Thursday, September 20
Bozeman
7 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Eastern Washington
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcat Spikers Home at Last
9/19/2012 5:24:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
After four straight weekends on the road and ten matches away from the friendly confines of Shroyer Gym, the Montana State volleyball squad will enjoy its home hardwood for the first time beginning on Thursday, Sept. 20 when it hosts Eastern Washington.
CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S RELEASE (pdf)
FINALLY, HOME AT LAST:
After four straight weekends on the road and ten matches away from the friendly confines of Shroyer Gym, the Montana State volleyball squad will enjoy its home hardwood for the first time beginning on Thursday, Sept. 20 when it hosts Eastern Washington. The Bobcats will conclude weekend play on Saturday, Sept. 22 against Portland State. Both matches are slated to begin at 7 p.m. MSU's current 7-3 mark is its best record over the first ten matches to start a season since the 2004 Bobcats went 8-2.
THIS WEEKEND'S 'CATCH THE 'CATS' OPPORTUNITIES:
Eastern Washington:
www.msubobcats.com - (live stats)
www.americaonesports.com/bigsky.asp - (live web-streaming video)
Portland State:
www.msubobcats.com - (live stats)
www.americaonesports.com/bigsky.asp - (live web-streaming video)
QUICK RECAP:
Montana State won its first Big Sky Conference road opener since 2003 when it defeated the University of North Dakota 3-2 in Grand Forks, last Thursday night. The Bobcats dropped a 3-1 decision to Big Sky preseason favorite Northern Colorado on Saturday in Greeley.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
* Taylar Barney, 6-1, Senior, Middle Blocker, St. George, Utah
Barney played a major role in Montana State's first Big Sky road win to open the league season since 2003 as MSU knocked off North Dakota 3-2 in Grand Forks. Against UND, Barney had 12 kills, while hitting .391 from the field and adding four blocks. Two nights later at preseason Big Sky favorite Northern Colorado, Barney logged seven kills without committing a hitting error. She finished the match hitting .438 against the Bears. For the weekend, she totaled 19 kills, hit .410 from the floor and added five blocks.
* Eli Svisco, 6-0, Freshman, Outside Hitter, Castle Rock, Colorado
Svisco averaged 2.22 kills and 2.33 digs per set as the Bobcats split its Big Sky opening weekend on the road. In its win over North Dakota, the Regis Jesuit grad notched eight kills, 12 digs and five aces, and followed that performance with 12 kills and nine digs against Northern Colorado.
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
Montana State will face Eastern Washington (0-13, 0-2) on Thursday night. The Eagles have faced adversity this fall after going through a coaching change during preseason. Lisa Westlake, who is in her fifth season in Cheney, has taken over as interim head coach. EWU has been paced this fall by senior Cora Kellerman, a 6-0 outside hitter, who is averaging a team-best 2.52 kills, while chipping in 2.93 digs per set. Eastern Washington dropped its Big Sky opener at Sacramento State 3-0, before returning to Reese Court on Monday and suffering a 3-0 setback to Portland State. EWU has been swept 3-0 in its last seven matches. The Eagles hold a 45-20 advantage in the all-time series dating back to the 1980 season. EWU has a three-match win streak against the Bobcats, with MSU's last victory (3-1) coming on Sept. 18, 2010. Portland State (6-7, 2-0), who was picked to finish second in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches poll, won a pair of conference road matches, including a 3-2 victory over Sacramento State and a 3-0 sweep of Eastern Washington on Monday night. The Vikings possess one of the most potent offensive attackers in Jaklyn Wheeler, a 6-foot outside hitter from Red Bluff, Calif., who averages a Big Sky Conference best 4.17 kills per set. The Vikings will play at Montana on Friday, before traveling to Bozeman. PSU leads the all-time series 32-19, including the last 14 matches. MSU's last victory (3-0) came on November 12, 2004 in Shroyer Gym.
QUICK SETS:
MSU's Sarah Horton is ranked second in the Big Sky Conference averaging 3.85 kills per set...Taylar Barney is eighth in the league with a .304 attack mark...Jennifer Lundquist is listed sixth in the Big Sky averaging 9.73 assists per set...Nicole Baker is listed fourth in the league averaging .41 service aces per game and 10th in digs with 3.34 saves per outing...Taylar Barney is ranked fifth in the Big Sky averaging 1.05 blocks per set... MSU's current 7-3 mark is its best record over the first ten matches to start a season since the 2004 Bobcats went 8-2.
GOLD DIGGER:
Montana State starting libero Nicole Baker established herself as one of the top defensive players in the Big Sky Conference last season, after averaging a whopping 5.0 digs per set in league play. In addition, the Pleasanton, Calif., native recorded 514 digs to set a new Montana State mark for digs in a single-season. The old record of 495 digs had been held by Kandice Kelly since the 2005 campaign. Baker notched a career-best 30 digs against Northern Arizona, last year. Currently, she is averaging a team-best 3.34 digs, which ranks among the Big Sky's top 10. Baker has registered seven matches in double-digits saves, including a season-best 27 digs in MSU's win over Niagara in early September.
TURNING THE PAGE:
Prior to this season, senior Macy Page had totaled 113 career kills, including a career-best 17 kills against Loyola-Chicago. She had also played in 170 sets and averaged .66 kills per outing. Now, in just her senior season alone, the Orem, Utah, native has recorded 129 kills and is averaging 3.15 kills per set in only four weeks of action. Page has been in double-digit kills in eight matches this fall, including a new career-high of 22 in MSU's win over Niagara. Heading into the season, Page had a career attack mark of .116. Her current hitting percentage sits at an impressive .266. Page has also chipped in 21 total blocks, which matches her three-year career total, as well.
HARD BLOCK CAFE`:
For the first time since the 2007 season the Montana State front line is averaging over 2.00 blocks per game. MSU is currently knocking down 2.07 blocks per contest. Guiding the Bobcats is senior Taylar Barney, who is fifth in the Big Sky Conference averaging 1.05 blocks per set. True freshman Natalee Godfrey is second on the team at .82 per stanza. The last time a Bobcat player averaged over 1.00 blocks per set for a season was Angela Wiebe (1.08 bps) in 2006.
SERVING NOTICE:
Currently, the Bobcats are averaging 1.46 service aces per set, which is the third best overall mark in the Big Sky Conference. Montana State is listed second in the category in league action at 1.33 per set. This season, MSU is out acing its opponents 60-37 and is 7-0 in matches where it holds the ace advantage. Individually, junior Nicole Baker paces the team at .41 per game. In Big Sky play, true freshman Eli Svisco leads MSU at .56 per contest.
A LENDING HAND:
Senior Jennifer Lundquist has seen her assists per set average rise along with MSU's early season success. Last fall, the Surrey, British Columbia native averaged 9.11 assists per game. This season, Lundquist is currently sixth in the Big Sky Conference averaging 9.73 assists per contest. In MSU's 3-2 win over Niagara on Sept. 7, she established a new career-high dishing out 57 assists. In addition, Lundquist is a triple threat on the court as well. She has posted three double-doubles this fall and is averaging 2.27 digs and .61 kills per game. Her current .415 attack mark leads the team and she has committed just three hitting errors on 53 attempts to date.
FACT OF THE WEEK:
Four players have earned MSU's Player of the Week honor this fall; however the 'Cats haven't had a Big Sky POW since 2004.
FINALLY, HOME AT LAST:
After four straight weekends on the road and ten matches away from the friendly confines of Shroyer Gym, the Montana State volleyball squad will enjoy its home hardwood for the first time beginning on Thursday, Sept. 20 when it hosts Eastern Washington. The Bobcats will conclude weekend play on Saturday, Sept. 22 against Portland State. Both matches are slated to begin at 7 p.m. MSU's current 7-3 mark is its best record over the first ten matches to start a season since the 2004 Bobcats went 8-2.
THIS WEEKEND'S 'CATCH THE 'CATS' OPPORTUNITIES:
Eastern Washington:
www.msubobcats.com - (live stats)
www.americaonesports.com/bigsky.asp - (live web-streaming video)
Portland State:
www.msubobcats.com - (live stats)
www.americaonesports.com/bigsky.asp - (live web-streaming video)
QUICK RECAP:
Montana State won its first Big Sky Conference road opener since 2003 when it defeated the University of North Dakota 3-2 in Grand Forks, last Thursday night. The Bobcats dropped a 3-1 decision to Big Sky preseason favorite Northern Colorado on Saturday in Greeley.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
* Taylar Barney, 6-1, Senior, Middle Blocker, St. George, Utah
Barney played a major role in Montana State's first Big Sky road win to open the league season since 2003 as MSU knocked off North Dakota 3-2 in Grand Forks. Against UND, Barney had 12 kills, while hitting .391 from the field and adding four blocks. Two nights later at preseason Big Sky favorite Northern Colorado, Barney logged seven kills without committing a hitting error. She finished the match hitting .438 against the Bears. For the weekend, she totaled 19 kills, hit .410 from the floor and added five blocks.
* Eli Svisco, 6-0, Freshman, Outside Hitter, Castle Rock, Colorado
Svisco averaged 2.22 kills and 2.33 digs per set as the Bobcats split its Big Sky opening weekend on the road. In its win over North Dakota, the Regis Jesuit grad notched eight kills, 12 digs and five aces, and followed that performance with 12 kills and nine digs against Northern Colorado.
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
Montana State will face Eastern Washington (0-13, 0-2) on Thursday night. The Eagles have faced adversity this fall after going through a coaching change during preseason. Lisa Westlake, who is in her fifth season in Cheney, has taken over as interim head coach. EWU has been paced this fall by senior Cora Kellerman, a 6-0 outside hitter, who is averaging a team-best 2.52 kills, while chipping in 2.93 digs per set. Eastern Washington dropped its Big Sky opener at Sacramento State 3-0, before returning to Reese Court on Monday and suffering a 3-0 setback to Portland State. EWU has been swept 3-0 in its last seven matches. The Eagles hold a 45-20 advantage in the all-time series dating back to the 1980 season. EWU has a three-match win streak against the Bobcats, with MSU's last victory (3-1) coming on Sept. 18, 2010. Portland State (6-7, 2-0), who was picked to finish second in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches poll, won a pair of conference road matches, including a 3-2 victory over Sacramento State and a 3-0 sweep of Eastern Washington on Monday night. The Vikings possess one of the most potent offensive attackers in Jaklyn Wheeler, a 6-foot outside hitter from Red Bluff, Calif., who averages a Big Sky Conference best 4.17 kills per set. The Vikings will play at Montana on Friday, before traveling to Bozeman. PSU leads the all-time series 32-19, including the last 14 matches. MSU's last victory (3-0) came on November 12, 2004 in Shroyer Gym.
QUICK SETS:
MSU's Sarah Horton is ranked second in the Big Sky Conference averaging 3.85 kills per set...Taylar Barney is eighth in the league with a .304 attack mark...Jennifer Lundquist is listed sixth in the Big Sky averaging 9.73 assists per set...Nicole Baker is listed fourth in the league averaging .41 service aces per game and 10th in digs with 3.34 saves per outing...Taylar Barney is ranked fifth in the Big Sky averaging 1.05 blocks per set... MSU's current 7-3 mark is its best record over the first ten matches to start a season since the 2004 Bobcats went 8-2.
GOLD DIGGER:
Montana State starting libero Nicole Baker established herself as one of the top defensive players in the Big Sky Conference last season, after averaging a whopping 5.0 digs per set in league play. In addition, the Pleasanton, Calif., native recorded 514 digs to set a new Montana State mark for digs in a single-season. The old record of 495 digs had been held by Kandice Kelly since the 2005 campaign. Baker notched a career-best 30 digs against Northern Arizona, last year. Currently, she is averaging a team-best 3.34 digs, which ranks among the Big Sky's top 10. Baker has registered seven matches in double-digits saves, including a season-best 27 digs in MSU's win over Niagara in early September.
TURNING THE PAGE:
Prior to this season, senior Macy Page had totaled 113 career kills, including a career-best 17 kills against Loyola-Chicago. She had also played in 170 sets and averaged .66 kills per outing. Now, in just her senior season alone, the Orem, Utah, native has recorded 129 kills and is averaging 3.15 kills per set in only four weeks of action. Page has been in double-digit kills in eight matches this fall, including a new career-high of 22 in MSU's win over Niagara. Heading into the season, Page had a career attack mark of .116. Her current hitting percentage sits at an impressive .266. Page has also chipped in 21 total blocks, which matches her three-year career total, as well.
HARD BLOCK CAFE`:
For the first time since the 2007 season the Montana State front line is averaging over 2.00 blocks per game. MSU is currently knocking down 2.07 blocks per contest. Guiding the Bobcats is senior Taylar Barney, who is fifth in the Big Sky Conference averaging 1.05 blocks per set. True freshman Natalee Godfrey is second on the team at .82 per stanza. The last time a Bobcat player averaged over 1.00 blocks per set for a season was Angela Wiebe (1.08 bps) in 2006.
SERVING NOTICE:
Currently, the Bobcats are averaging 1.46 service aces per set, which is the third best overall mark in the Big Sky Conference. Montana State is listed second in the category in league action at 1.33 per set. This season, MSU is out acing its opponents 60-37 and is 7-0 in matches where it holds the ace advantage. Individually, junior Nicole Baker paces the team at .41 per game. In Big Sky play, true freshman Eli Svisco leads MSU at .56 per contest.
A LENDING HAND:
Senior Jennifer Lundquist has seen her assists per set average rise along with MSU's early season success. Last fall, the Surrey, British Columbia native averaged 9.11 assists per game. This season, Lundquist is currently sixth in the Big Sky Conference averaging 9.73 assists per contest. In MSU's 3-2 win over Niagara on Sept. 7, she established a new career-high dishing out 57 assists. In addition, Lundquist is a triple threat on the court as well. She has posted three double-doubles this fall and is averaging 2.27 digs and .61 kills per game. Her current .415 attack mark leads the team and she has committed just three hitting errors on 53 attempts to date.
FACT OF THE WEEK:
Four players have earned MSU's Player of the Week honor this fall; however the 'Cats haven't had a Big Sky POW since 2004.
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