Batezel earns second Player of the Week nod

For the second time this season, Montana's Alexis Batezel has been honored by the Big Sky Conference as the league's Defensive Player of the Week. The senior libero claims her second honor in the last three weeks as Montana had another perfect weekend to extend their winning streak to eight matches.

It's the third weekly honor for the Grizzlies this season with Batezel taking the defensive award two weeks ago and Gracie Cagle earning Offensive Player of the Week honors last week.

It's the first time since 2022 that Montana has won three player of the week honors in the same season and Batezel joins Paige Clark and Missy Huddleston as the only players in the last 25 years to win twice in the same season.

Batezel's defensive numbers once again stood out in the Grizzlies' two wins over Gonzaga and Seattle last weekend. The libero averaged 4.75 digs per set in two Montana wins and helped the defense keep their opponents to just .158 hitting on the weekend.

"I was really impressed with (Batezel) over the weekend," head coach Allison Lawrence said. "We knew Gonzaga would have some formidable athletes that would give us trouble, so to see Lexi's preparation and leadership and her poise in big moments throughout the match and in the serve-receives, she was just such a steady piece that allowed us to weather whatever Gonzaga threw at us."

The senior also made some history on her own as she climbed into the top 10 in program history for career digs. She went from 11^th to 8^th on the weekend by reaching 1,179 career digs, passing Amy Roberts, Sadie Ahearn, and Mari Brown.

Batezel had 28 digs in Montana's five-set victory over Gonzaga on Thursday night. She had 15 more digs than any other player in the match, doing well to provide ground help against a Gonzaga attack that has been stellar this season.

In the win over Seattle, Batezel once again led Montana with 10 digs. It was a quick match with the Grizzlies winning a defensive battle in three sets. The Redhawks hit just .026 in the match, committing 24 errors with just 27 kills as Batezel and the Grizzly defense had them in trouble from the first serve.

"There were two distinct moments in the Gonzaga match where she stole a kill from somebody, and I think you started to see Gonzaga's errors go up after those types of plays and efforts. I think her influence was a really big momentum pull for our side."

Batezel is averaging 4.48 digs per set this season, a new career best for the three-year starter at the libero position for Montana. She currently ranks 38^th in the NCAA individually and is part of a Montana defense that ranks 8^th in the country for digs per set.

The senior is not only putting up big numbers as part of Montana's historic start to the season, but she's been a leader on and off the court for one of the hottest teams in the country over the last three weeks.

"I've enjoyed seeing her presence this year. She's always been fiery and an emotional leader, but there's also been a reservedness to her that I find especially effective," Lawrence said. "It's hard to put into words. It's not toned down, she's every bit as intense as she always was, but there's a little bit more about her play that is unspoken. I think that is allowing her to be really consistent both mentally and for her teammates around her."

Montana brings an 8-match winning streak home on Thursday when they face off with the defending Big Sky Champion Sacramento State Hornets. The Grizzlies have the longest winning streak in the conference, the longest for the program since 1994, and tied for the 13^th longest active streak in the country.

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Alexis Batezel

Gracie Cagle

Paige Clark

Related Videos