Bobcat Spikers head to Missoula
9/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE OPENER:
The Montana State University volleyball team will open its 2006 Big Sky Conference season when it travels to intra-state rival Montana for the annual ‘Cat-Griz clash. The match will be played in the West Auxiliary Gym (1,218) on the south end of the Adams Center in Missoula. Match time is slated for 7 p.m. The Bobcats and Grizzlies have never met in a Big Sky Conference opener. MSU is 9-9 in all-time league openers, including winning five of its last seven. However, the Bobcats have dropped its last two openers against Idaho State and Sacramento State, respectively.
RECAPPING THE ARIZONA FOUR-POINTS CLASSIC:
The Bobcats went 2-1 at Arizona Sheraton Four-Points Classic last weekend in Tucson. MSU, #21 Arizona and Rice all went 2-1 for the weekend. The Bobcats opened tournament play with a 30-28, 30-21, 17-30, 26-30, 15-10 win over Rice. MSU was led by Raelene Purnell and Laura Viren with 14 kills, apiece. Purnell ended the match hitting .357 from the field, while adding five digs and a block. Viren posted her second double-double of the year by adding 15 digs in the win. Junior Patti Anderson broke out of a mini slump with seven kills, a .375 attack mark and a career-high 25 digs. On Friday evening, then ranked No. 21 Arizona downed Montana State 30-21, 30-21, 30-18. MSU received seven kills and eight digs from Viren, while libero Kandice Kelly notched a match-high 14 digs. In the tournament finale’, the Bobcats defeated Bradley 30-20, 30-26, 19-30, 30-26. Senior Kim Stonehouse led MSU with a team-high 16 kills, while Purnell and Kaytlin Van Burger added 14 and ten kills, respectively. Purnell also paced all players with a match-high eight blocks. Kandice Kelly broke a 16-year-old MSU record, notching 38 digs to break the old mark of 35 set by Heidi Hemmert in 1990 against Nevada. For her efforts, Kelly was named to the Arizona four Points Classic all-tourney team.
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
Montana enters Friday’s match with a 2-6 overall record and a two-match winning streak. After opening the season with six straight losses, the Grizzlies downed High Point and Cornell at the University of Portland Invitational, last weekend. Coached by former MSU associate head coach Jerry Wagner, UM is paced by senior Claudia Houle. The native of Quebec, Canada, is averaging 4.79 kills per game, while hiting .306 from the field and adding 3.97 digs per contest. MSU has claimed four consecutive victories over Montana and owns the all-time series record, as well, 43-38. The Grizzlies’ last win over the Bobcats was a 3-0 decision on Nov. 7, 2003 in Missoula. Last fall, Montana State swept the season series, including a 3-1 win at Montana.
TOP ‘CAT:
Kandice Kelly, a 5-foot-6 native of Roundup, was named Montana State’s Player of the Week for her efforts at the Arizona-Sheraton Four Points Classic, last weekend. Kelly recorded 72 digs on the wekend and averaged 6.0 saves per game. Against Bradley, she broke a 16-year-old Montana State mark, notching 38 digs to shatter the old MSU record of 35 set by Heidi Hemmert in 1990. In addition, the 38 digs are a Big Sky Conference season-high. She averaged a whopping 9.5 digs vs. Bradley.
FROM THE PINE-- (56-39/4YRS, 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.
SHE’S A STONEHOUSE:
Senior Kim Stonehouse leads the Bobcats offensively after the first three weeks of play. The 6-foot outside hitter from Medicine Hat, Alberta, is averaging 2.97 kills per game, while hitting .187 from the field. Last season, Stonehouse was a second-team All-Big Sky Conference selection, after averaging 3.40 kills with a .190 attack mark. Her current kills per game average ranks her ninth in the league. Stonehouse tied a career-high in Montana State’s four-game win over Lipscomb with 24 kills.
PURNELL POWER:
Junior Raelene Purnell, who spent last season behind middle blockers Megan Zanto and Angela Wiebe, has emerged this season as one of Montana State’s top offensive threats. The 6-foot-1 middle blocker from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, is averaging 2.42 kills, while hitting a team-best .250 from the field. In addition, she is second on the squad in blocking at .97 per game, and second in aces at .27 per contest. Purnell was named to the Montana State Holiday Inn Classic All-Tournemnt team, and has matched her career-high of 14 kills on three occasions this fall- the last coming against Bradley on Saturday night. Last weekend at the Arizona Sheraton Four Points Classic in Tucson, she recorded 34 kills (2.83 kpg), 12 digs and nine blocks. Her eight block assists against Bradley matched a career-high, as well. During the 2005 campaign, Purnell averaged 1.34 kills per game, while hitting .203 from the floor. She also averaged .70 blocks and .01 service aces.
WHEN YOU THINK OF LAURA:
Sophomore Laura Viren had a good weekend for the Bobcats. The 6-foot outside hitter from Prior Lake, Minn., recorded 28 kills, 25 digs, five aces and five blocks to lift MSU past Rice and Bradley. Viren’s 14 kills and 15 digs against Rice marked her second double-double of the season. Viren, who was named to the All-Big Sky Conference Tournament team last season as a freshman, is hitting .138 from the floor after three weeks of action. She is currently second on the team in kills and aces, and is second in digs.
WIEBE BE BLOCKIN’:
Senior middle blocker Angela Wiebe posted a solid performance at the Arizona Sheraton Four Points Classic. The 6-foot-1 native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, notched 18 kills (1.50 kpg) and 15 blocks (1.25 bpg). Wiebe’s current 1.06 blocks per game average is just below her career blocks average of 1.12 per game. Her current attack mark of .189 ranks third best on the Bobcat squad.
PATTI LOU:
Junior right-side hitter Patti Anderson has played in all 33 games for the Bobcats this season. The 5-foot-11 native of Deer Lodge, who struggled during the early portion of the season, got her ship turned around last weekend in Tucson, Arizona. Over the course of Montana State’s three matches, Anderson recorded 18 kills (1.50 kpg) and 43 digs (3.58 dpg), including a career-high 25 saves in MSU’s five-game victory over Rice. In addition, she posted a .139 attack mark and chipped in six blocks and four aces.
DISHIN’ THE ROCK:
Junior setter Sarah Allen received her first start as a Bobcat and led MSU to a four-game win over Bradley. The transfer from Whatcomm Community College dished out a career-high 54 assists (13.5 apg) against the Braves. In addition, she tallied four digs, an ace, a dig and a block. On the season, Allen is averaging 5.50 assists per game. She saw action in all three matches for the Bobcats on the weekend, and averaged 9.25 assists per game.
SERVING NOTICE:
Freshman Allyce Bebensee, who came off the bench to spark the Bobcats in their win over Florida Atlantic three weeks ago, recorded 32 digs last weekend, including a season-best 14 saves against Bradley. The 5-foot-7 native of Thornton, Colo., is averaging 2.15 digs per game, which is third best on the team.
BURGER-TIME:
Sophomore Kaytlin Van Burger came off the bench to spark the Bobcats in their four-game win over Bradley. The sophomore from Bend, Ore., notched a career-high ten kills against the Braves and hit .250 from the field, while adding four blocks.
For this week's complete Bobcat volleyball release, click on the 'PDF Version Available' link at the top of this page.
The Montana State University volleyball team will open its 2006 Big Sky Conference season when it travels to intra-state rival Montana for the annual ‘Cat-Griz clash. The match will be played in the West Auxiliary Gym (1,218) on the south end of the Adams Center in Missoula. Match time is slated for 7 p.m. The Bobcats and Grizzlies have never met in a Big Sky Conference opener. MSU is 9-9 in all-time league openers, including winning five of its last seven. However, the Bobcats have dropped its last two openers against Idaho State and Sacramento State, respectively.
RECAPPING THE ARIZONA FOUR-POINTS CLASSIC:
The Bobcats went 2-1 at Arizona Sheraton Four-Points Classic last weekend in Tucson. MSU, #21 Arizona and Rice all went 2-1 for the weekend. The Bobcats opened tournament play with a 30-28, 30-21, 17-30, 26-30, 15-10 win over Rice. MSU was led by Raelene Purnell and Laura Viren with 14 kills, apiece. Purnell ended the match hitting .357 from the field, while adding five digs and a block. Viren posted her second double-double of the year by adding 15 digs in the win. Junior Patti Anderson broke out of a mini slump with seven kills, a .375 attack mark and a career-high 25 digs. On Friday evening, then ranked No. 21 Arizona downed Montana State 30-21, 30-21, 30-18. MSU received seven kills and eight digs from Viren, while libero Kandice Kelly notched a match-high 14 digs. In the tournament finale’, the Bobcats defeated Bradley 30-20, 30-26, 19-30, 30-26. Senior Kim Stonehouse led MSU with a team-high 16 kills, while Purnell and Kaytlin Van Burger added 14 and ten kills, respectively. Purnell also paced all players with a match-high eight blocks. Kandice Kelly broke a 16-year-old MSU record, notching 38 digs to break the old mark of 35 set by Heidi Hemmert in 1990 against Nevada. For her efforts, Kelly was named to the Arizona four Points Classic all-tourney team.
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
Montana enters Friday’s match with a 2-6 overall record and a two-match winning streak. After opening the season with six straight losses, the Grizzlies downed High Point and Cornell at the University of Portland Invitational, last weekend. Coached by former MSU associate head coach Jerry Wagner, UM is paced by senior Claudia Houle. The native of Quebec, Canada, is averaging 4.79 kills per game, while hiting .306 from the field and adding 3.97 digs per contest. MSU has claimed four consecutive victories over Montana and owns the all-time series record, as well, 43-38. The Grizzlies’ last win over the Bobcats was a 3-0 decision on Nov. 7, 2003 in Missoula. Last fall, Montana State swept the season series, including a 3-1 win at Montana.
TOP ‘CAT:
Kandice Kelly, a 5-foot-6 native of Roundup, was named Montana State’s Player of the Week for her efforts at the Arizona-Sheraton Four Points Classic, last weekend. Kelly recorded 72 digs on the wekend and averaged 6.0 saves per game. Against Bradley, she broke a 16-year-old Montana State mark, notching 38 digs to shatter the old MSU record of 35 set by Heidi Hemmert in 1990. In addition, the 38 digs are a Big Sky Conference season-high. She averaged a whopping 9.5 digs vs. Bradley.
FROM THE PINE-- (56-39/4YRS, 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.
SHE’S A STONEHOUSE:
Senior Kim Stonehouse leads the Bobcats offensively after the first three weeks of play. The 6-foot outside hitter from Medicine Hat, Alberta, is averaging 2.97 kills per game, while hitting .187 from the field. Last season, Stonehouse was a second-team All-Big Sky Conference selection, after averaging 3.40 kills with a .190 attack mark. Her current kills per game average ranks her ninth in the league. Stonehouse tied a career-high in Montana State’s four-game win over Lipscomb with 24 kills.
PURNELL POWER:
Junior Raelene Purnell, who spent last season behind middle blockers Megan Zanto and Angela Wiebe, has emerged this season as one of Montana State’s top offensive threats. The 6-foot-1 middle blocker from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, is averaging 2.42 kills, while hitting a team-best .250 from the field. In addition, she is second on the squad in blocking at .97 per game, and second in aces at .27 per contest. Purnell was named to the Montana State Holiday Inn Classic All-Tournemnt team, and has matched her career-high of 14 kills on three occasions this fall- the last coming against Bradley on Saturday night. Last weekend at the Arizona Sheraton Four Points Classic in Tucson, she recorded 34 kills (2.83 kpg), 12 digs and nine blocks. Her eight block assists against Bradley matched a career-high, as well. During the 2005 campaign, Purnell averaged 1.34 kills per game, while hitting .203 from the floor. She also averaged .70 blocks and .01 service aces.
WHEN YOU THINK OF LAURA:
Sophomore Laura Viren had a good weekend for the Bobcats. The 6-foot outside hitter from Prior Lake, Minn., recorded 28 kills, 25 digs, five aces and five blocks to lift MSU past Rice and Bradley. Viren’s 14 kills and 15 digs against Rice marked her second double-double of the season. Viren, who was named to the All-Big Sky Conference Tournament team last season as a freshman, is hitting .138 from the floor after three weeks of action. She is currently second on the team in kills and aces, and is second in digs.
WIEBE BE BLOCKIN’:
Senior middle blocker Angela Wiebe posted a solid performance at the Arizona Sheraton Four Points Classic. The 6-foot-1 native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, notched 18 kills (1.50 kpg) and 15 blocks (1.25 bpg). Wiebe’s current 1.06 blocks per game average is just below her career blocks average of 1.12 per game. Her current attack mark of .189 ranks third best on the Bobcat squad.
PATTI LOU:
Junior right-side hitter Patti Anderson has played in all 33 games for the Bobcats this season. The 5-foot-11 native of Deer Lodge, who struggled during the early portion of the season, got her ship turned around last weekend in Tucson, Arizona. Over the course of Montana State’s three matches, Anderson recorded 18 kills (1.50 kpg) and 43 digs (3.58 dpg), including a career-high 25 saves in MSU’s five-game victory over Rice. In addition, she posted a .139 attack mark and chipped in six blocks and four aces.
DISHIN’ THE ROCK:
Junior setter Sarah Allen received her first start as a Bobcat and led MSU to a four-game win over Bradley. The transfer from Whatcomm Community College dished out a career-high 54 assists (13.5 apg) against the Braves. In addition, she tallied four digs, an ace, a dig and a block. On the season, Allen is averaging 5.50 assists per game. She saw action in all three matches for the Bobcats on the weekend, and averaged 9.25 assists per game.
SERVING NOTICE:
Freshman Allyce Bebensee, who came off the bench to spark the Bobcats in their win over Florida Atlantic three weeks ago, recorded 32 digs last weekend, including a season-best 14 saves against Bradley. The 5-foot-7 native of Thornton, Colo., is averaging 2.15 digs per game, which is third best on the team.
BURGER-TIME:
Sophomore Kaytlin Van Burger came off the bench to spark the Bobcats in their four-game win over Bradley. The sophomore from Bend, Ore., notched a career-high ten kills against the Braves and hit .250 from the field, while adding four blocks.
For this week's complete Bobcat volleyball release, click on the 'PDF Version Available' link at the top of this page.
Wednesday, June 10
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