Bobcat Spikers Make Final Road Trip
11/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Next Up:
The Montana State volleyball team will make its final trip of the 2007 season when it travels to Sacramento State to face the perennial Big Sky Conference power in the Hornet’s Nest on Friday evening. Match time is slated for 8 p.m. (MST). The Bobcats are coming off a 3-0 loss at Montana, last Friday. Last week, Sacramento State dropped consecutive five-game matches, losing to Nevada and Weber State, before getting back in the win column with a 3-0 sweep over Idaho State. The loss to Weber State snapped Sac’s 59-match Big Sky home winning streak. The Hornets are currently one-game back of Portland State with a 10-2 Big Sky record. Sac, PSU and Eastern Washington are in the hunt for the regular-season title. Overall, Sacramento State is 23-6 under the direction of Debby Colberg, who is in her 32nd and final year with the Hornets. Earlier this fall, Sacramento State defeated the Bobcats 30-23, 30-9, 30-15 in Bozeman. On the year, Sacramento State has been led by Missie Stidham and Lindsay Haput. Stidham averages 4.94 kills and 4.40 digs, while Haupt chips in 3.64 kpg and 1.36 bpg.
From The Pine:
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 nine 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 Erin Naipo and Steve Huntingdale. Naipo, a 2002 graduate of Dartmouth College, was a four-year letterwinner and team captain for the Big Green. She is in her third year at MSU and previously served as assistant coach at Spokane Community College. Huntingdale is in his first season at Montana State, after serving as a volunteer assistant, last fall. Huntingdale is a former Colorado High School Volleyball Coach of the Year (2002, 2003).
Cat Tracks:
Meghan Albiston could become the first Bobcat freshman in MSU history to rank among the top 10 for single-season digs...the native of Idaho Falls, has 326 saves on the year, and needs just 18 digs to rank tenth on the all-time Montana State list…the only statistical win for the Bobcats against Montana on Friday came in blocking...MSU out-blocked UM 8-5...three Bobcat players recorded three stuffs, including Nicole Grypiuk, Laura Viren and Demi Dlouhy...in her last three matches, Dlouhy, a freshman, has averaged 1.22 blocks…Montana State’s 17 kills against Montana were a Big Sky low... Montana State’s lowest output of the season was 15 kills against Creighton.
The Week That Was:
The Bobcats dropped a 30-18, 30-16, 30-18 decision to the University of Montana in Dahlberg Arena, last Friday night. Montana State had its best game in the opening set, hitting .129 from the field. MSU finished the match with an overall .056 attack mark, while the Grizzlies hit at a .376 clip. UM also held a sizeable 65-17 advantage in kills. The 17 kills by Montana State were a Big Sky Conference low. The only statistical category claimed by the Bobcats came in blocking were MSU held an 8-5 advantage over UM. MSU had eight players record at least one block. Setter Sarah Allen dished out 16 assists and added a team-high seven digs.
Seeing Double:
Senior Patti Anderson and junior Laura Viren have been doubling-up at a consistent clip this season. Anderson has posted 13 matches in double-digit digs, including 11 of the last 16 starts. On the year, the Deer Lodge native has tallied six double-doubles. Viren, an outside hitter from Prior Lake, Minn., leads the team with eight double-doubles. In addition, she has notched ten double-digit kill matches and 11 in double-figure digs. She has been in double-digit digs in 10 of the last 17 outings.
Gotta Dig It:
Montana State is averaging 15.38 digs per game. The Bobcats are led this season by freshman libero Meghan Albiston, who is averaging 3.79 saves per game. Last weekend, the Idaho Falls native posted three saves against the University of Montana. Also helping the ‘Cats have been Patti Anderson (3.04 dpg), Laura Viren (2.74 dpg) and Sarah Allen (2.05 dpg).
Hard Block Cafe’:
As a team, MSU is averaging 2.13 blocks per game. On the season, MSU is paced by Nicole Grypiuk, Demi Dlouhy and Kaytlin Van Burger at .79, .72 and .70 blocks, respectively. Van Burger, a junior middle blocker from Bend, Ore., ranks first on the team in Big Sky Conference matches, averaging .84 blocks per game. Last Friday, Montana State was paced at the net by Dlouhy, Grypiuk and Viren with three blocks, apiece.
Serving Notice:
As a team, the Bobcats are averaging 1.17 aces per game, while their opponents are converting at 1.85 per contest. MSU has six players in double-digit aces on the year, led by Patti Anderson and Laura Viren with 22 and 21, respectively. Viren, a junior from Prior Lake, Minn., has posted 15 aces in Big Sky Conference play, which ranks third overall at .33 winners per game. She notched a career-high three aces against Northern Arizona.
Stand Up and Cheer:
Despite its 1-24 overall record and 0-10 home slate, the Bobcats are averaging 821 fans per game, including a season-best 1,287 for ‘Cat-Griz.
For this week's complete release, click on the 'PDF Version Available' link at the top of this page.
The Montana State volleyball team will make its final trip of the 2007 season when it travels to Sacramento State to face the perennial Big Sky Conference power in the Hornet’s Nest on Friday evening. Match time is slated for 8 p.m. (MST). The Bobcats are coming off a 3-0 loss at Montana, last Friday. Last week, Sacramento State dropped consecutive five-game matches, losing to Nevada and Weber State, before getting back in the win column with a 3-0 sweep over Idaho State. The loss to Weber State snapped Sac’s 59-match Big Sky home winning streak. The Hornets are currently one-game back of Portland State with a 10-2 Big Sky record. Sac, PSU and Eastern Washington are in the hunt for the regular-season title. Overall, Sacramento State is 23-6 under the direction of Debby Colberg, who is in her 32nd and final year with the Hornets. Earlier this fall, Sacramento State defeated the Bobcats 30-23, 30-9, 30-15 in Bozeman. On the year, Sacramento State has been led by Missie Stidham and Lindsay Haput. Stidham averages 4.94 kills and 4.40 digs, while Haupt chips in 3.64 kpg and 1.36 bpg.
From The Pine:
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 nine 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 Erin Naipo and Steve Huntingdale. Naipo, a 2002 graduate of Dartmouth College, was a four-year letterwinner and team captain for the Big Green. She is in her third year at MSU and previously served as assistant coach at Spokane Community College. Huntingdale is in his first season at Montana State, after serving as a volunteer assistant, last fall. Huntingdale is a former Colorado High School Volleyball Coach of the Year (2002, 2003).
Cat Tracks:
Meghan Albiston could become the first Bobcat freshman in MSU history to rank among the top 10 for single-season digs...the native of Idaho Falls, has 326 saves on the year, and needs just 18 digs to rank tenth on the all-time Montana State list…the only statistical win for the Bobcats against Montana on Friday came in blocking...MSU out-blocked UM 8-5...three Bobcat players recorded three stuffs, including Nicole Grypiuk, Laura Viren and Demi Dlouhy...in her last three matches, Dlouhy, a freshman, has averaged 1.22 blocks…Montana State’s 17 kills against Montana were a Big Sky low... Montana State’s lowest output of the season was 15 kills against Creighton.
The Week That Was:
The Bobcats dropped a 30-18, 30-16, 30-18 decision to the University of Montana in Dahlberg Arena, last Friday night. Montana State had its best game in the opening set, hitting .129 from the field. MSU finished the match with an overall .056 attack mark, while the Grizzlies hit at a .376 clip. UM also held a sizeable 65-17 advantage in kills. The 17 kills by Montana State were a Big Sky Conference low. The only statistical category claimed by the Bobcats came in blocking were MSU held an 8-5 advantage over UM. MSU had eight players record at least one block. Setter Sarah Allen dished out 16 assists and added a team-high seven digs.
Seeing Double:
Senior Patti Anderson and junior Laura Viren have been doubling-up at a consistent clip this season. Anderson has posted 13 matches in double-digit digs, including 11 of the last 16 starts. On the year, the Deer Lodge native has tallied six double-doubles. Viren, an outside hitter from Prior Lake, Minn., leads the team with eight double-doubles. In addition, she has notched ten double-digit kill matches and 11 in double-figure digs. She has been in double-digit digs in 10 of the last 17 outings.
Gotta Dig It:
Montana State is averaging 15.38 digs per game. The Bobcats are led this season by freshman libero Meghan Albiston, who is averaging 3.79 saves per game. Last weekend, the Idaho Falls native posted three saves against the University of Montana. Also helping the ‘Cats have been Patti Anderson (3.04 dpg), Laura Viren (2.74 dpg) and Sarah Allen (2.05 dpg).
Hard Block Cafe’:
As a team, MSU is averaging 2.13 blocks per game. On the season, MSU is paced by Nicole Grypiuk, Demi Dlouhy and Kaytlin Van Burger at .79, .72 and .70 blocks, respectively. Van Burger, a junior middle blocker from Bend, Ore., ranks first on the team in Big Sky Conference matches, averaging .84 blocks per game. Last Friday, Montana State was paced at the net by Dlouhy, Grypiuk and Viren with three blocks, apiece.
Serving Notice:
As a team, the Bobcats are averaging 1.17 aces per game, while their opponents are converting at 1.85 per contest. MSU has six players in double-digit aces on the year, led by Patti Anderson and Laura Viren with 22 and 21, respectively. Viren, a junior from Prior Lake, Minn., has posted 15 aces in Big Sky Conference play, which ranks third overall at .33 winners per game. She notched a career-high three aces against Northern Arizona.
Stand Up and Cheer:
Despite its 1-24 overall record and 0-10 home slate, the Bobcats are averaging 821 fans per game, including a season-best 1,287 for ‘Cat-Griz.
For this week's complete release, click on the 'PDF Version Available' link at the top of this page.
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