Four in the prior season. This year won't have the same high-level opposition, but instead should provide three very good contests for the Grizzlies.
Montana opens the four-day tournament on Thursday, Sept. 5 against Utah Valley at 6:00 p.m. There will be two neutral site matches on Friday. Montana will play the opener on Saturday, Sept. 7 against Southern Miss at 11:00 a.m. The Grizzlies close out the tournament with Sunday's lone game at 2:00 p.m. against Boise State.
HOMEWOOD SUITES & ERCK HOTELS
The presenting sponsor of Montana Volleyball is Homewood Suites and Erck Hotels. The hotel is partnering with Griz Volleyball to bring exclusive deals and rates to fans coming to town for any Griz volleyball event.
The following promotions are available for Montana volleyball fans through the partnership with Erck Hotels.
- 9/5 to 9/8 tournament-$149 team rate/25% off our basic rate for fans
- $159 team rate/20% off fan rate for all of the non-Griz football weekends
- 10/12-$189 team rate/20% off fan rate for homecoming weekend
- 11/16- $169 team rate/20% off fan rate for that weekend
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