Griz picked 3rd, Russell, Cagle earn preseason honors

Fresh off one of its best seasons since the 1990s, the Montana Grizzly volleyball team is once again expected to compete with the best in the Big Sky in 2026. The Griz were picked to finish tied for third in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced Wednesday.

Junior outside hitter Delaney Russell and senior setter Gracie Cagle were both chosen to the league's 11-player Preseason All-Conference Team.

For head coach Allison Lawrence, the preseason honors are both a sign of respect from coaches around the league and a motivator for her team.

"I think any year we try to keep perspective with the preseason poll that it is largely uninformed. Ultimately, none of us know what is going on in each other's gyms and on each other's rosters," Lawrence said. "It is inconsequential to how we are training and what our goals are, but all that being said any kind of nod from anywhere in the conference that indicate expectations for our group is motivating and should include some pride that the narrative has changed from what it has been the last nine years."

Montana finished the 2025 season at 17-11 overall, matching the most wins for the program since 1999. They ended the league year tied for fourth with a 9-7 Big Sky record, the best finish in the league standings since 2010.

This season, Montana returns 13 players, including four starters and two All-Conference honorees. The finish last season, combined with a great returning core, earned the respect of the coaches around the league.

It's the first time since 2010 that Montana has received a first-place vote in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. It's also the highest placement in the poll for a Montana team since the 2010 team was picked as co-favorites.

Montana has finished worse than its preseason prediction just twice in the previous nine seasons under Lawrence.

"It ultimately doesn't matter at all, and isn't real at all, and at the same time expectations add pressure and this team really wants that," Lawrence said. "This group is hungry so I know we will use the parts of it that are useful and leave the rest."

Northern Colorado was tabbed the favorites in the preseason poll after claiming the 2025 Big Sky Tournament title. The Bears received 88 points and four first-place votes. Northern Arizona was picked second in the poll with 85 points and four first-place votes.

Montana and Idaho State were tied for third in the poll with 72 points. Utah Tech received the final first-place vote, slotting in at No. 7.

Russell earned First Team All-Big Sky honors in 2025, leading the Montana attack with 3.56 kills per set. She ranked in the top five in the Big Sky in both points and kills as a sophomore, reaching double-digit kills in 22 of the 28 matches and recording 15 double-doubles.

Cagle was a Second Team All-Big Sky selection in 2025 after leading the conference in both assists (9.89 per set) and service aces (0.43 per set). Cagle added 83 total kills, providing a constant attacking threat while leading Montana to its best hitting percentage since 1991.

"Those two expect more from themselves than anybody else does, which is what makes them great at what they do," Lawrence said. "I assumed we would have players on the roster in the conversation for some preseason honors, but I think their goals are so much bigger than any conference recognition."

Russell and Cagle are the first Grizzlies to ever earn preseason All-Conference honors as the league introduced the team in 2025. Both are no stranger to individual accolades in their Grizzly careers.

In addition to the All-Conference honors last season, Russell also earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team at Eastern Washington and was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 29. Cagle earned MVP honors at the Sycamores Invite and was a Co-Player of the Week on Sept. 15 for the same performance.

The duo is poised for another big season, but Lawrence knows that it is the team success that is front and center in their minds.

"Our team performing at the level that we are capable of and finishing the year at our strongest is what they are driven to do," Lawrence said. "Their leadership is serving that larger goal. Accolades that they get, whether it's now or at the end of the year, are great but I think both are motivated by our team's production which is what makes them so great."

Montana opens the regular season on Aug. 28 against Central Michigan in Pullman, Wash. Grizzly fans will have a chance to see Russell, Cagle, and the rest of the Grizzlies in action on Aug. 24 in an exhibition against Carroll College that is free to the public.

University of Montana Athletics

Griz picked 3rd, Russell, Cagle earn preseason honors

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