Bobcat Spikers Open Season with Holiday Inn Classic
8/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
THE 12th ANNUAL HOLIDAY INN CLASSIC:
One of the nation’s premier preseason tournaments, the Holiday Inn Classic will feature Montana State, Nevada, Creighton and Florida Atlantic. This weekend’s schedule is...
Friday, Aug. 25
Creighton vs. Nevada 4:30 p.m.
Florida Atlantic vs. Montana State 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 26
Creighton vs. Montana State 10 a.m.
Nevada vs. Florida Atlantic 12 p.m.
Florida Atlantic vs. Creighton 4:30 p.m.
Nevada vs. Montana State 7 p.m.
Last season, the University of Missouri captured the Holiday Inn Classic title with a 3-0 victory over Wisconsin. Both squads were ranked among the top 15 in the nation, with the Badgers at No. 9 and Tigers at No. 14. Both teams went on to the ‘Elite Eight’ in the NCAA Tournament. Floriday Atlantic will be making its second apperance (2002) in the Holiday Inn Classic, while Nevada and Creighton will be making their debut at the tournament.
CLASSIC NOTES:
The Montana State University volleyball squad will host the 12th Annual Holiday Inn Classic this weekend in Shroyer Gym. MSU has won the HIC title six times, the last coming in 2004. Last year, No. 14 Missouri won the crown. Participating this year will be two squads that advanced to the NCAA tournament, last fall. Florida Atlantic went 29-3 during the 2005 campaign and won the Sun Belt Conference title with a 9-0 league mark. Nevada, who also advanced to the NCAA tourney, finished 18-13 overall and 10-6 in the Western Athletic Conference. Included in UN’s 18-victories was a 30-26, 27-30, 30-25, 30-23 win over Montana State. Creighton posted a 16-14 record last season and a 10-8 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bluejays return five starters and nine letterwinners.
RECAPPING THE SCRUM:
The Bobcats held its first and only scrimmage of preseason drills on Saturday, Aug. 19. Bobcat Blue handed Bobcat White a 30-17, 26-30, 30-21, 15-12 setback. The Blue squad was paced by Nicole Grypiuk and Kim Stonehouse with 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Sophomore middle blocker Kaytlin Van Burger added 11 kills and a .318 attack mark, while libero Kandice Kelly notched a match-high 22 digs. Junior middle blocker Raelene Purnell paced the ‘Cats at the net with a match-high eight blocks. Junior college transfer Sarah Allen led the team with 36 assists. The White squad was led by Wendy Doutre and Laura Viren with 15 and 12 kills, respectively. Viren also added 15 digs, while libero Meghan Albiston chipped in 16 digs. Middle blockers Angela Wiebe and Kyla Hendry each recorded seven blocks, while setter Kami Buettner dished out 31 assists.
NOTING THE SEASON-OPENER:
Montana State is 15-11 in season-openers, including a 2-1 record under head coach Miya Malauulu. MSU has won its last two season-openers, which included a 3-2 win over Wyoming at the Husky Challenge, last fall.
FROM THE PINE-- (52-34/3YRS, 24-18 BIG SKY):
Miya Malauulu became Montana State’s seventh head coach at the conclusion of the 2002 season. Since then, she has put her own fingerprint on a Bobcat program that has produced four 20-win seasons in the last eight years. Prior to being named head coach, the 1998 graduate of Oregon State University, served as an assistant under Dave Gantt for five seasons. Malauulu came to Bozeman after a successful stint playing for the Beavers. A native of Carson, Calif., she played at OSU from 1994-97. She still holds numerous records at Oregon State and currently ranks fourth all-time in PAC-10 history with 5,368 assists. A two-time OSU most valuable player and an unprecendented four-time Beaver captain, she prepped at Bishop Montgomery High School and played for national club power NIKE-Ichiban, where she garnered USVBA Player of the Year kudos. Malauulu is joined on the bench this season by assistant coaches Lisa Mimick and Erin Naipo. Mimick, a former All-Big XII first-team selection at Kansas State, begins her third season at MSU. She previously served as an assistant coach at SW Minnesota State in Marshall. Naipo, a 2002 graduate of Dartmouth College, was a four-year letterwinner and team captain for the Big Green. She is in her second year at MSU and previously served as assistant coach at Spokane Community College.
2005: A YEAR IN REVIEW:
The Bobcats finished 15-15 overall and 7-7 in Big Sky Conference action. MSU played its toughest schedule in school history, going up against eight teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, including eventual national champion Washington. The Bobcats also hosted Missouri and Wisconsin- two squads that advanced to the Elite Eight. Seniors Megan Zanto and Meggie Malyurek concluded their careers, each going over the 1,000 kill plateau. Junior Kandice Kelly became MSU’s all-time digs leader.
CAT TRACKS:
The Bobcats return eight letterwinners from last season, including four starters: Kim Stonehouse, Angela Wiebe, Laura Viren and Kami Buettner...Stonehouse recorded 371 kills and was ranked among the top ten in the Big Sky Conference...Stonehouse was a second-team All-Big Sky pick last season...MSU finished 25th in the nation in attendance, averaging 1,260 fans per game...The Bobcats have been ranked among the nation’s top 40 squads in blocking for six consecutive seasons.
For this week's complete Bobcat volleyball release, click on the 'PDF Version Available' link at the top of this page.
One of the nation’s premier preseason tournaments, the Holiday Inn Classic will feature Montana State, Nevada, Creighton and Florida Atlantic. This weekend’s schedule is...
Friday, Aug. 25
Creighton vs. Nevada 4:30 p.m.
Florida Atlantic vs. Montana State 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 26
Creighton vs. Montana State 10 a.m.
Nevada vs. Florida Atlantic 12 p.m.
Florida Atlantic vs. Creighton 4:30 p.m.
Nevada vs. Montana State 7 p.m.
Last season, the University of Missouri captured the Holiday Inn Classic title with a 3-0 victory over Wisconsin. Both squads were ranked among the top 15 in the nation, with the Badgers at No. 9 and Tigers at No. 14. Both teams went on to the ‘Elite Eight’ in the NCAA Tournament. Floriday Atlantic will be making its second apperance (2002) in the Holiday Inn Classic, while Nevada and Creighton will be making their debut at the tournament.
CLASSIC NOTES:
The Montana State University volleyball squad will host the 12th Annual Holiday Inn Classic this weekend in Shroyer Gym. MSU has won the HIC title six times, the last coming in 2004. Last year, No. 14 Missouri won the crown. Participating this year will be two squads that advanced to the NCAA tournament, last fall. Florida Atlantic went 29-3 during the 2005 campaign and won the Sun Belt Conference title with a 9-0 league mark. Nevada, who also advanced to the NCAA tourney, finished 18-13 overall and 10-6 in the Western Athletic Conference. Included in UN’s 18-victories was a 30-26, 27-30, 30-25, 30-23 win over Montana State. Creighton posted a 16-14 record last season and a 10-8 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bluejays return five starters and nine letterwinners.
RECAPPING THE SCRUM:
The Bobcats held its first and only scrimmage of preseason drills on Saturday, Aug. 19. Bobcat Blue handed Bobcat White a 30-17, 26-30, 30-21, 15-12 setback. The Blue squad was paced by Nicole Grypiuk and Kim Stonehouse with 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Sophomore middle blocker Kaytlin Van Burger added 11 kills and a .318 attack mark, while libero Kandice Kelly notched a match-high 22 digs. Junior middle blocker Raelene Purnell paced the ‘Cats at the net with a match-high eight blocks. Junior college transfer Sarah Allen led the team with 36 assists. The White squad was led by Wendy Doutre and Laura Viren with 15 and 12 kills, respectively. Viren also added 15 digs, while libero Meghan Albiston chipped in 16 digs. Middle blockers Angela Wiebe and Kyla Hendry each recorded seven blocks, while setter Kami Buettner dished out 31 assists.
NOTING THE SEASON-OPENER:
Montana State is 15-11 in season-openers, including a 2-1 record under head coach Miya Malauulu. MSU has won its last two season-openers, which included a 3-2 win over Wyoming at the Husky Challenge, last fall.
FROM THE PINE-- (52-34/3YRS, 24-18 BIG SKY):
Miya Malauulu became Montana State’s seventh head coach at the conclusion of the 2002 season. Since then, she has put her own fingerprint on a Bobcat program that has produced four 20-win seasons in the last eight years. Prior to being named head coach, the 1998 graduate of Oregon State University, served as an assistant under Dave Gantt for five seasons. Malauulu came to Bozeman after a successful stint playing for the Beavers. A native of Carson, Calif., she played at OSU from 1994-97. She still holds numerous records at Oregon State and currently ranks fourth all-time in PAC-10 history with 5,368 assists. A two-time OSU most valuable player and an unprecendented four-time Beaver captain, she prepped at Bishop Montgomery High School and played for national club power NIKE-Ichiban, where she garnered USVBA Player of the Year kudos. Malauulu is joined on the bench this season by assistant coaches Lisa Mimick and Erin Naipo. Mimick, a former All-Big XII first-team selection at Kansas State, begins her third season at MSU. She previously served as an assistant coach at SW Minnesota State in Marshall. Naipo, a 2002 graduate of Dartmouth College, was a four-year letterwinner and team captain for the Big Green. She is in her second year at MSU and previously served as assistant coach at Spokane Community College.
2005: A YEAR IN REVIEW:
The Bobcats finished 15-15 overall and 7-7 in Big Sky Conference action. MSU played its toughest schedule in school history, going up against eight teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, including eventual national champion Washington. The Bobcats also hosted Missouri and Wisconsin- two squads that advanced to the Elite Eight. Seniors Megan Zanto and Meggie Malyurek concluded their careers, each going over the 1,000 kill plateau. Junior Kandice Kelly became MSU’s all-time digs leader.
CAT TRACKS:
The Bobcats return eight letterwinners from last season, including four starters: Kim Stonehouse, Angela Wiebe, Laura Viren and Kami Buettner...Stonehouse recorded 371 kills and was ranked among the top ten in the Big Sky Conference...Stonehouse was a second-team All-Big Sky pick last season...MSU finished 25th in the nation in attendance, averaging 1,260 fans per game...The Bobcats have been ranked among the nation’s top 40 squads in blocking for six consecutive seasons.
For this week's complete Bobcat volleyball release, click on the 'PDF Version Available' link at the top of this page.
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
