Friday, September 15
Irvine, CA
1 p.m.
Montana State University
at
UC Irvine
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Cats Travel to Southern California
9/14/2017 3:55:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
After taking last weekend off from action and hosting its annual alumni match, the Montana State volleyball team will complete its non-conference schedule in southern California this weekend as UC Irvine and Long Beach State combine forces for a five team tournament.
THE UCI/LONG BEACH STATE TOURNAMENT:
After taking last weekend off from action and hosting its annual alumni match, the Montana State volleyball team will complete its non-conference schedule in southern California this weekend as UC Irvine and Long Beach State combine forces for a five team tournament. MSU will face UCI and CSU Bakersfield on Friday, before moving on to Long Beach on Saturday. The Cats will not face the University of San Francisco, the fifth team in the tournament.
Friday: 1 p.m. Montana State at UC Irvine (all times MST)
6 p.m. Montana State vs. CSU Bakersfield (at UCI)
Saturday: 8 p.m. Montana State at Long Beach State
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE UCI-LONG BEACH STATE TOURNAMENT:
Here is a closer look at this week's opponents.
Opponent: UC Irvine
Nickname: Anteaters
Head Coach: Ashlie Hain (34-34 - 3rd Year)
2017 Record: 8-1 overall; 0-0 Big West
Opponent: CSU Bakersfield
Nickname: Roadrunners
Head Coach: Giovana Melo (47-48 - 4th Year)
2017 Record: 4-7 overall; 0-0 WAC
Opponent: Long Beach State
Nickname: 49ers
Head Coach: Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer (1-9 - 1st Year)
2017 Record: 1-9 overall; 0-0 Big West
CATCH THE CATS:
Pluto TV – Channel 238 for Montana State Big Sky Match Broadcasts
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.
Live Video Stream - All three Montana State matches will be streamed live this weekend. See links on MSU volleyball schedule page at msubobcats.com
Live Stats – Also see links on volleyball schedule page at msubobcats.com
ON POINT WITH THE CATS:
*MSU is coming off its championship of the Utah State Tourney, Sept. 1-2
*The Bobcats have defeated teams from the West Coast (Gonzaga & Pacific), Big West (UCSB) and Mountain West (Utah State) Conferences this season
*The Cats are ranked 31st in the country averaging 2.65 blocks per contest
*The Cats are ranked 37th in the nation averaging .54 aces per set
*MSU is listed at 63rd in the country in opponent hitting percentage at .165
*True-freshman Kelsie White is ranked 12th in the nation averaging 1.62 bps
*Senior Kiana Black is listed 25th in the country averaging .54 aces per set
*Montana State is celebrating its 125th birthday during the 2017-18 season
SERVING NOTICE:
The Bobcats have done an outstanding job serving the ball in the early season. MSU has served-up 43 aces in the six matches, averaging 1.65 per set. The mark is the second best in the Big Sky Conference and ranks 35th in the nation. Individually, senior middle blocker Kiana Black's .54 aces per game ranks second in the Big Sky and 24th in the nation. True freshman Alexis Goroski's .46 service winners per frame are listed fifth the Big Sky and 50th in the country. In all, Black's 14 service aces are fifth highest in the conference and rank 94th in the nation at the NCAA Division I level.
BLOCK PARTY:
Montana State averaged a whopping 3.31 blocks per game en route to winning the Utah State Tournament. The Bobcats current average of 2.65 bps is the third highest in the Big Sky Conference and ranks 31st 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 outside hitter Evi Wilson also enjoyed a career performance with seven blocks, while senior middle blocker Kiana Black chipped in five block assists. White's 1.62 blocks per set ranks first in the Big Sky and is 12th best in the nation. The Layton, Utah product has notched the second highest blocks per set average in the nation for a freshman. 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 best blocker in the country in Ali Bastianelli at 2.00 blocks per game.
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, have accounted for almost half of MSU's digs this season. At the Utah State Tournament, the trio averaged an impressive 7.3 saves per game. For their efforts, Rizzo and Goroski were named to the USU All-Tournament team. Rizzo paces MSU in the back row averaging 3.96 digs, while Goroski chips in 1.73 saves per outing. Rizzo's 3.96 dps is seventh best in the Big Sky Conference.
BLACK AND WHITE:
Montana State middle blockers - senior Kiana Black and freshman Kelsie White - have been outstanding in the early season for the Bobcats. The duo has combined for 70 kills (2.69 kps) and 67 blocks (2.58), while hitting .176 from the field. Black, a native of Wenatchee, Wash., also added 14 service aces, including a career-high five aces against Air Force. She had her best hitting outing of the season at the Bobcat Classic with eight kills in MSU's win over Gonzaga. White, a product of Layton, Utah, has guided MSU defensively, averaging 1.62 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 1.50 kills per set, while hitting a team-high .240 from the field. The 6-4 true-freshman posted a season-best nine kills in Montana State's win over Utah State on Sept. 2.
SETTING STANDARDS:
Sophomore Sydney Mathison has received the starting nod for the Bobcats over the first two weeks of action. The Phoenix, Arizona product has played in all 26 sets and is averaging 8.77 assists per set, which is the seventh highest total in the Big Sky Conference. Mathison registered a career-high 50 assists in MSU's 3-2 win over Gonzaga on Aug. 26. At the Utah State Tournament, Mathison recorded her fifth career double-double against UC Santa Barbara, dishing out 40 assists and adding 12 digs. She is also third on the team with eight service aces and fourth with 15 total blocks.
PINTEREST:
For most of the early season, juniors Natalie Passeck and Chase Doughty, along with sophomore Evi Wilson, have manned the pins for the Bobcats. Passeck has led all MSU outside hitters averaging 3.00 kills per set, while Doughty has chipped in 2.62 and Wilson 2.00 per contest. In Montana State's win over Gonzaga on Aug. 26, Passeck paced the Cats with 17 kills, and followed that effort with 17 in MSU's victory over UC Santa Barbara. Doughty and Wilson each notched a career-high 14 kills against the Zags. 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. Against Pacific, Wilson recorded a career-high seven block assists. 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.
BOZEMAN'S OWN:
True-freshmen Allie Lynch saw her first action as a Bobcat and averaged 1.92 digs per set at the Utah State Tournament.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballMatt Houk Introductory Press Conference
Wednesday, January 18
Daniel Jones Weekly Press Conference
Monday, November 15
Bobcat Classic: Arkansas vs. Portland
Saturday, September 04
Bobcat Classic: Arkansas vs. Utah State
Friday, September 03
