Ellie Scherffius

Photo by: Derek Johnson

Elise Jolly, Ellie Scherffis at North Dakota - 9/11/21

Photo by: Russell Hons

Photo by: Derek Johnson

Photo by: Derek Johnson

Photo by: Derek Johnson

Class:
Senior
Position:
Middle Blocker
Height:
6-0
Hometown:
Eagle River, Alaska
High School:
Chugiak H.S.

Scherffius hit .294 in her Grizzly career on 1,340 total attacks. She tied Karen Goff’s school record set from 1991-94 for best career hitting percentage.

2023 (Senior): Ellesyn Invitational All-Tournament Team… Boise State Classic All-Tournament Team… Scherffius hit .304 on the year, which tied her mark from 2022 and ranks sixth in program history for single-season hitting percentage… recorded 189 kills, averaging 1.72 per set… she ranked 9^th in the Big Sky in hitting percentage at .304… hit .284 vs. Big Sky opponents, which ranked 10^th in the league… recorded 122 blocks, averaging 1.11 per set… ranked fourth in the Big Sky in blocks… increased her average to 1.16 blocks/set in Big Sky play, which ranked fifth in the league… 19 of her 122 blocks were solo… 267.5 total points, a new career high… recorded season-high 14 kills vs. Northern Colorado (Nov. 4), hitting .650 during the match… recorded a season-high nine blocks at Northern Colorado (Oct. 5)… finished the season with 46 digs… had eight service aces on the year… had double-digit kills in six matches… hit over .500 in six different matches on the season… hit over .400 in 12 matches… had multiple kills in every match on the season… had multiple blocks in 28 of the 29 matches for Montana… narrowly missed out on a double-double at Northern Colorado (Oct. 5), recording nine kills and nine blocks… recorded eight blocks and seven kills in a four-set match vs. Weber State (Sept. 20)… had 10 kills on .643 hitting at Sacramento State (Oct. 19)… had 11 kills on .400 hitting when the Hornets came to Missoula (Nov. 18)… hit .667 vs. No. 5 Pittsburgh at the Ellesyn Invitational (Aug. 26)… had eight kills on .385 hitting vs. nationally ranked BYU team at the Ellesyn Invitational (Aug. 26)… averaged 5.0 kills and 3.0 blocks per match at the Ellesyn Invitational to earn a place on the All-Tournament team… averaged 1.45 kills/set on .412 hitting at the Boise State Classic… also 10 blocks in Boise, averaging 0.91 blocks/set to earn a place on the All-Tournament team… had 10 kills vs. DePaul (Sept. 2)… hit .474 with 10 kills and seven blocks in five-set loss at North Dakota (Sept. 9)… had season-high five digs at Northern Arizona (Oct. 7)… had multiple digs in 17 matches… recorded an ace in seven different matches, including season-high two vs. Eastern Washington (Oct. 14).

2022 (Junior): Ellesyn Invitational All-Tournament Team, Hampton Inn Invitational All-Tournament Team… UTRGV All-Tournament Team… Chucktown Throwdown All-Tournament Team… started all 29 matches for Montana, playing in all 106 sets during the year… second on the team with 211 total kills, and had the second highest average at 1.99 per set… hit .304 for the season to lead Montana and narrowly miss out on the top 10 in the Big Sky… had the fifth best individual season in Montana history with the .304 hitting percentage… went a perfect 4-for-4 on being named to all-tournament teams during the non-conference tournament schedule… six matches with double-digit kills, including a season-high 20 kills in a win over Charleston Southern (9/17)… also had six matches where she hit over .500, including the Charleston Southern match… was the first Grizzly since Lauren Gustafson in 2007 to tally 20 kills and hit over .500 in a match… second on the team with 78 blocks (0.74 per set)… also had 14 digs… committed just 65 errors, the fewest of any Grizzly with 100-plus kills… third in total points on the team with 252 (2.38 per set)… had back-to-back matches with double-digit kills against Idaho (10/29) and Portland State (11/3) while also hitting over .400 in both... closed season by hitting better than .300 in five of the final eight matches… had a big-time performance at the Big Sky Tournament, finishing with 11 kills on .476 hitting in a four-set loss to Sacramento State (11/23)… recorded at least one block in 23 of 26 matches… had multiple blocks in the first nine matches and 14 of the first 15 matches… in addition to her stellar offensive play against Charleston Southern, she also finished that match with a season-high six blocks… closed season strong with double-digit kills in four of the final seven matches, hitting at least .400 in all four… three times recorded at least eight kills with zero errors on the season, including a 14 kill, zero error performance in a conference win at Idaho (10/29)… had five blocks, five kills and zero attacking errors in a road win over Eastern Washington (10/27).

2021 (Sophomore): One-time Big Sky Conference Player of the Week... UND Classic tournament MVP... CofC Invitational all-tournament team... After playing sparingly as a freshman, earned a starting role as a sophomore, starting 26 matches at middle blocker... Played in 26 of Montana's 27 matches, including 97 of 102 sets... Led Montana with a .288 attack percentage, which ranked eighth in the Big Sky Conference in 2021... Posted 186 kills (fourth on the team) while leading the Grizzlies with 89 blocks (0.92 per set)... Was in double figures for kills nine times, hitting above .500 in six of those matches... Recorded a season-high six blocks on six occasions and eclipsed four blocks in 14 matches... Making her first career start, recorded 15 kills on .650 hitting, in addition to six blocks, in a five-set win over Kennesaw State (Aug. 28)... Later that day, in a five-set match vs. Eastern Michigan, she hit .818 with nine kills and zero errors (on 11 swings), while again adding six blocks... Averaged 2.43 kills per set on .540 hitting, in addition to 1.00 blocks per set, while being named to the CofC Invitational all-tournament team... Led Montana to a 3-0 weekend and UND Classic title (Sept. 10-11), being named tournament MVP... Averaged 2.92 kills per set on .500 hitting, in addition to 0.92 blocks per set, across the three victories... Totaled 15 kills on .520 hitting, plus six blocks, in a win over Green Bay (Sept. 10)... Had seven kills in the fifth set alone, including four kills and a block during a 5-0 Griz run... The following day, she posted 13 kills on .455 hitting, in addition to five blocks, in a come-from-behind win over Drake (Sept. 11) and 10 kills at a .529 clip at North Dakota (Sept. 11)... Was named the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week for her performance (Sept. 13)... Hit above .400 in back-to-back sweeps vs. Sacramento State (Oct. 16) and at Southern Utah (Oct. 21), including eight kills and just one error vs. the Thunderbirds... Totaled 10 kills and four blocks in a five-set win at Montana State (Oct. 26)... Recorded a career-high 16 kills on .520 hitting, plus six blocks, in a win over Idaho (Nov. 6) that punched Montana's ticket to the Big Sky tournament.

Spring 2021 (Freshman): Played in 15 sets as a true freshman, seeing action in six matches… Recorded four kills and three blocks... Saw extended time in the season finale vs. Sacramento State (March 22), recording two kills and two blocks across parts of three sets… Had a kill and block vs. Idaho (March 1)… Made her collegiate debut in a win over Idaho, recording a kill on her first collegiate swing (Feb. 28).

Career Highs (through 2021 season)
Kills: 16, vs. Idaho (Nov. 6, 2021)
Attacks: 30, at Montana State (Oct. 26, 2021)
Hitting Percentage: .818 (9-0-11), vs. Eastern Michigan (Aug. 28, 2021)
Assists: 1, two times
Service Aces: N/A
Digs: 7, vs. Eastern Michigan (Aug. 28, 2021)
Blocks: 6, six times
Points: 19.5, vs. Idaho (Nov. 6, 2021)

High School: Is a 2020 graduate of Chugiak High School in Chugiak, Alaska… Spent her first three years at Billings West High School in Montana… Earned all-conference honors at both schools, receiving second-team All-Middle Eastern recognition in 2018 in Billings and a first-team All-Cook Inlet Conference nod in 2019 in Alaska… Earned four varsity letters in track & field and three in volleyball… Is a state record-holder in track in both Montana and Alaska, winning the 4x100 relay in Montana (2018) and Alaska (2019) and the 4x200 relay in Alaska (2019)… Also placed second at state in the 200 meters (Montana, 2018), third in the 100 meters (Montana, 2018) and fourth in the 100 meters (Alaska, 2019)… Volleyball coaches were Bobby Mason (Chugiak) and Monica Grimsrud (Billings West)... Played club volleyball for Inspire Volleyball.

Personal: Born in Anchorage, Alaska… Hometown is Eagle River, Alaska… Lived in Billings, Montana, for several years growing up… Parents are Steven and Jamie Scherffius… Has a younger sister, Skylar, and a younger brother, Cooper… Father played football and ran track at Central Washington… Uncle, Chad Nickerson, played baseball at Orange Coast Community College… Is majoring in business administration.