Friday, November 4
Missoula, MT
7:00 PM
Montana State University
at
MONTANA
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcat Spikers Face Grizzly Encounter
11/3/2011 2:39:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Montana State volleyball team will head to Missoula to face intra-state rival Montana on Friday night.
Click here for this week's complete Bobcat volleyball release (pdf)
CAT-GRIZ, PART II:
The Montana State volleyball team will remain on the Big Sky Conference road this weekend with just one match. The Bobcats will travel to Missoula on Friday to face intra-state rival Montana in the West Auxiliary Gym (WAG) at 7 p.m. To watch the match live via the World Wide Web, go to www.b2TV.com. Live stats of the match will also be available via Montana's website at www.gogriz.com.
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS:
Despite opening the match with a decisive 25-19 victory in the first set, the Montana State volleyball team couldn't hang on as Eastern Washington rallied to take the next three sets 25-7, 25-17, 25-18, Saturday night. Montana State outhit Eastern Washington .304 to .109 to take the first stanza, but it was all EWU in the final three sets. Sarah Horton paced the Bobcats with her fourth double-double, recording 14 kills, while adding 16 digs. Defensively, MSU was led by Nicole Baker with a match-high 25 digs. Portland State outhit Montana State .310 to .160, en route to a 25-17, 25-12, 25-23 win over the Bobcats, Friday night. Senior Rachelle Allen led MSU with a team-high eight kills. Baker paced the 'Cats with 11 digs.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
* Rachelle Allen, 6-0, Sr., Outside Hitter, Longmont, Colorado
Allen averaged 2.57 kills and 2.71 digs per set last weekend, while hitting .187 from the field...recorded weekend high ten kills against Eastern Washington...led Bobcats with eights kills and a .226 attack mark against Portland State...recorded weekend best 10 digs vs. PSU...notched five blocks last weekend.
* Sarah Horton, 6-0, Soph., Outside Hitter, Fresno, California
Horton recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 14 kills and 16 digs at Eastern Washington...finished the weekend averaging 2.57 kills and 3.14 digs, while hitting .232 from the floor...posted two block assists against Portland State...hit weekend best .256 at Eastern Washington.
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
If Montana (8-12, 5-7), who was tabbed third in the preseason polls, wants to make the four-team Big Sky Conference tournament instead of being home for Thanksgiving, two things need to happen: Montana needs to win its final four matches, and things need to break the right way in a number of other matches. The Grizzlies took a 5-1 record from their previous six matches into last weekend's road trip to Eastern Washington and Portland State. While Montana played well for stretches, the play was not consistent enough for long enough, and the team returned home with a pair of losses. The Grizzlies' efficient offensive performance from the previous four weekends cooled off considerably on its western swing as Montana hit just .153, while EWU and PSU hit .238.
QUICK SETS:
Montana State libero Nicole Baker is currently ranked third overall in the Big Sky averaging 4.70 digs per set...Baker's 23 saves against Sacramento State is the highest total in the Big Sky for a three-set match and her 30 saves vs. Northern Arizona are the highest for a four-set match...in addition, Baker is the top sophomore in the Big Sky in digs...the Bobcats snapped its 24-match losing streak and a 13-match Big Sky Conference slide with a 3-2 win at Idaho State on Oct. 7...Montana State's last Big Sky home victory came on Oct. 15, 2010 with a 3-0 sweep of Sacramento St...Chelsea Oemcke is currently ranked 6th in the league with a .254 attack mark...setter Jennifer Lundquist is currently listed fourth in the Big Sky averaging 9.00 assists per set...Oemcke is the top hitting senior in the Big Sky with a .254 attack mark...as a team, the Bobcats highest rank in the stat column is 7th in blocking at 2.02 bps.
HITHER AND YON:
With stops in Georgia, Illinois, Missouri and California in non-conference action, the Bobcats will add over 11,000 miles to its Frequent Flyer card.
WE LIKE IT HERE:
Shroyer Gym, Home of the Bobcats, is one of the toughest venues west of the Mississippi. Over the past few decades, Shroyer Gym and the Bobcat faithful has made Montana State one of the top 30 venues in the nation in term of attendance. The annual 'Shake Shroyer' match has consistently drawn one of the top crowds in the Pacific Northwest and Big Sky Conference. Over 1,500 fans attended MSU's match vs. intra-state rival Montana on Sept. 30. MSU's largest attendance in Shroyer Gym occurred as 2,371 spectators witnessed the Bobcats defeat Northern Arizona on Nov. 1, 2003, 3-0. The largest crowd in the State of Montana and Big Sky Conference history also belongs to the Bobcats as 6,378 fans jammed Worthington Arena on Nov. 15, 2002.
ALL-TIME SERIES:
Montana holds a narrow 48-44 advantage in its all-time series with intra-state rival Montana State dating back to the 1976 season. The Grizzlies have won three straight in the series, including a 3-0 win over the Bobcats on Sept. 30 in Shroyer Gym. Montana State's last victory over Montana, and in Missoula, came on Oct. 23, 2009, when the Bobcats upset the Griz 3-2 for its only Big Sky win of the season.
GOLD DIGGER:
Montana State sophomore libero Nicole Baker has been in double-digit digs in 22 of MSU's 23 matches this season. Baker has posted 17 straight matches with at least 10 digs, which is the second best mark in the Big Sky. She is averaging 4.70 digs per set, which ranks third in the Big Sky. Her 23 digs in MSU's loss to Sacramento State on Oct. 15 is the highest recorded this season by any league player in a three-set match and her 30 digs against Northern Arizona are the highest for a four-set contest. Baker is currently sixth on MSU's all-time single-season list with 414 saves. The all-time single-season digs mark at MSU is 495 set by Kandice Kelly in 2005.
DIGGING MACHINES:
The one statistical area that has seen improvement this season for the Bobcats is on defense. As a team, Montana State is averaging 14.86 digs per set. In all, five Bobcats have posted 130 or more digs so far this fall. Libero Nicole Baker has notched 414 saves and is followed by Rachelle Allen (217), Sarah Horton (187), Kasey Schlatter (184), Sarah and Jennifer Lundquist (133).
CO-CAPTAINS:
Seniors Rachelle Allen and Alex Penewell are co-captains for the 2011 season. Allen, who was an All Big Sky Conference Honorable Mention pick last fall, is averaging 2.47 kills and 2.68 digs per set, while Penewell, who was the Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year last season, is chipping in 1.35 kills and has posted 43 total blocks.
SPREADING THE LOVE:
Eight Bobcats are currently averaging anywhere from 1.13 - 2.53 kills per set. The balanced attack is led by Sarah Horton, who is averaging a team-best 2.53 kps. Rachelle Allen is also over the 2.00 kill plateau at 2.47 per stanza.
CAT-GRIZ, PART II:
The Montana State volleyball team will remain on the Big Sky Conference road this weekend with just one match. The Bobcats will travel to Missoula on Friday to face intra-state rival Montana in the West Auxiliary Gym (WAG) at 7 p.m. To watch the match live via the World Wide Web, go to www.b2TV.com. Live stats of the match will also be available via Montana's website at www.gogriz.com.
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS:
Despite opening the match with a decisive 25-19 victory in the first set, the Montana State volleyball team couldn't hang on as Eastern Washington rallied to take the next three sets 25-7, 25-17, 25-18, Saturday night. Montana State outhit Eastern Washington .304 to .109 to take the first stanza, but it was all EWU in the final three sets. Sarah Horton paced the Bobcats with her fourth double-double, recording 14 kills, while adding 16 digs. Defensively, MSU was led by Nicole Baker with a match-high 25 digs. Portland State outhit Montana State .310 to .160, en route to a 25-17, 25-12, 25-23 win over the Bobcats, Friday night. Senior Rachelle Allen led MSU with a team-high eight kills. Baker paced the 'Cats with 11 digs.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
* Rachelle Allen, 6-0, Sr., Outside Hitter, Longmont, Colorado
Allen averaged 2.57 kills and 2.71 digs per set last weekend, while hitting .187 from the field...recorded weekend high ten kills against Eastern Washington...led Bobcats with eights kills and a .226 attack mark against Portland State...recorded weekend best 10 digs vs. PSU...notched five blocks last weekend.
* Sarah Horton, 6-0, Soph., Outside Hitter, Fresno, California
Horton recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 14 kills and 16 digs at Eastern Washington...finished the weekend averaging 2.57 kills and 3.14 digs, while hitting .232 from the floor...posted two block assists against Portland State...hit weekend best .256 at Eastern Washington.
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
If Montana (8-12, 5-7), who was tabbed third in the preseason polls, wants to make the four-team Big Sky Conference tournament instead of being home for Thanksgiving, two things need to happen: Montana needs to win its final four matches, and things need to break the right way in a number of other matches. The Grizzlies took a 5-1 record from their previous six matches into last weekend's road trip to Eastern Washington and Portland State. While Montana played well for stretches, the play was not consistent enough for long enough, and the team returned home with a pair of losses. The Grizzlies' efficient offensive performance from the previous four weekends cooled off considerably on its western swing as Montana hit just .153, while EWU and PSU hit .238.
QUICK SETS:
Montana State libero Nicole Baker is currently ranked third overall in the Big Sky averaging 4.70 digs per set...Baker's 23 saves against Sacramento State is the highest total in the Big Sky for a three-set match and her 30 saves vs. Northern Arizona are the highest for a four-set match...in addition, Baker is the top sophomore in the Big Sky in digs...the Bobcats snapped its 24-match losing streak and a 13-match Big Sky Conference slide with a 3-2 win at Idaho State on Oct. 7...Montana State's last Big Sky home victory came on Oct. 15, 2010 with a 3-0 sweep of Sacramento St...Chelsea Oemcke is currently ranked 6th in the league with a .254 attack mark...setter Jennifer Lundquist is currently listed fourth in the Big Sky averaging 9.00 assists per set...Oemcke is the top hitting senior in the Big Sky with a .254 attack mark...as a team, the Bobcats highest rank in the stat column is 7th in blocking at 2.02 bps.
HITHER AND YON:
With stops in Georgia, Illinois, Missouri and California in non-conference action, the Bobcats will add over 11,000 miles to its Frequent Flyer card.
WE LIKE IT HERE:
Shroyer Gym, Home of the Bobcats, is one of the toughest venues west of the Mississippi. Over the past few decades, Shroyer Gym and the Bobcat faithful has made Montana State one of the top 30 venues in the nation in term of attendance. The annual 'Shake Shroyer' match has consistently drawn one of the top crowds in the Pacific Northwest and Big Sky Conference. Over 1,500 fans attended MSU's match vs. intra-state rival Montana on Sept. 30. MSU's largest attendance in Shroyer Gym occurred as 2,371 spectators witnessed the Bobcats defeat Northern Arizona on Nov. 1, 2003, 3-0. The largest crowd in the State of Montana and Big Sky Conference history also belongs to the Bobcats as 6,378 fans jammed Worthington Arena on Nov. 15, 2002.
ALL-TIME SERIES:
Montana holds a narrow 48-44 advantage in its all-time series with intra-state rival Montana State dating back to the 1976 season. The Grizzlies have won three straight in the series, including a 3-0 win over the Bobcats on Sept. 30 in Shroyer Gym. Montana State's last victory over Montana, and in Missoula, came on Oct. 23, 2009, when the Bobcats upset the Griz 3-2 for its only Big Sky win of the season.
GOLD DIGGER:
Montana State sophomore libero Nicole Baker has been in double-digit digs in 22 of MSU's 23 matches this season. Baker has posted 17 straight matches with at least 10 digs, which is the second best mark in the Big Sky. She is averaging 4.70 digs per set, which ranks third in the Big Sky. Her 23 digs in MSU's loss to Sacramento State on Oct. 15 is the highest recorded this season by any league player in a three-set match and her 30 digs against Northern Arizona are the highest for a four-set contest. Baker is currently sixth on MSU's all-time single-season list with 414 saves. The all-time single-season digs mark at MSU is 495 set by Kandice Kelly in 2005.
DIGGING MACHINES:
The one statistical area that has seen improvement this season for the Bobcats is on defense. As a team, Montana State is averaging 14.86 digs per set. In all, five Bobcats have posted 130 or more digs so far this fall. Libero Nicole Baker has notched 414 saves and is followed by Rachelle Allen (217), Sarah Horton (187), Kasey Schlatter (184), Sarah and Jennifer Lundquist (133).
CO-CAPTAINS:
Seniors Rachelle Allen and Alex Penewell are co-captains for the 2011 season. Allen, who was an All Big Sky Conference Honorable Mention pick last fall, is averaging 2.47 kills and 2.68 digs per set, while Penewell, who was the Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year last season, is chipping in 1.35 kills and has posted 43 total blocks.
SPREADING THE LOVE:
Eight Bobcats are currently averaging anywhere from 1.13 - 2.53 kills per set. The balanced attack is led by Sarah Horton, who is averaging a team-best 2.53 kps. Rachelle Allen is also over the 2.00 kill plateau at 2.47 per stanza.
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