Thursday, October 30
Flagstaff, Ariz.
6:30 PM
Montana
at
Northern Arizona
Photo by: Marley Barboeisel/University of Montana
Griz take on Big Sky’s best in difficult road trip
10/28/2025 1:18:00 PM | Volleyball
MONTANA (14-6, 6-3 Big Sky) at NORTHERN ARIZONA (17-5, 7-2 Big Sky)
Thursday, Oct. 30 / 7:30 p.m. (MT) / Watch / Live Stats
MONTANA at NORTHERN COLORADO (9-12, 6-3 Big Sky)
Saturday, Nov. 1 / 6:00 p.m. / Watch / Live Stats
The Montana volleyball team, winners of three straight, will start a grueling closing stretch to the season this week as they open a final month that consists of five road matches to just two home contests.
They begin with one of the most difficult trips in the Big Sky Conference, playing at elevation against Northern Arizona on Thursday before going to Greeley, Colo. to play in front of a crowd that averages over 1,600 fans per contest.
The week will also have big implications on the Big Sky Tournament and potential title hopes for all three teams. Northern Arizona enters the week in first place in the conference standings at 7-2 while both Montana and Northern Colorado are tied for second at 6-3.
The Lumberjacks and Bears will also play against Montana State, another team tied for second at 6-3, this weekend. There are currently four teams tied for second just one game back of Northern Arizona with four weeks left in the season.
It's been a historic year for the Grizzlies in 2025. This is the best 9-match start to conference play for the program since 2010 as they find themselves in the thick of the regular season title race entering November.
The 2010 season was also the last time that Montana received a top-four seed at the Big Sky Conference Tournament. The Grizzlies, after missing out on the postseason a year ago, could potentially clinch a spot in the field this week. They have their sights set on more than just getting into the field.
Montana hasn't won a match at the Tournament since 2013, but head coach Allison Lawrence and her staff have been on a mission to change that. This weekend will give them a challenge against two of the top teams in the league as well as a chance to play inside Bank of Colorado Arena, where they will likely return to next month for the tourney.
It will be a meeting of two of the hottest teams in the league on Thursday with both squads riding winning streaks of at least three matches. Northern Arizona's last loss came back on Oct. 4 in Missoula in the first meeting between the two, which Montana won 3-1. Outside of the Montana road trip, the Lumberjacks are a perfect 7-0 in conference play.
They have also been unbeatable in Flagstaff this season, going 7-0 on their home floor. The Lumberjacks have won nine straight at home dating back to last year.
It's always difficult to win on the road in the Big Sky, which the last two weeks have proved to be true. The home team has won nine straight conference matches. The last time an away team won was Oct. 18 when Montana defeated Portland State on the Park Blocks.
It won't be any easier on Saturday for Montana. Northern Colorado boasts an average attendance in the top 25 in the country and is 5-1 on their home floor this season, including wins over Washington and Colorado State. They are 3-0 at home in Big Sky play.
The Bears won the first meeting between the two schools in Missoula this year to extend their overall winning streak in the series to 21 matches. The last time Montana defeated Northern Colorado was in 2013.
The Grizzlies have done things this year that no Montana teams in the 25-point, rally scoring era have ever accomplished. This week might be the biggest test for them to prove that they belong at the top.
BATEZEL CLIMBS THE RANKS
Alexis Batezel has continued to climb in the record book at Montana for career digs. The senior libero passed Erin Adams to move into 4th place in program history with 1,375 career digs.
She now trails Brittney Brown by 77 digs for 3rd place. Batezel is averaging 4.87 digs per set this season, which is the 4th highest average in program history. She currently ranks 19th in the NCAA and leads the Big Sky in digs.
Batezel already has 375 total digs this year, passing last season's total in seven fewer matches.
DEFENDING DAHLBERG ARENA
The Grizzlies have been very good on their home floor this season. They improved to 7-2 at home, matching their most wins at home in a single year since 2010. They have guaranteed a winning record at home for the first time since 2022 and just the second time under Lawrence.
Montana set a new program attendance record with 3,001 fans in the stands for the Brawl of the Wild game. They are averaging 951 fans per contest this season, the 2nd highest attendance in the league.
PIERCE CHASES SINGLE SEASON RECORD
Sophomore middle blocker Sydney Pierce has been on fire as of late as has the chance to make some Montana history in the final stretch of the season. The Billings product is hitting .367 this season, which would be the best mark all-time by a Grizzly if the season ended today.
The current record is .353, set by Jaimie Thibeault in 2009.
Pierce ranks 5th in the Big Sky Conference in hitting percentage and 66th in the NCAA entering the week. She has finished with 10+ kills in five straight matches and has hit over .400 times on the year. She also hit over .700 for the third time this season in the loss at Sacramento State.
HISTORIC NOTES FOR 2025
GRIZ NOTES
PLAYER NOTES
SCOUTING NORTHERN ARIZONA (17-5, 7-2 Big Sky)
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE LUMBERJACKS
SCOUTING NORTHERN COLORADO (9-12, 6-3 Big Sky)
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BEARS
Thursday, Oct. 30 / 7:30 p.m. (MT) / Watch / Live Stats
MONTANA at NORTHERN COLORADO (9-12, 6-3 Big Sky)
Saturday, Nov. 1 / 6:00 p.m. / Watch / Live Stats
The Montana volleyball team, winners of three straight, will start a grueling closing stretch to the season this week as they open a final month that consists of five road matches to just two home contests.
They begin with one of the most difficult trips in the Big Sky Conference, playing at elevation against Northern Arizona on Thursday before going to Greeley, Colo. to play in front of a crowd that averages over 1,600 fans per contest.
The week will also have big implications on the Big Sky Tournament and potential title hopes for all three teams. Northern Arizona enters the week in first place in the conference standings at 7-2 while both Montana and Northern Colorado are tied for second at 6-3.
The Lumberjacks and Bears will also play against Montana State, another team tied for second at 6-3, this weekend. There are currently four teams tied for second just one game back of Northern Arizona with four weeks left in the season.
It's been a historic year for the Grizzlies in 2025. This is the best 9-match start to conference play for the program since 2010 as they find themselves in the thick of the regular season title race entering November.
The 2010 season was also the last time that Montana received a top-four seed at the Big Sky Conference Tournament. The Grizzlies, after missing out on the postseason a year ago, could potentially clinch a spot in the field this week. They have their sights set on more than just getting into the field.
Montana hasn't won a match at the Tournament since 2013, but head coach Allison Lawrence and her staff have been on a mission to change that. This weekend will give them a challenge against two of the top teams in the league as well as a chance to play inside Bank of Colorado Arena, where they will likely return to next month for the tourney.
It will be a meeting of two of the hottest teams in the league on Thursday with both squads riding winning streaks of at least three matches. Northern Arizona's last loss came back on Oct. 4 in Missoula in the first meeting between the two, which Montana won 3-1. Outside of the Montana road trip, the Lumberjacks are a perfect 7-0 in conference play.
They have also been unbeatable in Flagstaff this season, going 7-0 on their home floor. The Lumberjacks have won nine straight at home dating back to last year.
It's always difficult to win on the road in the Big Sky, which the last two weeks have proved to be true. The home team has won nine straight conference matches. The last time an away team won was Oct. 18 when Montana defeated Portland State on the Park Blocks.
It won't be any easier on Saturday for Montana. Northern Colorado boasts an average attendance in the top 25 in the country and is 5-1 on their home floor this season, including wins over Washington and Colorado State. They are 3-0 at home in Big Sky play.
The Bears won the first meeting between the two schools in Missoula this year to extend their overall winning streak in the series to 21 matches. The last time Montana defeated Northern Colorado was in 2013.
The Grizzlies have done things this year that no Montana teams in the 25-point, rally scoring era have ever accomplished. This week might be the biggest test for them to prove that they belong at the top.
BATEZEL CLIMBS THE RANKS
Alexis Batezel has continued to climb in the record book at Montana for career digs. The senior libero passed Erin Adams to move into 4th place in program history with 1,375 career digs.
She now trails Brittney Brown by 77 digs for 3rd place. Batezel is averaging 4.87 digs per set this season, which is the 4th highest average in program history. She currently ranks 19th in the NCAA and leads the Big Sky in digs.
Batezel already has 375 total digs this year, passing last season's total in seven fewer matches.
DEFENDING DAHLBERG ARENA
The Grizzlies have been very good on their home floor this season. They improved to 7-2 at home, matching their most wins at home in a single year since 2010. They have guaranteed a winning record at home for the first time since 2022 and just the second time under Lawrence.
Montana set a new program attendance record with 3,001 fans in the stands for the Brawl of the Wild game. They are averaging 951 fans per contest this season, the 2nd highest attendance in the league.
PIERCE CHASES SINGLE SEASON RECORD
Sophomore middle blocker Sydney Pierce has been on fire as of late as has the chance to make some Montana history in the final stretch of the season. The Billings product is hitting .367 this season, which would be the best mark all-time by a Grizzly if the season ended today.
The current record is .353, set by Jaimie Thibeault in 2009.
Pierce ranks 5th in the Big Sky Conference in hitting percentage and 66th in the NCAA entering the week. She has finished with 10+ kills in five straight matches and has hit over .400 times on the year. She also hit over .700 for the third time this season in the loss at Sacramento State.
HISTORIC NOTES FOR 2025
- Montana, at 6-3, is off to its best start in Big Sky play since 2010. They also started that season 6-3 and won again to sit at 7-3 at the 10-match mark.
- The Grizzlies have hit over .300 in six different matches already this season. It's the 3rd most in a single season in program history. The record is 7, set in both 1991 and 1989.
- The Grizzlies went 8-3 in non-conference play in 2025. It's tied for the 3rd best winning percentage in program history for a non-conference schedule and tied for the 3rd most wins.
- This is the first time in program history that Montana has finished undefeated in the month of September. It's just the 6th time ever that they've had a perfect month, and the 10 wins are the 2nd most in an undefeated month in program history.
- The current team hitting percentage of .232 is the 2nd-best for Montana in program history. The 1991 team holds the program record at .240.
- Montana's single season record for individual hitting percentage is .353 by Jaimie Thibeault in 2009. Sydney Pierce (.367) is on pace to break that record while Olivia LaBeau (.333) is having a top five season all-time in terms of hitting percentage for Montana.
- Montana has had the Big Sky Player of the Week five times already in 2025. It's the second-most all-time, trailing only the 1994 season when Montana had six Player of the Week honors.
- Montana's .416 hitting percentage against Butler was the best in the 25-point scoring era and the best by the team since hitting .500 against Canisius in 2007.
- The 10-match winning streak this season was the longest for the program since 1994 and tied for the 5th longest all-time.
- The five errors committed by Montana in the Butler match are the fewest by a Grizzly team in program history. It broke the previous record of 7 set on four occasions.
GRIZ NOTES
- Montana ranks 7th in the entire NCAA and leads the Big Sky Conference in digs per set at 17.31. They are also the league leaders in kills per set (13.83) and assists per set (12.75).
- The Griz will have to close the season out with five of the final seven matches on the road. Montana is 4-2 on the road this season. They have finished with a winning record on the road just once since 1994, going 7-5 in 2022.
- The top Big Sky volleyball team, according to the RPI Rankings, is Montana. The Griz are at a 25-point era program high of 116 in the country.
- The Griz are 11-2 in matches this year against teams ranked 150 or below in the RPI. Both Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado are inside the top 150.
- Montana is 13-1 when hitting over .200 this season.
- Saturday's win improved Montana to 7-2 at home this year. It's just the 4th time this century that they have won at least seven home matches in the same season.
- The Grizzlies have recorded more digs than their opponent in 17 of the 20 matches this season. They are 14-3 when doing so.
- Head coach Allison Lawrence won her 50th Big Sky match in October. She is now 52-89 in Big Sky play in nine seasons at Montana.
- Montana won a match at Portland State for the first time since 2015. The Grizzlies had dropped eight straight in the Rose City. It was the first win for Coach Lawrence in Portland.
- They are 8-2 in their home white uniforms.
PLAYER NOTES
- Sydney Pierce has recorded 10+ kills in the previous five matches. She entered the stretch with just six career matches in double figures.
- She set a new career high with 15 kills in a four-set win over Idaho State (10/23). She hit .433 in the match.
- Pierce also recorded a new career high in aces last Thursday with four.
- Alexis Batezel has recorded double-digit digs in eight straight matches and 18 of the 20 matches this year.
- Gracie Cagle has reached at least 44 assists in each of the previous six matches for Montana. She also has at least three kills in the last five matches and has recorded a kill in all 20 matches this year.
- Delaney Russell has recorded 10+ kills in nine straight matches. The sophomore outside hitter has 10 double-doubles this year.
- Mylee Blake averaged 3.13 kills per set last weekend, reaching double figure kills in both matches. She hit .280 against Idaho State and a season-high .429 against Weber State.
- Olivia LaBeau snapped a bit of a slump last Saturday, recording 10 kills on .471 hitting. It was the first time in three matches that she reached double figure kills and the first time in five matches she hit over .300.
- Carley Spachman has multiple blocks in nine straight matches and has picked things up offensively over the last month, finishing with 7+ kills in each of the last five matches. She had done so just four times in the first 15 matches of the year.
- Freshman Madeline Sanderson had 14 digs the last time out against Weber State. It's the seventh time this season that she's finished with 10+ digs.
- Emma Williams recorded three service aces in Montana's win over Weber State. The sophomore entered the match with zero aces in her career.
- Freshman Annika Wright had 10 digs on Saturday, reaching double figures for the sixth time this season.
- Avery Merritt made her Montana debut on 10/23 against Idaho State, recording one kill in her lone set of action.
SCOUTING NORTHERN ARIZONA (17-5, 7-2 Big Sky)
- Since losing in Missoula on Oct. 4, the Lumberjacks have been perfect. They bring a five-match winning streak into Thursday night's contest with three homes wins and a road trip sweep of Idaho and Eastern Washington.
- Head coach Ken Murphy will be looking for career win No. 300 on Thursday. Murphy is in his 13th season at Northern Arizona with an overall record of 217-144. He also spent seven seasons at UTEP, recording 82 wins with the Miners.
- Statistically speaking, Northern Arizona has been fantastic in every area of the game this year. They rank in the top 100 in the country in assists, blocks, digs, and kills per set. They are also in the top 100 in hitting percentage (.237) and their best statistical marker is opponent hitting percentage where they rank 8th nationally by holding opponents to .152.
- The Lumberjacks also rank in the top three in the Big Sky Conference in every major statistical category except aces per set, where they are 5th.
- Hannah Stoddard has been one of the best attacking players in the country this year. She ranks 4th in the country in attacks per set, 35th in kills per set, and 29th in points per set. She had 23 kills on .225 hitting in the first match-up with the Griz.
- Gigi Greenlee ranks 2nd in the Big Sky in blocks per set with 1.26. Greenlee is also hitting .381 this year, the 3rd best mark in the league.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE LUMBERJACKS
- Northern Arizona leads the all-time series 38-37. NAU also has a 20-14 advantage when playing in Flagstaff. The home team has won the previous five meetings in the series with the last road win coming in 2022 for Montana in Flagstaff.
SCOUTING NORTHERN COLORADO (9-12, 6-3 Big Sky)
- The Bears are coming off a loss last Friday at Northern Arizona that snapped a four-game winning streak. They are tied for second in the league with all three of their losses coming on the road.
- Prior to hosting MSU and UM, the Bears will play a non-conference game against #23 Colorado in Greeley on Tuesday night.
- Northern Colorado is 5-1 at home this season, including an undefeated record in league play, and have won four straight inside Bank of Colorado Arena.
- UNC won the first meeting between the two in four earlier this year in Missoula. It was a strange game, statistically speaking, with Montana recording more kills, fewer errors, more digs, blocks, and aces and a better hitting percentage, yet losing in four.
- The Bears rank inside the top 5 in the Big Sky in season-long statistics in only one category, hitting percentage. They have been better in Big Sky play, ranking 4th in hitting percentage (.221) and 3rd in opponent hitting percentage (.171).
- Zoe Gibbs ranks 2nd in the Big Sky and 39th nationally with a .388 hitting percentage. Gibbs has been even better in league play, hitting .408 against Big Sky teams, the best mark in the league.
- Brynn Reines and Alayna Tessena both average 3.17 kills per set in Big Sky play, which is tied for 8th in the league.
- Isabel Bennett is averaging 1.06 blocks per set in league play to rank 4th in the conference. Nerea Alvarez-Jorge is 5th in assists (9.06/set) and Bella LePore is 5th in digs (4.03/set).
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BEARS
- Northern Colorado leads the all-time series 30-9. The Bears are currently on a 21-match winning streak over the Grizzlies dating back to 2013. Montana is just 2-15 in Bank of Colorado Arena.
Players Mentioned
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