Ashley Watkins

Ashley Watkins vs. Southern Utah - 11/16/19

Photo by: Derek Johnson

Photo by: Victoria Kaschl/NAU Athletics

Class:
Senior
Position:
S
Height:
6-0
Hometown:
Battle Ground, Wash.
High School:
Battle Ground H.S.

Finished her career with 3,411 assists, which rank sixth in Montana history, despite spending her freshman season as a setter/hitter combo and missing the first eight games of 2019 due to personal reasons… Played in 108 career matches and earned 99 starts… Added 817 digs, 279 kills, 140 blocks and 82 service aces… Recorded 35 career double-doubles.

2019 (Senior): Totaled 855 assists on the season, ranking fifth in Big Sky play with 10.15 assists per set… Added 184 digs (2.09 per set, fourth on the team), 70 kills, 44 blocks (0.50 per set) and 19 service aces (0.22 per set, second on the team)… Led Montana for service aces five times, digs twice and blocking twice… In season’s first eight matches, without Watkins, Montana averaged 9.39 kills per set on a .119 hitting; with Watkins, Montana averaged 11.89 kills per set on .190 hitting, including 12.77 kills per set on .214 hitting over the final month of the season… Recorded a season-high 57 assists vs. Northern Arizona (Nov. 14)… Reached 50 or more assists three times in the final five regular-season matches… Recorded 40 or more assists 10 times on the season… In a five-set win at Idaho (Nov. 7), Montana’s first win in Moscow since 1991, recorded 49 assists, 13 digs, four service aces and four blocks… In Montana’s win at Montana State (Oct. 29), recorded 47 assists and a career-high 19 digs, in addition to an ace and block… Even bigger, she had five kills, including three dumps in Set 3 alone and two on back-to-back plays… Totaled eight double-doubles, including three in a row from Nov. 7-14… Five times had multiple service aces in a match, including a career-best five in a Senior-Night win over Southern Utah (Nov. 14) and four in a come-from-behind win at Idaho (Nov. 7)… Recorded a season-high five blocks vs. Northern Colorado (Nov. 1)… Had a season-high six kills and zero errors (.667) in her first game of the season, vs. Santa Clara (Sept. 20).

2018 (Junior): Roadrunner Classic all-tournament team… Started in all 31 matches, playing in 113 of 114 sets on the season… Ranked sixth in the Big Sky Conference with 10.12 assists per set, increasing that number to 10.56 during league play… Her 25 service aces led the team… Ranked fourth with 41 total blocks (0.36 per set) and fifth with 2.10 digs per set… Was named to the Roadrunner Classic all-tournament team after averaging 9.17 assists and 2.75 digs per set, plus a team-high six service aces across three matches in Bakersfield, Calif. (Sept. 14-15)… In a five-set win over South Dakota that weekend, she had a career-high four service aces, in addition to 40 assists and 13 digs… Led the Grizzlies for service aces on nine occasions, recording multiple aces in six matches… Had at least one ace in 10 of 12 matches from Sept. 14-Oct. 20… Recorded double-figures for digs 13 times, including 10 assists-digs double-doubles… Her 46 assists vs. Portland State (Sept. 22) were the most by a Big Sky player in a three-set match in 2018… Had 57 assists, 12 digs, four blocks and three kills in a five-set win over rival Montana State… Her final block sent the match to a fifth set, just moments after the Grizzlies faced match point… Also had 50-plus assists against Gonzaga (Sept. 1), at Southern Utah (Oct. 4) and vs. Eastern Washington (Oct. 11)… Against the Eagles, Watkins led the offense to a .328 hitting percentage, its best since 2015… Had at least three kills on nine occasions, including six kills at a .500 clip at Eastern Washington (Nov. 9)… That night, Montana hit a season-best .333… Watkins ranks sixth in school history with more than 2,500 career assists, despite spending her freshman season in a 6-2 offense… Has started 46 consecutive matches and 62 of the past 63 entering the 2019 season.

2017 (Sophomore): North Texas Invitational all-tournament team... Played in all 29 matches, including 104 of 107 sets... Earned 28 starts at setter... Averaged 9.90 assists per set to rank sixth in the Big Sky Conference... Finished with 10 assists-digs double-doubles... Had 66 kills (0.63 per set) from the setter position and tied for fourth on the team with 16 service aces... Averaged 2.13 digs and ranked fourth on the team with 39 blocks (0.32 per set)... Had more than 60 assists in a match three times... Twice recorded 66 assists in five-setters, and totaled 63 in a four-set win at Weber State (Oct. 7) while leading the Griz to a .270 hitting percentage, its second-best performance of the season... Hit .400 or better while putting down four or more kills on four occasions... Had a career-high 17 digs at SIU-Edwardsville (Sept. 16)... Totaled six blocks in a five-set match at Idaho State (Oct. 5).

2016 (Freshman): Played in all 90 sets across 26 matches, earning 18 starts... Played as a setter who also hit on the outside... Averaged 4.24 assist per set, with a season-high 29 coming against Big Sky Conference champion North Dakota (Oct. 28)... Twice had 10 kills in a match... Had a 10-kill, 20-assist, three-block performance in a 3-0 home sweep of Montana State (Nov. 4)... Hit .500, with six kills on 12 swings, in a 3-0 sweep of Coppin State (Sept. 16)... Had 15 or more assists on 10 occassions, while splitting setter duties with Raegan Lindsey... Led the team with 22 service aces and ranked third for digs (1.93 per set) ... Had at least one service ace in 16 of 26 matches... Twice had three service aces in a match, both Griz victories... Recorded a season-high 13 digs in her collegiate debut at SMU (Aug. 26)... Had 10 or more digs on five occasions.

Career Highs
Kills: 10, two times
Attacks: 25, three times
Hitting Percentage: .667 (6-0-9), vs. Santa Clara (Sept. 20, 2019)
Assists: 66, two times
Service Aces: 5, vs. Southern Utah (Nov. 16, 2019)
Digs: 19, at Montana State (Oct. 29, 2019)
Blocks: 6, at Idaho State (Oct. 5, 2017)
Points: 12.5, two times

Personal: Is a 2016 graduate of Battle Ground High School in Washington... Hometown is Battle Ground, Wash. ... Parents are Frank and Shannon Watkins... Has a younger sister, Avalon... Is majoring in business administration.