Thursday, October 19
BOZEMAN
7 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Northern Arizona
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Cats Host Lumberjacks; Thunderbirds
10/18/2017 4:28:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
. The Bobcats open play against Northern Arizona, Thursday, Oct. 19 and conclude action with Southern Utah, Saturday, Oct. 21. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m.
MSU VB NOTES l NAU VB NOTES l SUU VB NOTES l LIVE STATS l LIVE VIDEO
CATS HOST SOUTH DIVISION TEAMS:
The Montana State volleyball team will host a pair of Big Sky Conference South Division teams this weekend in Shroyer Gym. MSU plays each South Division school once. The Bobcats open play against Northern Arizona, Thursday, Oct. 19 and conclude action with Southern Utah, Saturday, Oct. 21. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. Following this weekend's action, Montana State will play its next four matches on the road, beginning with Northern Colorado on Oct. 26.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS:
Here is a closer look at this week's opponents.
Opponent: Northern Arizona
Nickname: Lumberjacks
Head Coach: Ken Murphy (99-44 // 5 Years)
2017 Record: 7-12 overall; 3-5 Big Sky
Opponent: Southern Utah
Nickname: Thunderbirds
Head Coach: Craig Choate (97-112 // 8 Years)
2017 Record: 6-14 overall; 1-7 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:
* NAU holds a 37-21 lead in its all-time series with MSU dating back to 1987
* The Lumberjacks have won four straight from MSU going back to 11/16/13
* MSU's last win over No. Arizona (3-2) came on Oct. 11, 2013 in Bozeman
* The 'Jacks split last week losing to SAC (3-1) & defeating Portland St. (3-1)
* The Cats hold a 5-3 lead in its all-time series with So. Utah dating back to '79
* Montana State won its lone match at Southern Utah (3-0) last year on Oct. 22
* MSU's last loss to the Thunderbirds (3-0) was Oct. 8, 2015 in Bozeman
*Last weekend, SUU got swept at both Sacramento State and Portland 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 seven matches
* Sophomore Allyssa Rizzo ranks fourth in the Big Sky at 4.90 digs per set
* 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:
Northern Arizona (7-12, 3-5): The Lumberjacks began last week with an impressive upset of Portland State, but then lost on Saturday to Sacramento State. Abby Akin has certainly picked up the defensive effort as the sophomore ranks second in the Big Sky in total blocks (38) since league play began. Southern Utah (6-14, 1-7): The T-Birds got swept by both Sacramento State and Portland State last week. Middle blocker Anna Cox, just a freshman, is third best in the league with 1.19 blocks per set in league play.
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS:
Montana State started great in all three sets. Unfortunately, Northern Colorado used a scrappy defense and missed opportunities by the Bobcats to sweep MSU 25-19, 25-22, 25-19 on Saturday night. MSU played its best ball in the second frame getting out to a 13-8 advantage following kill by senior Kiana Black. A Natalie Passeck winner gave MSU a 15-11 cushion and a UNC ball-handling error saw the Bobcats hold a 21-18 margin before a Bear timeout. UNC responded with a 7-1 run to close out the set. Passeck paced the Bobcats with nine kills, while Hannah Scott added eight. Defensively, sophomore libero Allyssa Rizzo posted a match-high 22 digs, while Passeck and Scott added 11 and ten, respectively. Savannah Laws and Black guided the Cats at the net with four blocks, apiece. On Friday, for most of the match, the Bobcat volleyball team went toe-to-toe with the defending Big Sky champs. In the end, MSU's miscues handed North Dakota a 25-21, 25-20, 25-20 victory. Passeck paced the Cats with 11 kills, while Kelsie White and Laws added eight, apiece. Defensively, MSU was led by Rizzo with a match-high 17 digs. Also in double-digits digs was Katie Rutecki with 11. Rutecki dished out 28 assists as well, for her second straight double-double. "When teams put pressure on us we are not able to respond. The challenge for us is not to give up the big runs. We're right there in it, and then we have lapses in concentration and attention to detail. We've got to figure it out. We're making life really difficult for ourselves," said head coach Daniel Jones. "We're working hard on self-belief and we're working hard to instill it. The girls are working hard to have it. It's just a challenge when you give up those runs to keep believing and pushing through it."
SERVING NOTICE:
The Bobcats have done an outstanding job serving the ball in this season. MSU has served-up 84 aces in 17 matches, averaging 1.25 per set. The mark is the sixth best in the Big Sky Conference and ranks 171st in the nation. Individually, senior middle blocker Kiana Black's .34 aces per game is seventh in the Big Sky and 133rd in the nation. Freshman Lexie Goroski is ninth in the Big Sky Conference, averaging .30 aces per set. Last weekend, the Phoenix native posted one of MSU's two aces.
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 1.67 blocks per set last weekend in Big Sky action. The Bobcats current average of 2.13 bps is eighth in the Big Sky and ranks 132nd in the nation. MSU's best block party of the season came in its win over Pacific on Sept. 2 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 1.21 blocks per set ranks sixth in the Big Sky and is 69th in the nation. The Layton, Utah product has notched the eighth 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 1.80 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 7.22 saves per game over the last 17matches. 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 4.30 digs, while Goroski chips in 1.78, Lynch 1.38 dps and Christensen 1.33. Rizzo's 4.30 digs per set is the sixth 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 212 kills (3.17 kps) and 128 blocks (1.91 bps), while hitting .199 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 1.21 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 1.48 kills per set, while hitting .206. The 6-4 true-freshman posted a season-best 13 kills in Montana State's win over Weber State on Oct. 5 in Ogden, Utah.
SETTING STANDARDS:
Senior Katie Rutecki and sophomore Sydney Mathison have shared the setting position this season. 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 5.78 apg in 32 sets played. Mathison, a product of Phoenix, Arizona as played in 56 sets and is averaging 7.62 assists per set, which is the ninth 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 on Oct. 5.
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 2.93 kills per set, while Doughty has chipped in 2.27, Scott 2.22, Wilson 1.46 and Laws 1.44 kills per contest. In Montana State's win over Weber State on Oct. 5, 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 Oct. 5 with a team-high 18 kills. For the match, she hit .357 (18-3-42) from the floor.
CATS HOST SOUTH DIVISION TEAMS:
The Montana State volleyball team will host a pair of Big Sky Conference South Division teams this weekend in Shroyer Gym. MSU plays each South Division school once. The Bobcats open play against Northern Arizona, Thursday, Oct. 19 and conclude action with Southern Utah, Saturday, Oct. 21. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. Following this weekend's action, Montana State will play its next four matches on the road, beginning with Northern Colorado on Oct. 26.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS:
Here is a closer look at this week's opponents.
Opponent: Northern Arizona
Nickname: Lumberjacks
Head Coach: Ken Murphy (99-44 // 5 Years)
2017 Record: 7-12 overall; 3-5 Big Sky
Opponent: Southern Utah
Nickname: Thunderbirds
Head Coach: Craig Choate (97-112 // 8 Years)
2017 Record: 6-14 overall; 1-7 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:
* NAU holds a 37-21 lead in its all-time series with MSU dating back to 1987
* The Lumberjacks have won four straight from MSU going back to 11/16/13
* MSU's last win over No. Arizona (3-2) came on Oct. 11, 2013 in Bozeman
* The 'Jacks split last week losing to SAC (3-1) & defeating Portland St. (3-1)
* The Cats hold a 5-3 lead in its all-time series with So. Utah dating back to '79
* Montana State won its lone match at Southern Utah (3-0) last year on Oct. 22
* MSU's last loss to the Thunderbirds (3-0) was Oct. 8, 2015 in Bozeman
*Last weekend, SUU got swept at both Sacramento State and Portland 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 seven matches
* Sophomore Allyssa Rizzo ranks fourth in the Big Sky at 4.90 digs per set
* 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:
Northern Arizona (7-12, 3-5): The Lumberjacks began last week with an impressive upset of Portland State, but then lost on Saturday to Sacramento State. Abby Akin has certainly picked up the defensive effort as the sophomore ranks second in the Big Sky in total blocks (38) since league play began. Southern Utah (6-14, 1-7): The T-Birds got swept by both Sacramento State and Portland State last week. Middle blocker Anna Cox, just a freshman, is third best in the league with 1.19 blocks per set in league play.
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS:
Montana State started great in all three sets. Unfortunately, Northern Colorado used a scrappy defense and missed opportunities by the Bobcats to sweep MSU 25-19, 25-22, 25-19 on Saturday night. MSU played its best ball in the second frame getting out to a 13-8 advantage following kill by senior Kiana Black. A Natalie Passeck winner gave MSU a 15-11 cushion and a UNC ball-handling error saw the Bobcats hold a 21-18 margin before a Bear timeout. UNC responded with a 7-1 run to close out the set. Passeck paced the Bobcats with nine kills, while Hannah Scott added eight. Defensively, sophomore libero Allyssa Rizzo posted a match-high 22 digs, while Passeck and Scott added 11 and ten, respectively. Savannah Laws and Black guided the Cats at the net with four blocks, apiece. On Friday, for most of the match, the Bobcat volleyball team went toe-to-toe with the defending Big Sky champs. In the end, MSU's miscues handed North Dakota a 25-21, 25-20, 25-20 victory. Passeck paced the Cats with 11 kills, while Kelsie White and Laws added eight, apiece. Defensively, MSU was led by Rizzo with a match-high 17 digs. Also in double-digits digs was Katie Rutecki with 11. Rutecki dished out 28 assists as well, for her second straight double-double. "When teams put pressure on us we are not able to respond. The challenge for us is not to give up the big runs. We're right there in it, and then we have lapses in concentration and attention to detail. We've got to figure it out. We're making life really difficult for ourselves," said head coach Daniel Jones. "We're working hard on self-belief and we're working hard to instill it. The girls are working hard to have it. It's just a challenge when you give up those runs to keep believing and pushing through it."
SERVING NOTICE:
The Bobcats have done an outstanding job serving the ball in this season. MSU has served-up 84 aces in 17 matches, averaging 1.25 per set. The mark is the sixth best in the Big Sky Conference and ranks 171st in the nation. Individually, senior middle blocker Kiana Black's .34 aces per game is seventh in the Big Sky and 133rd in the nation. Freshman Lexie Goroski is ninth in the Big Sky Conference, averaging .30 aces per set. Last weekend, the Phoenix native posted one of MSU's two aces.
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 1.67 blocks per set last weekend in Big Sky action. The Bobcats current average of 2.13 bps is eighth in the Big Sky and ranks 132nd in the nation. MSU's best block party of the season came in its win over Pacific on Sept. 2 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 1.21 blocks per set ranks sixth in the Big Sky and is 69th in the nation. The Layton, Utah product has notched the eighth 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 1.80 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 7.22 saves per game over the last 17matches. 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 4.30 digs, while Goroski chips in 1.78, Lynch 1.38 dps and Christensen 1.33. Rizzo's 4.30 digs per set is the sixth 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 212 kills (3.17 kps) and 128 blocks (1.91 bps), while hitting .199 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 1.21 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 1.48 kills per set, while hitting .206. The 6-4 true-freshman posted a season-best 13 kills in Montana State's win over Weber State on Oct. 5 in Ogden, Utah.
SETTING STANDARDS:
Senior Katie Rutecki and sophomore Sydney Mathison have shared the setting position this season. 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 5.78 apg in 32 sets played. Mathison, a product of Phoenix, Arizona as played in 56 sets and is averaging 7.62 assists per set, which is the ninth 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 on Oct. 5.
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 2.93 kills per set, while Doughty has chipped in 2.27, Scott 2.22, Wilson 1.46 and Laws 1.44 kills per contest. In Montana State's win over Weber State on Oct. 5, 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 Oct. 5 with a team-high 18 kills. For the match, she hit .357 (18-3-42) 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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