Montana State University
Portland State
Bobcat Spikers Open Big Sky and Home Season on Friday Night
9/15/2010 12:02:16 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Montana State volleyball team will open its Big Sky Conference and home season on Friday night against Portland State at 7 p.m. in Shroyer Gym.
Montana State Match Notes-9-14-10
This Week in Bobcat Volleyball:
Sept. 17 & 18, 2010 ? 'Cats Open Big Sky Conference Slate
Montana State Spikers Open League Season in Shroyer Gym
Friday, Sept. 17
Portland State at Montana State, 7 p.m., Shroyer Gym (2,000)
Saturday, Sept. 18
Eastern Washington at Montana State, 7 p.m., Shroyer Gym (2,000)
Live Stats: www.msubobcats.com
Live Webcast: www.B2TV.com
NEXT UP: The 2010 edition of Bobcat volleyball will open its Big Sky Conference schedule this weekend in Shroyer Gym when it hosts defending regular-season champion Portland State on Friday night and Eastern Washington on Saturday evening. Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m. The Bobcats enter Friday's match 5-5 overall. The five victories are the most for a Montana State team since the 2006 season. MSU opened its non-conference slate with three straight wins, which was its best start since the 2004 campaign. Portland State enters Friday's contest with a 4-6 overall mark. A 3-0 win over Cal State Northridge last Saturday snapped a four-match Viking losing streak. Eastern Washington, who plays at Montana on Friday, is currently 1-8 overall.
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Bobcats competed in the Washington State-Nike Cougar Classic over the weekend. MSU opened action against Wazzou falling 25-15, 25-21, 15-25, 25-22. Junior Rachelle Allen paced MSU with 16 kills and 14 digs. Freshman setter Mackenzi Campbell dished out 36 assists, while libero Meghan Albiston posted 16 saves. On Saturday, the Bobcats dropped a 25-10, 25-12, 25-11 decision to Cal Poly. Against the Mustangs, MSU was led by Allen with seven kills and seven digs. Montana State concluded the weekend with a 25-4, 25-14, 25-23 loss to Idaho. Allen again paced the Bobcats with nine kills and seven digs. For her efforts, Allen, an outside hitter from Longmont, Colo., was named to the Nike Cougar Classic All-Tournament team.
GOTTA DIG-IT: So far this season, senior libero Meghan Albiston has notched 159 digs, giving her 1,315 on her career and moving her ahead of Kamber Kelly (2001-04) for second on MSU's all-time career digs chart. Albiston became only the sixth Bobcat in history to surpass the 1,000-dig plateau. Last fall, Albiston posted 435 digs, which was the fourth best mark ever recorded in a single-season. In her first season at MSU, Albiston broke the Montana State freshman mark for digs, surpassing the record held by Kandice Kelly- MSU's all-time digs leader. She is currently on pace to make a run at Kelly's career mark of 1,720 career saves.
SERVING NOTICE: True-freshman defensive specialist Nicole Baker is serving notice that she is one of the top rookies in the Big Sky Conference this season. The graduate of Amador Valley High School currently leads the league averaging .45 aces per set. In ten outings, she has six matches with at least two service aces, including a season-best four against Robert Morris.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Junior Rachelle Allen is off to a fast start for the Bobcats. The outside hitter from Longmont, Colo. is currently second in the Big Sky Conference in double-doubles. Allen has posted five doubles this fall and has notched a season-best 16 kills at Washington State and 15 digs on two occasions. She is also ninth in the league in kills (3.03), ninth in digs (3.03) and tenth in points (3.33).
'CAT ATTACK: Freshman Mackenzi Campbell has been at the helm of the Bobcat offense for the past three weeks and is 6th in the Big Sky Conference averaging 7.19 assists per set...the Bobcats are 2nd in the Big Sky in opponent hitting percentage at .182 per outing...behind freshman Nicole Baker MSU is 3rd in aces at 1.32 per outing...defensively, Montana State is in the middle of the pack (5th) averaging 13.34 digs per contests, as both Meghan Albiston (5th) and Rachelle Allen (9th) are listed in the Big Sky's top ten.
THE SCOUTING REPORT: Portland State is 4-6 overall with victories over Seattle, Mercer, Gonzaga and Cal State Northridge. Two weeks ago, the Vikings fell just short in its upset bid losing to No. 16 Oregon 3-2 in the Stott Center. PSU is led by last year's Big Sky Newcomer of the Year, Whitney Phillips, who averages 4.78 kills and 2.51 digs per set. Eastern Washington is 1-8 overall with its lone victory a 3-0 decision over Mercer. The Eagles have been led by sophomore Shelby Puckett and senior Alysha Cook, who average 2.97 and 2.67 kills, respectively. EWU went up against the same opponents MSU did last week -Washington State (3-0), Cal Poly (3-1), Idaho (3-1)- and dropped all three contests.
FANDEMONIUM: The Bobcats hold the all-time Big Sky Conference and State of Montana attendance record as 6,378 people jammed Worthington Arena on November 15, 2002 as MSU defeated rival Montana, 3-2.
FYI: Montana State has not won a Big Sky Conference opener since defeating Idaho State 3-0 on Sept. 25, 2003 in Shroyer Gym. MSU's last win (3-0) against Portland State was Nov. 12, 2004. The Bobcats' last victory over Eastern Washington (3-0) was Nov. 13, 2004.
