Friday, September 1
Logan, UT
4 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
UC Santa Barbara
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Cats Head to Utah State Tourney
8/31/2017 4:48:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
After posting a 1-2 mark at its own Bobcat Classic last weekend, the Montana State volleyball team will take to the road for their first outing of the season. MSU will travel to Logan, Utah to participate in the Utah State Tournament, Sept. 1-2.
THE UTAH STATE TOURNAMENT:
After posting a 1-2 mark at its own Bobcat Classic last weekend, the Montana State volleyball team will take to the road for their first outing of the season. MSU will travel to Logan, Utah to participate in the Utah State Tournament, Sept. 1-2. Also participating with MSU and USU will be UC Santa Barbara and Pacific. The schedule for the weekend is as follows:
Friday:
4 p.m. -Montana State vs. UC Santa Barbara
7 p.m. -Pacific vs. Utah State
Saturday:
10 a.m. -Pacific vs. UC Santa Barbara
12 p.m. -Montana State at Utah State
4:30 p.m. -Montana State vs. Pacific
7 p.m. -UC Santa Barbara vs. Utah State
Opponent: UC Santa Barbara
Nickname: Gauchos
Head Coach: Marc Swindle (55-60/5 Years)
2017 Record: 0-3 overall; 0-0 Big West
Opponent: Utah State
Nickname: Aggies
Head Coach: Grayson DuBose (168-168 - 11 Years)
2017 Record: 2-1 overall; 0-0 Mountain West
Opponent: Pacific
Nickname: Tigers
Head Coach: Greg Gibbons (129-85 - 8 Year)
2017 Record: 1-2 overall; 0-0 West Coast
ON POINT WITH THE CATS:
* MSU is 1-2 after playing in its own Bobcat Classic last weekend in Bozeman
* MSU's lone victory was a 3-2 decision over West Coast foe Gonzaga
* The Bobcats are 4-8 all-time against Utah State dating back to 1979
* The Bobcats fell to Utah State 25-15, 25-16, 25-19 last season at DU Tourney
* MSU has never faced Pacific and is 0-2 vs UCSB since the 1984 season
* The Bobcats return ten players, including five starters and its libero from '16
* Sixty-nine percent of MSU's roster is comprised of sophomores & freshmen
* Montana State is celebrating its 125th birthday during the 2017-18 season
SERVING NOTICE:
The Bobcats did an outstanding job serving the ball in the opening weekend of the season. MSU served-up 21 aces in the three matches, averaging 1.62 per set. The mark is the fourth best in the Big Sky Conference and ranks 74th in the nation. Its 21 total aces ranks 33rd in the country. Individually, true freshman Alexis Goroski's eight aces were the 12th best total in the nation in the opening weekend of action at the NCAA Division I level. Her .62 aces per game is second best in the league and ranks 43rd overall. Senior Kiana Black also had a good weekend from the endline with seven aces, which is 22nd in the nation, while her .54 aces per set ranks 100th overall.
BLOCK PARTY:
Montana State averaged 2.00 blocks per game during the Bobcat Classic. The mark is sixth best in the Big Sky after the opening weekend. MSU's best block party came in its win over Gonzaga as the Cats out-blocked the Zags 13-9. Freshman Kelsie Whiter posted a career-best eight blocks, while junior Chase Doughty registered a career-high 7 block assists. Sophomore setter Sydney Mathison also posted a career-best with six block assists, while Kiana Black added five. White's 1.08 blocks per set ranks ninth in the league. Illinois, who left the Bobcat Classic with a perfect 3-0 record, finished the weekend as the nation's best blocking team, averaging 4.20 per set. The Fighting Illini's Ali Bastianelli ranks first in the country averaging 2.50 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 Alexis Goroski and Libby Christensen, accounted for half of MSU's digs last weekend. The threesome averaged 4.69 saves per game - led by Rizzo at 2.77 per set.
BLACK AND WHITE:
Montana State middle blockers - senior Kiana Black and freshman Kelsie White - had an outstanding opening weekend for the Bobcats. The duo combined for 32 kills (2.46 kps) and 26 blocks (2.00), while hitting .183 from the field. Black, a native of Wenatchee, Wash., also added seven service aces, including a career-high five aces against Air Force. She had her best hitting outing of the Bobcat Classic against Gonzaga with eight kills. White, a product of Layton, Utah, guided MSU defensively, averaging 1.08 blocks per set.
SETTING STANDARDS:
Sophomore Sydney Mathison received the starting nod for the Bobcats over the weekend. The Phoenix, Arizona product played in all 13 sets and averaged 8.92 assists per game. Mathison registered a career-high 50 assists in MSU's 3-2 win over Gonzaga. She also notched 11 digs for her fourth career double-double. In addition, Mathison posted a career-high six blocks and had three aces to knock off the Bulldogs.
PINTEREST:
For most of the Bobcat Classic last weekend, juniors Natalie Passeck and Chase Doughty, along with sophomore Evi Wilson, manned the pins. Passeck led all MSU outside hitters averaging 3.00 kills per set, while Doughty chipped in 2.67 and Wilson 2.00 per contest. In Montana State's win over Gonzaga, Passeck paced the Cats with 17 kills, while Doughty and Wilson each notched a career-high 14 kills. Wilson, a native of Vancouver, Wash., also tallied her first career double-double with 11 digs. Doughty, a product of Pleasant View, Utah, logged a career-best seven block assists in the win, as well.
After posting a 1-2 mark at its own Bobcat Classic last weekend, the Montana State volleyball team will take to the road for their first outing of the season. MSU will travel to Logan, Utah to participate in the Utah State Tournament, Sept. 1-2. Also participating with MSU and USU will be UC Santa Barbara and Pacific. The schedule for the weekend is as follows:
Friday:
4 p.m. -Montana State vs. UC Santa Barbara
7 p.m. -Pacific vs. Utah State
Saturday:
10 a.m. -Pacific vs. UC Santa Barbara
12 p.m. -Montana State at Utah State
4:30 p.m. -Montana State vs. Pacific
7 p.m. -UC Santa Barbara vs. Utah State
Opponent: UC Santa Barbara
Nickname: Gauchos
Head Coach: Marc Swindle (55-60/5 Years)
2017 Record: 0-3 overall; 0-0 Big West
Opponent: Utah State
Nickname: Aggies
Head Coach: Grayson DuBose (168-168 - 11 Years)
2017 Record: 2-1 overall; 0-0 Mountain West
Opponent: Pacific
Nickname: Tigers
Head Coach: Greg Gibbons (129-85 - 8 Year)
2017 Record: 1-2 overall; 0-0 West Coast
ON POINT WITH THE CATS:
* MSU is 1-2 after playing in its own Bobcat Classic last weekend in Bozeman
* MSU's lone victory was a 3-2 decision over West Coast foe Gonzaga
* The Bobcats are 4-8 all-time against Utah State dating back to 1979
* The Bobcats fell to Utah State 25-15, 25-16, 25-19 last season at DU Tourney
* MSU has never faced Pacific and is 0-2 vs UCSB since the 1984 season
* The Bobcats return ten players, including five starters and its libero from '16
* Sixty-nine percent of MSU's roster is comprised of sophomores & freshmen
* Montana State is celebrating its 125th birthday during the 2017-18 season
SERVING NOTICE:
The Bobcats did an outstanding job serving the ball in the opening weekend of the season. MSU served-up 21 aces in the three matches, averaging 1.62 per set. The mark is the fourth best in the Big Sky Conference and ranks 74th in the nation. Its 21 total aces ranks 33rd in the country. Individually, true freshman Alexis Goroski's eight aces were the 12th best total in the nation in the opening weekend of action at the NCAA Division I level. Her .62 aces per game is second best in the league and ranks 43rd overall. Senior Kiana Black also had a good weekend from the endline with seven aces, which is 22nd in the nation, while her .54 aces per set ranks 100th overall.
BLOCK PARTY:
Montana State averaged 2.00 blocks per game during the Bobcat Classic. The mark is sixth best in the Big Sky after the opening weekend. MSU's best block party came in its win over Gonzaga as the Cats out-blocked the Zags 13-9. Freshman Kelsie Whiter posted a career-best eight blocks, while junior Chase Doughty registered a career-high 7 block assists. Sophomore setter Sydney Mathison also posted a career-best with six block assists, while Kiana Black added five. White's 1.08 blocks per set ranks ninth in the league. Illinois, who left the Bobcat Classic with a perfect 3-0 record, finished the weekend as the nation's best blocking team, averaging 4.20 per set. The Fighting Illini's Ali Bastianelli ranks first in the country averaging 2.50 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 Alexis Goroski and Libby Christensen, accounted for half of MSU's digs last weekend. The threesome averaged 4.69 saves per game - led by Rizzo at 2.77 per set.
BLACK AND WHITE:
Montana State middle blockers - senior Kiana Black and freshman Kelsie White - had an outstanding opening weekend for the Bobcats. The duo combined for 32 kills (2.46 kps) and 26 blocks (2.00), while hitting .183 from the field. Black, a native of Wenatchee, Wash., also added seven service aces, including a career-high five aces against Air Force. She had her best hitting outing of the Bobcat Classic against Gonzaga with eight kills. White, a product of Layton, Utah, guided MSU defensively, averaging 1.08 blocks per set.
SETTING STANDARDS:
Sophomore Sydney Mathison received the starting nod for the Bobcats over the weekend. The Phoenix, Arizona product played in all 13 sets and averaged 8.92 assists per game. Mathison registered a career-high 50 assists in MSU's 3-2 win over Gonzaga. She also notched 11 digs for her fourth career double-double. In addition, Mathison posted a career-high six blocks and had three aces to knock off the Bulldogs.
PINTEREST:
For most of the Bobcat Classic last weekend, juniors Natalie Passeck and Chase Doughty, along with sophomore Evi Wilson, manned the pins. Passeck led all MSU outside hitters averaging 3.00 kills per set, while Doughty chipped in 2.67 and Wilson 2.00 per contest. In Montana State's win over Gonzaga, Passeck paced the Cats with 17 kills, while Doughty and Wilson each notched a career-high 14 kills. Wilson, a native of Vancouver, Wash., also tallied her first career double-double with 11 digs. Doughty, a product of Pleasant View, Utah, logged a career-best seven block assists in the win, as well.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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