Griz host Carroll Monday night

The Montana volleyball team, picked 3^rd in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, will play its final exhibition on Monday night at 6:00 p.m. against Carroll College inside Dahlberg Arena. The exhibition will be free to attend with concessions open for fans.

The match will be the final tune-up for the Grizzlies before hitting the road to Pullman, Wash. for the Cougar Classic later in the week. The regular season officially begins on Friday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. against Central Michigan.

Carroll College has already opened its season, playing seven matches prior to the exhibition in Missoula. The Saints enter the week at 5-2 overall and are currently on a three-match winning streak, closing out the Big Sky Challenge in Butte at 3-1 overall.

The Saints went 17-14 last season, losing in the Frontier Conference quarterfinals.

The Grizzlies received their highest placement in the preseason poll in nearly two decades, tying for third with Idaho State but receiving two first place votes. The last time they received a first place vote? 2010.

Montana has 13 returning players including two Preseason All-Big Sky Conference selections. Delaney Russell earned First Team honors as a sophomore in 2025 and is back at outside hitter for what is expected to be a big junior season.

Setter Gracie Cagle was Second Team All-Big Sky in 2025 after leading the conference in assists and service aces per set. She joined Russell on the Preseason All-Big Sky team, which was announced last week.

The Grizzlies also return starters Sydney Pierce and Mylee Blake, three additional letterwinners, and five more returners that saw action in 2025.

The free exhibition will be the final chance to see the Grizzlies at home in nearly a month. They will be on the road the first four weeks of the season, playing tournaments at Washington State, Oregon State, Oakland, and Gonzaga.

They will face 10 different opponents across the 11 matches, facing off against Seattle U at two different tournaments. The opponents combined for a .434 winning percentage last season with three teams winning at least 17 matches.

It won't be easy with four true road matches and seven neutral site contests to open the season. Last season, Montana went 8-3 in the non-conference portion of its schedule, the best winning percentage since 1999.

The first home match of the regular season will be on September 22. The Grizzlies will host Montana State in the annual Brawl of the Wild match on that Tuesday night to open conference play.

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Players Mentioned

Mylee Blake

Gracie Cagle

Sydney Pierce

Delaney Russell

University of Montana Athletics