Thursday, September 15
Flagstaff, AZ
7:00 PM
Montana State University
at
NORTHERN ARIZONA
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcat Spikers Open Big Sky Season, Thursday Night
9/14/2011 10:03:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Montana State volleyball team will open its 2011 Big Sky Conference season when it meets Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Thursday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. (MST) in the Rolle Activity Center.
Click here for this week's complete volleyball release (pdf)
THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE OPENER:
The Montana State volleyball team will open its 2011 Big Sky Conference season when it meets Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Thursday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. (MST) in the Rolle Activity Center. The match will be televised live on Fox College Sports Pacific (check your local listing for channels). The Bobcats will wrap the opening road trip at Northern Colorado in Greeley, Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Butler-Hancock Pavilion.
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS:
Rachelle Allen notched her fourth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 17 digs but it wasn't enough as the Bobcats fell 26-24, 25-21, 23-25, 25-22 to UMKC in the final match of the Kangaroo Klassic. In all, three MSU players reached double-digits kills, including Sarah Horton, 12, and Chelsea Oemcke, 11. Kasey Schlatter recorded 44 assists and 16 digs, while Nicole Baker posted a career-high 28 digs. Oemcke led MSU at the net with seven blocks. Earlier on Saturday, Montana State dropped a 25-16, 25-19, 25-21 decision to Tennessee-Martin. Macy Page led MSU with six kills, while Baker added 11 digs. Montana State also team dropped a 25-16, 25-20, 27-25 decision to Belmont, last Friday evening.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Nicole Baker - 5-7, So., Libero, Pleasanton, California
Baker had her best weekend as Montana State's starting libero, averaging 5.60 digs per set at the UMKC Kangaroo Klassic...recorded a career-high with 28 digs against UMKC...was in double-figure digs in all three matches last weekend...have been in double-digit saves in nine of ten matches, to date.
Rachelle Allen - 6-0, Sr., Longmont, Colorado
Allen was named to the UMKC Kangaroo Klassic All-Tournament team after averaging 2.60 kills and 3.70 digs, last weekend...hit .140 from the field at UMKC...notched weekend high 12 kills against Belmont...had 17 digs vs. UMKC...also added two service aces and three blocks at UMKC.
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
Northern Arizona (9-0) is one of only 14 NCAA Division-I volleyball teams that begin the week undefeated. NAU is off to the second best season start in program history and can equal the 1991 team and its 11-0 start with two wins this week. The Lumberjacks have won eight consecutive matches against Montana State. Individually, NAU has the Big Sky leaders in kills (Kobi Christensen), assists (Kelli Dallmann) and blocks (Sydney Kemper). Northern Colorado, which finished 24-7 in 2010 and ranked a Big Sky-best No. 84 in the NCAA's final RPI report, received 63 points and seven first-place votes in the 2011 Big Sky Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll to earn the “favorite” tag in the 2011 Big Sky championship race. The Bears are led by Kelley Arnold, who averages 3.63 kps.
QUICK SETS:
Montana State libero Nicole Baker is currently ranked third in the Big Sky Conference averaging 4.37 digs per set...Baker has been in double-digits digs in nine of ten matches this season, including a career-high 28 saves against UMKC...As a team, the Bobcats rank fourth in hitting percentage at .173 over the past three weeks...MSU had its best hitting performance with a .319 attack mark against Stephen F. Austin...MSU will look to get setter Jennifer Lundquist (concussion) back into the rotation after being sidelined the last two weeks...Rachelle Allen returned from an ankle sprain last weekend to average 2.60 kills and 3.70 digs at the Kangaroo Klassic...Allen and freshman Kasey Schlatter lead MSU with four and three double-doubles, respectively....Allen and Alex Penewell are MSU's co-captains... Chelsea Oemcke posted 12 total blocks at UMKC, last weekend.
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