Friday, October 13
BOZEMAN
7 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
North Dakota
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Bobcats Host North Dakota, Northern Colorado in Shroyer Gym
10/11/2017 1:35:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Montana State volleyball team will return to the confines of Shroyer Gym this weekend. Moving from the traditional Thursday/Saturday matches, the Bobcats will host North Dakota on Friday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.
Bobcat Match Notes l UND Match Notes l UNC Match Notes l Watch Live l Live Stats
HOME SWEET HOME:
The Montana State volleyball team will return to the confines of Shroyer Gym this weekend. Moving from the traditional Thursday/Saturday matches, the Bobcats will host North Dakota on Friday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. MSU will turn-around to face Northern Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. Saturday's contest against the Bears has been designated as Montana State's 'Pink Match' to support breast cancer awareness - those wearing pink admitted for $3.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS:
Here is a closer look at this week's opponents.
Opponent: North Dakota
Nickname: Fighting Hawks
Head Coach: Mark Pryor (92-36 // 4th Year)
2017 Record: 19-4 overall; 4-2 Big Sky
Opponent: Northern Colorado
Nickname: Bears
Head Coach: Lyndsey Oates (222-164 // 13th Year)
2017 Record: 9-10 overall; 2-4 Big Sky
CATCH THE CATS:
Pluto TV – Pluto TV is the leading free Internet-based TV service that is available on almost any device such as Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation, Xbox, and smart TVs like Sony, Samsung, Vizio and more. Pluto TV is also available through a free app on mobile and table devices (i.e. iOS and Android), as well as traditional PCs. All content on Pluto TV is free, including its Video on Demand.
For Montana State matches this weekend - Pluto TV Channel 238
Live Video Stream: Also available at WatchBigSky.com
Live Stats: For Montana State matches this weekend - Bobcatstats.com
ON POINT WITH THE CATS:
* UND holds a 9-2 lead in its all-time series with MSU dating back to 2009
* The Fighting Hawks have won eight straight over the Bobcats
* MSU's last win over North Dakota (3-2) came on Oct. 20, 2012 in Bozeman
* The Fighting Hawks dropped both matches last week at SAC & Portland St.
* No. Colorado leads the all-time series 21-3 with MSU dating back to 1981
* The Bears have won 22 straight matches over the Bobcats
* MSU's last win over No. Colorado (3-1) was Sept. 10, 2005 in Bozeman
* Last week, UNC lost matches at Portland State and Sacramento State
* Montana State dropped its third five-set match of the year at Idaho State
* The Cats have gone five-sets in three of its last five matches and are 1-2
* The Bobcats saw its two-match win streak snapped at Idaho St. on Saturday
* The attendance for the Shake Shroyer (UM) match was 1,500 fans on 9/30/17
* Montana State is celebrating its 125th birthday during the 2017-18 season
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
North Dakota (19-4, 4-2): The Fighting Hawks dropped a close match at Sacramento State in a showdown of unbeaten. UND also suffered a 3-1 setback to Portland State to go 0-2 last week. Senior setter Sydney Griffin provided a spark in the form of the Big Sky's first triple-double this season. Griffin logged 42 assists, 19 digs and 10 blocks against Sacramento State. In other news, senior middle hitter Faith Dooley now ranks third in Big Sky history with 494 career block assists. Northern Colorado (9-10, 2-4): The Bears suffered losses to Portland State and Sacramento State last week. Outside hitter Kortney Lockey continues to spur on the Bears offense, collecting 28 total kills in her last two matches. Lockey also has a total of six double-doubles on the year.
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS:
After jumping out to a 2-0 advantage, the Montana State volleyball team was unable to close out the match as Idaho State rallied for a 26-28, 20-25, 25-15, 25-17, 15-12 win over the Bobcats, Saturday night in Reed Gym. ISU took a 6-3 lead in the fifth set, before MSU tied the game at 6-6 on a Kiana Black kill. The Bengals scored three straight to take a 9-6 advantage and held the lead until an Idaho State hitting miscue evened the frame at 12-12. The Bengals reeled off the last three points of the match on a Bobcat hitting error followed by two kills. Natalie Passeck guided MSU with a team-high 17 kills, while Hannah Scott added ten. Defensively, the Cats were led by Allyssa Rizzo with 30 digs, while Kelsie White and Savannah Laws chipped in six blocks, apiece. The Montana State volleyball team rallied from a 2-1 deficit to notch a 23-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-23, 15-12 win over Weber State for its first Big Sky Conference road win of the season, Thursday night. Scott, a freshman from Hawthorne, Calif., finished with a season-best 18 kills to pace Montana State. She also added ten digs for a double-double. Also in double-digit kills were Passeck 16, White 13 and Black 11. Besides notching a career-high in kills, White, playing just miles from her hometown of Layton, recorded a season-best .435 attack mark and added a team-high nine blocks. Sophomore setter Sydney Mathison dished out 55 assists, while adding six kills and nine digs. Defensively, Rizzo registered 26 digs, while Laws added six blocks.
SERVING NOTICE:
The Bobcats have done an outstanding job serving the ball in this season. MSU has served-up 82 aces in 15 matches, averaging 1.34 per set. The mark is the fifth best in the Big Sky Conference and ranks 123rd in the nation. Individually, senior middle blocker Kiana Black's .38 aces per game is fourth in the Big Sky and 91st in the nation. In all, Black's 23 service aces are the sixth highest in the conference and ranks 155th in the nation at the NCAA Division I level. Freshman Lexie Goroski is tenth in the Big Sky Conference, averaging .31 aces per set.
BLOCK PARTY:
Montana State averaged a whopping 3.31 blocks per game en route to winning the Utah State Tournament in early September and have continued its impressive effort averaging 2.50 blocks per set last weekend in Big Sky action. The Bobcats current average of 2.18 bps is seventh in the Big Sky and ranks 114th in the nation. MSU's best block party of the season came in its win over Pacific as the Cats out-blocked the Tigers 20-6. Freshman Kelsie White posted a school-record and career-best 14 block assists, and finished the match with 15 total blocks. Sophomore Evi Wilson also enjoyed a career performance with seven blocks, while Kiana Black chipped in five block assists against the Tigers. White's 1.27 blocks per set ranks sixth in the Big Sky and is 53rd in the nation. The Layton, Utah product has notched the sixth highest blocks per set average in the nation for freshmen. In addition, White's 15 total blocks against Pacific are the highest total in the nation for a five-set match this season. Illinois, who left the Bobcat Classic with a perfect 3-0 record, is one of the nation's top blocking teams, paced by the nation's best blocker Ali Bastianelli at 1.85 bps.
HELLO, MY NAME IS ____________:
Thirteen of MSU's 16 players on its roster have been in the program for two years or less. This season, the Bobcats welcomed six freshmen. Only three players (Kiana Black, Natalie Passeck and Chase Doughty) remain on the roster from the 2015 campaign, which was the first under then head coach JJ Riley and top assistant (now head) coach Daniel Jones.
DIGGING IT:
Sophomore libero Allyssa Rizzo, along with defensive specialists and freshmen Lexie Goroski, Libby Christensen and Allie Lynch have accounted for over half of MSU's digs this season. The foursome has averaged an impressive 7.10 saves per game over the last fifteen matches. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed as both Rizzo and Goroski were named to the Utah State All-Tournament team. Rizzo paces MSU in the back row averaging 4.08 digs, while Goroski chips in 1.77, Christensen 1.39 saves and Lynch 1.38 dps. Rizzo's 4.08 digs per set is eighth best mark in the Big Sky Conference this fall.
BLACK AND WHITE:
Montana State middle blockers senior Kiana Black and freshman Kelsie White have been outstanding for the Bobcats this season. The duo has combined for 192 kills (3.15 kps) and 120 blocks (1.97 bps), while hitting .209 from the field. Black, a native of Wenatchee, Wash., also added 23 service aces, including a career-high five aces against Air Force. She had her best hitting outing of the season with 13 kills in MSU's five-set loss to Long Beach State. White, a product of Layton, Utah, has guided MSU defensively, averaging 1.27 blocks per set. Against Pacific, she registered 14 blocks assists, establishing a new MSU school-record. White broke the mark of 13 block assists previously held by Karen Weyler ('94) and Mindy Nowak ('98). Offensively, White is averaging 1.47 kills per set, while hitting .212. The 6-4 true-freshman posted a season-best 13 kills in Montana State's win over Weber State, last Thursday night in Ogden.
SETTING STANDARDS:
Senior Katie Rutecki and sophomore Sydney Mathison have shared the setting position this season. Mathison, a product of Phoenix, Arizona as played in 53 sets and is averaging 7.81 assists per set, which is the eighth highest total in the Big Sky Conference. Mathison registered a career-high 55 assists in MSU's 3-2 win over Weber State and averaged 10.0 assists per set last weekend. Rutecki, a native of Burbank, Calif., received her first start of the year against Eastern Washington on Sept. 23 and promptly dished out 46 assists. She is averaging 5.46 apg in 26 sets played.
PINTEREST:
For most of the season to date, juniors Natalie Passeck and Chase Doughty, along with sophomores Evi Wilson, Savannah Laws and freshman Hannah Scott have manned the pins for the Bobcats. Passeck has led all MSU outside hitters averaging 2.88 kills per set, while Doughty has chipped in 2.29, Scott 2.28, Wilson 1.56 and Laws 1.42 kills per contest. In Montana State's win over Weber State on Thursday night, Passeck paced the Cats with 17 kills. It was the third time this season the Parker, Colorado product has tallied 17. Doughty and Wilson each notched a career-high 14 kills against Gonzaga on Aug. 26. Doughty matched her career-high with 14 kills in MSU's win over UCSB, as well. Wilson, a native of Vancouver, Wash., tallied her first career double-double against Gonzaga posting 14 kills and 11 digs. Doughty, a product of Pleasant View, Utah, has also found success at the net for MSU, logging a career-best seven block assists versus Gonzaga. Laws recorded a season-best ten kills at Eastern Washington, while Scott's best offensive performance came in MSU's win over Weber State on Thursday night with a team-high 18 kills. For the match, she hit .357 from the floor.
HOME SWEET HOME:
The Montana State volleyball team will return to the confines of Shroyer Gym this weekend. Moving from the traditional Thursday/Saturday matches, the Bobcats will host North Dakota on Friday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. MSU will turn-around to face Northern Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. Saturday's contest against the Bears has been designated as Montana State's 'Pink Match' to support breast cancer awareness - those wearing pink admitted for $3.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS:
Here is a closer look at this week's opponents.
Opponent: North Dakota
Nickname: Fighting Hawks
Head Coach: Mark Pryor (92-36 // 4th Year)
2017 Record: 19-4 overall; 4-2 Big Sky
Opponent: Northern Colorado
Nickname: Bears
Head Coach: Lyndsey Oates (222-164 // 13th Year)
2017 Record: 9-10 overall; 2-4 Big Sky
CATCH THE CATS:
Pluto TV – Pluto TV is the leading free Internet-based TV service that is available on almost any device such as Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation, Xbox, and smart TVs like Sony, Samsung, Vizio and more. Pluto TV is also available through a free app on mobile and table devices (i.e. iOS and Android), as well as traditional PCs. All content on Pluto TV is free, including its Video on Demand.
For Montana State matches this weekend - Pluto TV Channel 238
Live Video Stream: Also available at WatchBigSky.com
Live Stats: For Montana State matches this weekend - Bobcatstats.com
ON POINT WITH THE CATS:
* UND holds a 9-2 lead in its all-time series with MSU dating back to 2009
* The Fighting Hawks have won eight straight over the Bobcats
* MSU's last win over North Dakota (3-2) came on Oct. 20, 2012 in Bozeman
* The Fighting Hawks dropped both matches last week at SAC & Portland St.
* No. Colorado leads the all-time series 21-3 with MSU dating back to 1981
* The Bears have won 22 straight matches over the Bobcats
* MSU's last win over No. Colorado (3-1) was Sept. 10, 2005 in Bozeman
* Last week, UNC lost matches at Portland State and Sacramento State
* Montana State dropped its third five-set match of the year at Idaho State
* The Cats have gone five-sets in three of its last five matches and are 1-2
* The Bobcats saw its two-match win streak snapped at Idaho St. on Saturday
* The attendance for the Shake Shroyer (UM) match was 1,500 fans on 9/30/17
* Montana State is celebrating its 125th birthday during the 2017-18 season
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
North Dakota (19-4, 4-2): The Fighting Hawks dropped a close match at Sacramento State in a showdown of unbeaten. UND also suffered a 3-1 setback to Portland State to go 0-2 last week. Senior setter Sydney Griffin provided a spark in the form of the Big Sky's first triple-double this season. Griffin logged 42 assists, 19 digs and 10 blocks against Sacramento State. In other news, senior middle hitter Faith Dooley now ranks third in Big Sky history with 494 career block assists. Northern Colorado (9-10, 2-4): The Bears suffered losses to Portland State and Sacramento State last week. Outside hitter Kortney Lockey continues to spur on the Bears offense, collecting 28 total kills in her last two matches. Lockey also has a total of six double-doubles on the year.
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS:
After jumping out to a 2-0 advantage, the Montana State volleyball team was unable to close out the match as Idaho State rallied for a 26-28, 20-25, 25-15, 25-17, 15-12 win over the Bobcats, Saturday night in Reed Gym. ISU took a 6-3 lead in the fifth set, before MSU tied the game at 6-6 on a Kiana Black kill. The Bengals scored three straight to take a 9-6 advantage and held the lead until an Idaho State hitting miscue evened the frame at 12-12. The Bengals reeled off the last three points of the match on a Bobcat hitting error followed by two kills. Natalie Passeck guided MSU with a team-high 17 kills, while Hannah Scott added ten. Defensively, the Cats were led by Allyssa Rizzo with 30 digs, while Kelsie White and Savannah Laws chipped in six blocks, apiece. The Montana State volleyball team rallied from a 2-1 deficit to notch a 23-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-23, 15-12 win over Weber State for its first Big Sky Conference road win of the season, Thursday night. Scott, a freshman from Hawthorne, Calif., finished with a season-best 18 kills to pace Montana State. She also added ten digs for a double-double. Also in double-digit kills were Passeck 16, White 13 and Black 11. Besides notching a career-high in kills, White, playing just miles from her hometown of Layton, recorded a season-best .435 attack mark and added a team-high nine blocks. Sophomore setter Sydney Mathison dished out 55 assists, while adding six kills and nine digs. Defensively, Rizzo registered 26 digs, while Laws added six blocks.
SERVING NOTICE:
The Bobcats have done an outstanding job serving the ball in this season. MSU has served-up 82 aces in 15 matches, averaging 1.34 per set. The mark is the fifth best in the Big Sky Conference and ranks 123rd in the nation. Individually, senior middle blocker Kiana Black's .38 aces per game is fourth in the Big Sky and 91st in the nation. In all, Black's 23 service aces are the sixth highest in the conference and ranks 155th in the nation at the NCAA Division I level. Freshman Lexie Goroski is tenth in the Big Sky Conference, averaging .31 aces per set.
BLOCK PARTY:
Montana State averaged a whopping 3.31 blocks per game en route to winning the Utah State Tournament in early September and have continued its impressive effort averaging 2.50 blocks per set last weekend in Big Sky action. The Bobcats current average of 2.18 bps is seventh in the Big Sky and ranks 114th in the nation. MSU's best block party of the season came in its win over Pacific as the Cats out-blocked the Tigers 20-6. Freshman Kelsie White posted a school-record and career-best 14 block assists, and finished the match with 15 total blocks. Sophomore Evi Wilson also enjoyed a career performance with seven blocks, while Kiana Black chipped in five block assists against the Tigers. White's 1.27 blocks per set ranks sixth in the Big Sky and is 53rd in the nation. The Layton, Utah product has notched the sixth highest blocks per set average in the nation for freshmen. In addition, White's 15 total blocks against Pacific are the highest total in the nation for a five-set match this season. Illinois, who left the Bobcat Classic with a perfect 3-0 record, is one of the nation's top blocking teams, paced by the nation's best blocker Ali Bastianelli at 1.85 bps.
HELLO, MY NAME IS ____________:
Thirteen of MSU's 16 players on its roster have been in the program for two years or less. This season, the Bobcats welcomed six freshmen. Only three players (Kiana Black, Natalie Passeck and Chase Doughty) remain on the roster from the 2015 campaign, which was the first under then head coach JJ Riley and top assistant (now head) coach Daniel Jones.
DIGGING IT:
Sophomore libero Allyssa Rizzo, along with defensive specialists and freshmen Lexie Goroski, Libby Christensen and Allie Lynch have accounted for over half of MSU's digs this season. The foursome has averaged an impressive 7.10 saves per game over the last fifteen matches. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed as both Rizzo and Goroski were named to the Utah State All-Tournament team. Rizzo paces MSU in the back row averaging 4.08 digs, while Goroski chips in 1.77, Christensen 1.39 saves and Lynch 1.38 dps. Rizzo's 4.08 digs per set is eighth best mark in the Big Sky Conference this fall.
BLACK AND WHITE:
Montana State middle blockers senior Kiana Black and freshman Kelsie White have been outstanding for the Bobcats this season. The duo has combined for 192 kills (3.15 kps) and 120 blocks (1.97 bps), while hitting .209 from the field. Black, a native of Wenatchee, Wash., also added 23 service aces, including a career-high five aces against Air Force. She had her best hitting outing of the season with 13 kills in MSU's five-set loss to Long Beach State. White, a product of Layton, Utah, has guided MSU defensively, averaging 1.27 blocks per set. Against Pacific, she registered 14 blocks assists, establishing a new MSU school-record. White broke the mark of 13 block assists previously held by Karen Weyler ('94) and Mindy Nowak ('98). Offensively, White is averaging 1.47 kills per set, while hitting .212. The 6-4 true-freshman posted a season-best 13 kills in Montana State's win over Weber State, last Thursday night in Ogden.
SETTING STANDARDS:
Senior Katie Rutecki and sophomore Sydney Mathison have shared the setting position this season. Mathison, a product of Phoenix, Arizona as played in 53 sets and is averaging 7.81 assists per set, which is the eighth highest total in the Big Sky Conference. Mathison registered a career-high 55 assists in MSU's 3-2 win over Weber State and averaged 10.0 assists per set last weekend. Rutecki, a native of Burbank, Calif., received her first start of the year against Eastern Washington on Sept. 23 and promptly dished out 46 assists. She is averaging 5.46 apg in 26 sets played.
PINTEREST:
For most of the season to date, juniors Natalie Passeck and Chase Doughty, along with sophomores Evi Wilson, Savannah Laws and freshman Hannah Scott have manned the pins for the Bobcats. Passeck has led all MSU outside hitters averaging 2.88 kills per set, while Doughty has chipped in 2.29, Scott 2.28, Wilson 1.56 and Laws 1.42 kills per contest. In Montana State's win over Weber State on Thursday night, Passeck paced the Cats with 17 kills. It was the third time this season the Parker, Colorado product has tallied 17. Doughty and Wilson each notched a career-high 14 kills against Gonzaga on Aug. 26. Doughty matched her career-high with 14 kills in MSU's win over UCSB, as well. Wilson, a native of Vancouver, Wash., tallied her first career double-double against Gonzaga posting 14 kills and 11 digs. Doughty, a product of Pleasant View, Utah, has also found success at the net for MSU, logging a career-best seven block assists versus Gonzaga. Laws recorded a season-best ten kills at Eastern Washington, while Scott's best offensive performance came in MSU's win over Weber State on Thursday night with a team-high 18 kills. For the match, she hit .357 from the floor.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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