Photo by: Ryan Brennecke/ University of Montana
Russell relishing opportunity with Griz
10/23/2025 12:55:00 PM | Volleyball
This story was written for GoGriz.com by Glenn Junkert.
It might surprise anyone who – upon first meeting a constantly smiling, bouncy, hugging and conversant Delaney Russell – that the practice of chaos is an obsession to her.
Russell -- a trim and athletic, but not-so-tall 5-8 sophomore majoring in communications and pre-nursing at the University of Montana – can easily pass as a student. Check that.
Please add: "student athlete."
Two months into her sophomore season as a Montana Griz volleyball outside hitter, Russell is already solidly established as a premier UM all-sport athlete as well as one of the Big Sky Conference leaders in statistical accomplishments.
Russell – who this year already has one Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honor – was is ranked third in kills (242/69 sets for a 3.51 per-set average) and seventh in points-scored (256 for a 3.55 per set average) in the fiercely competitive Big Sky.
In Montana's past weekend 5-set road split at Sacramento State and Portland State, Russell was again a force for the Griz. She matched career highs in kills (23) and points (23.5) while adding 16 digs in Montana's 5-set win over the Vikings after previously notching 12 kills and points with seven digs in Montana's 5-set loss to the Hornets.
And it is the understanding of both creating and harnessing chaos that has become the savvy Russell's on-court volleyball specialty. She describes the game – where a point is scored every time the ball is put into play – as a constant confrontation with the rapid, often unexpected trajectory of a served, dug, set or killed volleyball. All wild energy that Russell loves.
How did she get here?
First impressions can be deceiving. One might guess, observing her size, Russell to be a soccer midfielder, a basketball guard or a softball infielder instead of an outsider hitter, the ranks of whom are normally four or five inches taller than Russell.
"I played soccer up until fourth grade, and I found myself only liking the games because they were competitive," said Russell. "I hated soccer practice so when I came home from practice I would pick up a volleyball every single time," she said with a quick laugh. "But by fourth grade, I stopped playing soccer and joined my first volleyball club team."
It's been all volleyball for Russell ever since.
She credits her parents, Sonja and Matt Russell, as her lifelong inspirations. Sonja played volleyball at the University of Colorado and introduced her three-year-old daughter Delaney (there's video proof) to her first volleyball. Her father Matt, "has worked so hard his whole life," said Delaney. "And it has paid off in the most incredible ways. He pushes me to give my all in everything I do."
Results of that "pushing" were early and impressive. Delaney won the Gatorade top player of Colorado and Sports Women of Colorado honors for Volleyball while earning Colorado All-State honors. She was a four-year varsity starter in high school.
Much of the process, for Russell, was to rise to the challenge of playing at the net on the front line against much taller players. In response to the reporter's statement: "You are not the tallest outside hitter," Russell responded by laughing.
"No sir, I am not!"
"I have just sort of had to adopt an identity of being short and knowing that, and knowing I can't do anything about it. So, I just choose to embrace it," she said.
"I think I approach games to play crafty and savvy, not so much knowing that I'm going to hit over the block or something like that, but finding ways to outsmart the other team and making the most of what I have," said Russell.
Russell's steady on-court double-double consistency has become the norm for the Griz, despite her having to adjust to opposing team's scout-report defensive targeting. It's been a challenge Russell relishes.
"I always feel kind of grateful for the attention," said Russell. "When teams scout me to a high degree, I'm really lucky to have the girls on my team because, as I'm in midair, they're screaming where the defenders are or where I should be swinging."
Griz senior libero and team captain Alexis Batezel agreed that Russell is a scouting target. It doesn't matter, said Batezel. "We as a team know how well Delaney can execute a big offensive load, and obviously teams are going to scout that because she is such a stud," said Batezel.
"But Delaney has so many tools in her toolbox so she can weather that storm," Batezel added. "She plays with passion and she plays with aggression and just everyone rallies around her and her big momentum kills and points.
"Delaney's the offensive glue to this team," Batezel said. "She's consistent and reliable, and we're all just lucky to be able to play next to her."
Her success, insisted Russell, is always a hard-earned team, not-personal, effort. "Against tough Big Sky teams, we as a team always have to make adjustments fast. To do that, all of us, my teammates and my coaches, all of us work to do the same thing."
Nonetheless, Russell's rapid rise as a starting, go-to team sophomore leader, can be attributed to her focus on steady individual game-by-game improvement. Russell calls that a personal challenge to "deal with the rapid and always changing chaos of volleyball."
It starts with her, said Russell. "I want to focus on limiting errors by adding more swings to my toolbox and managing out a system to handle unexpected chaos," said Russell firmly.
"I think I need to work on out-of-system volleyball action situations when our side is dealing with chaos," she said. And...
"I want to get better at intentionally putting the ball in spots that will cause chaos on the other side of the net."
Cause chaos, she does, said Montana junior setter Gracie Cagle. "Delaney is the ultimate motor, she makes everyone around her play better. She executes her tools so well, and I feel like I know that I can always trust her, and I can always set the ball to her," said Cagle.
"Down to the wire in a match. I know that Delaney's the one that I want to go to," said Cagle. "I'm always looking for her arm because she just knows how to score like she did (on a game-clinching kill) in set five against Portland State. She drilled it."
Confronting chaos is also a team-challenge, said Russell. That can only happen if the entire Griz team combines the mental and physical challenges opposing teams dish to them.
"I think we want to improve on our ability to push ourselves, push our talent, and push our limits onto other teams and cause them to feel uncomfortable," said Russell. "And I think it's going to be huge for us, momentum-wise to beat some teams at their home gyms."
Montana's 5-set win against Portland State is their second Big Sky road win of the season. Those are offset, however, by home losses vs. Northern Colorado and Montana State.
Undaunted, Russell said, "Our biggest thing post game is that there's absolutely nothing you can do about what just happened except to move on. We're not going to change what happened, win or lose and the only thing we can do is to decide to make our own changes and continue to press forward."
Montana Associate Head Coach Dana Hallisey said those tough times are when Russell becomes a role model for her team.
"I think that shows up repeatedly for Delaney throughout matches where there might be a slump or a missed play… you know, execution or something like that… and Delaney's edge after those moments is always sharper.
"Delaney is constantly looking for the extra edge in her own game. And her teammates have verbalized how inspiring that is to them," Hallisey added.
The challenge is clear, said Russell. Heading into this week's Big Sky competition, only one game separates the top seven Big Sky teams.
Montana's motivation over the second half of the season is to control the chaos with solid fundamental volleyball.
"I think going forward, we need to nail down some blocking assignments. They're often just little things, little tweaks more than anything else," said Russell.
"We can focus to improve with every game and sometimes within every game,"
Hallisey agreed. "Delaney's kind of the temperature gauge of how hard we're playing. And I think so highly of her being constantly in that high gear where she has pushed our team to be there way more often."
That represents an open opportunity for the Montana Griz volleyball team.
"As a team I think it's just one match at a time," said Russell. "So, as a team, we are constantly continuing to hold each other to focus on how can we go into those games and scout to the best of our ability to mentally prepare ourselves.
"With every game, we just need that extra push sometimes, and I think we're really grateful to have a lot of people who understand that and know that we need to be pushed by each other and the coaches," said Russell.
It's a chaotic game that Delaney loves.
"The thing that sticks out the most to me about volleyball is just having something that I love and work so hard for. But there's more. Volleyball makes me feel so competitive, and so joyful, and I think volleyball is, like... such a happy place.
"For me. This team. This place. Yeah, I love it."
It might surprise anyone who – upon first meeting a constantly smiling, bouncy, hugging and conversant Delaney Russell – that the practice of chaos is an obsession to her.
Russell -- a trim and athletic, but not-so-tall 5-8 sophomore majoring in communications and pre-nursing at the University of Montana – can easily pass as a student. Check that.
Please add: "student athlete."
Two months into her sophomore season as a Montana Griz volleyball outside hitter, Russell is already solidly established as a premier UM all-sport athlete as well as one of the Big Sky Conference leaders in statistical accomplishments.
Russell – who this year already has one Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honor – was is ranked third in kills (242/69 sets for a 3.51 per-set average) and seventh in points-scored (256 for a 3.55 per set average) in the fiercely competitive Big Sky.
In Montana's past weekend 5-set road split at Sacramento State and Portland State, Russell was again a force for the Griz. She matched career highs in kills (23) and points (23.5) while adding 16 digs in Montana's 5-set win over the Vikings after previously notching 12 kills and points with seven digs in Montana's 5-set loss to the Hornets.
And it is the understanding of both creating and harnessing chaos that has become the savvy Russell's on-court volleyball specialty. She describes the game – where a point is scored every time the ball is put into play – as a constant confrontation with the rapid, often unexpected trajectory of a served, dug, set or killed volleyball. All wild energy that Russell loves.
How did she get here?
First impressions can be deceiving. One might guess, observing her size, Russell to be a soccer midfielder, a basketball guard or a softball infielder instead of an outsider hitter, the ranks of whom are normally four or five inches taller than Russell.
"I played soccer up until fourth grade, and I found myself only liking the games because they were competitive," said Russell. "I hated soccer practice so when I came home from practice I would pick up a volleyball every single time," she said with a quick laugh. "But by fourth grade, I stopped playing soccer and joined my first volleyball club team."
It's been all volleyball for Russell ever since.
She credits her parents, Sonja and Matt Russell, as her lifelong inspirations. Sonja played volleyball at the University of Colorado and introduced her three-year-old daughter Delaney (there's video proof) to her first volleyball. Her father Matt, "has worked so hard his whole life," said Delaney. "And it has paid off in the most incredible ways. He pushes me to give my all in everything I do."
Results of that "pushing" were early and impressive. Delaney won the Gatorade top player of Colorado and Sports Women of Colorado honors for Volleyball while earning Colorado All-State honors. She was a four-year varsity starter in high school.
Much of the process, for Russell, was to rise to the challenge of playing at the net on the front line against much taller players. In response to the reporter's statement: "You are not the tallest outside hitter," Russell responded by laughing.
"No sir, I am not!"
"I have just sort of had to adopt an identity of being short and knowing that, and knowing I can't do anything about it. So, I just choose to embrace it," she said.
"I think I approach games to play crafty and savvy, not so much knowing that I'm going to hit over the block or something like that, but finding ways to outsmart the other team and making the most of what I have," said Russell.
Russell's steady on-court double-double consistency has become the norm for the Griz, despite her having to adjust to opposing team's scout-report defensive targeting. It's been a challenge Russell relishes.
"I always feel kind of grateful for the attention," said Russell. "When teams scout me to a high degree, I'm really lucky to have the girls on my team because, as I'm in midair, they're screaming where the defenders are or where I should be swinging."
Griz senior libero and team captain Alexis Batezel agreed that Russell is a scouting target. It doesn't matter, said Batezel. "We as a team know how well Delaney can execute a big offensive load, and obviously teams are going to scout that because she is such a stud," said Batezel.
"But Delaney has so many tools in her toolbox so she can weather that storm," Batezel added. "She plays with passion and she plays with aggression and just everyone rallies around her and her big momentum kills and points.
"Delaney's the offensive glue to this team," Batezel said. "She's consistent and reliable, and we're all just lucky to be able to play next to her."
Her success, insisted Russell, is always a hard-earned team, not-personal, effort. "Against tough Big Sky teams, we as a team always have to make adjustments fast. To do that, all of us, my teammates and my coaches, all of us work to do the same thing."
Nonetheless, Russell's rapid rise as a starting, go-to team sophomore leader, can be attributed to her focus on steady individual game-by-game improvement. Russell calls that a personal challenge to "deal with the rapid and always changing chaos of volleyball."
It starts with her, said Russell. "I want to focus on limiting errors by adding more swings to my toolbox and managing out a system to handle unexpected chaos," said Russell firmly.
"I think I need to work on out-of-system volleyball action situations when our side is dealing with chaos," she said. And...
"I want to get better at intentionally putting the ball in spots that will cause chaos on the other side of the net."
Cause chaos, she does, said Montana junior setter Gracie Cagle. "Delaney is the ultimate motor, she makes everyone around her play better. She executes her tools so well, and I feel like I know that I can always trust her, and I can always set the ball to her," said Cagle.
"Down to the wire in a match. I know that Delaney's the one that I want to go to," said Cagle. "I'm always looking for her arm because she just knows how to score like she did (on a game-clinching kill) in set five against Portland State. She drilled it."
Confronting chaos is also a team-challenge, said Russell. That can only happen if the entire Griz team combines the mental and physical challenges opposing teams dish to them.
"I think we want to improve on our ability to push ourselves, push our talent, and push our limits onto other teams and cause them to feel uncomfortable," said Russell. "And I think it's going to be huge for us, momentum-wise to beat some teams at their home gyms."
Montana's 5-set win against Portland State is their second Big Sky road win of the season. Those are offset, however, by home losses vs. Northern Colorado and Montana State.
Undaunted, Russell said, "Our biggest thing post game is that there's absolutely nothing you can do about what just happened except to move on. We're not going to change what happened, win or lose and the only thing we can do is to decide to make our own changes and continue to press forward."
Montana Associate Head Coach Dana Hallisey said those tough times are when Russell becomes a role model for her team.
"I think that shows up repeatedly for Delaney throughout matches where there might be a slump or a missed play… you know, execution or something like that… and Delaney's edge after those moments is always sharper.
"Delaney is constantly looking for the extra edge in her own game. And her teammates have verbalized how inspiring that is to them," Hallisey added.
The challenge is clear, said Russell. Heading into this week's Big Sky competition, only one game separates the top seven Big Sky teams.
Montana's motivation over the second half of the season is to control the chaos with solid fundamental volleyball.
"I think going forward, we need to nail down some blocking assignments. They're often just little things, little tweaks more than anything else," said Russell.
"We can focus to improve with every game and sometimes within every game,"
Hallisey agreed. "Delaney's kind of the temperature gauge of how hard we're playing. And I think so highly of her being constantly in that high gear where she has pushed our team to be there way more often."
That represents an open opportunity for the Montana Griz volleyball team.
"As a team I think it's just one match at a time," said Russell. "So, as a team, we are constantly continuing to hold each other to focus on how can we go into those games and scout to the best of our ability to mentally prepare ourselves.
"With every game, we just need that extra push sometimes, and I think we're really grateful to have a lot of people who understand that and know that we need to be pushed by each other and the coaches," said Russell.
It's a chaotic game that Delaney loves.
"The thing that sticks out the most to me about volleyball is just having something that I love and work so hard for. But there's more. Volleyball makes me feel so competitive, and so joyful, and I think volleyball is, like... such a happy place.
"For me. This team. This place. Yeah, I love it."
Players Mentioned
Griz Volleyball Press Conference - 10/20/25
Monday, October 20
Name The Object with Griz Volleyball
Wednesday, October 15
Griz Volleyball Weekly Press Conference - 10/13/25
Wednesday, October 15
What's Your Spirit Animal with Griz Volleyball
Wednesday, October 15
