Montana State University
Idaho State
BOBCATS FINISH OUT BIG SKY CONFERENCE SEASON HOME & AWAY
11/13/2018 2:33:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Montana State volleyball squad enters its final week of regular-season Big Sky Conference play. The Bobcats will host Idaho State on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in Shroyer Gym. The match will be Senior Night as the Bobcats honor its lone senior Natalie Passeck.
BOBCATS FINISH OUT BIG SKY CONFERENCE SEASON HOME & AWAY:
The Montana State volleyball squad enters its final week of regular-season Big Sky Conference play. The Bobcats will host Idaho State on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in Shroyer Gym. The match will be Senior Night as the Bobcats honor its lone senior Natalie Passeck. MSU will then make the trip to Ogden, Utah and face Weber State, Saturday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. in Swenson Gym. The Bobcats, who secured its first Big Sky Tournament appearance since 2012 last weekend, will travel to the league championship Nov. 22-24 in Greeley, Colorado.
CLINCHED:
The Bobcats officially clinched a sport in the Big Sky Tournament last Saturday, despite a 3-1 setback to league-leading Idaho. MSU holds tiebreakers over Montana, Portland State and Southern Utah, which ensures them a trip to the league dance for the first time since 2012 and just the second visit since 2005.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS:
Idaho State and Weber State are both tied for third place in the Big Sky standings. Last weekend, ISU swept a pair of home matches against Portland State (3-0) and Sacramento State (3-1). On the season, the Bengals are paced by Abby Garrity, who averages 3.94 kills and 2.26 digs per set. Weber State defeated SAC (3-1) and PSU (3-0) last week. Andrea Hales leads WSU at 3.63 kps.
SIDE OUTS:
* The Cats trail Idaho State 40-32 in the all-time series dating back to Sept. 23, 1978
* Montana State has dropped seven straight to ISU. MSU's last win was Sept. 28, 2012
* The Bobcats hold a slim 37-36 edge in its all-time series with Weber State
* MSU has won the last two outings against the Wildcats, including a 3-2 win last fall
* Junior libero Allyssa Rizzo is fourth on MSU's career digs list with 1,412 saves
* Rizzo is third in the Big Sky at 5.46 digs per set, which ranks 17th nationally
* Thirteen of MSU's 17 rostered players have been in the program two years or less
* Montana State is averaging 1,066 fans per match, which ranks 47th in the nation
SUPER SAVER:
Junior libero Allyssa Rizzo, who has earned two Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors this season, averaged 6.43 digs and 1.14 assists last weekend. The product of Crestwood, Ill., posted 45 digs in seven sets, including 31 saves against Eastern Washington for a whopping 10.3 digs per set. Rizzo has gone over the 30-dig plateau on five occasions this fall, including a career high 34 digs in MSU's win over Portland State and loss to Southern Utah. In addition, she has notched 16 matches with 20 or more digs. Her current 568 digs on the year is the most ever recorded in a single-season at Montana State. Nicole Baker (2011) held the Bobcat single-season record at 514. Rizzo is second in the Big Sky averaging 5.46 digs per set, which also ranks No. 17 in the nation. She has notched 1,412 career digs, which moved her into fourth on MSU's all-time career digs chart.
PINTREST:
As a unit Montana State's outside hitters manned the pins last weekend producing 77 kills, while hitting an impressive .251 from the floor. In addition, the foursome tallied 32 digs and added nine blocks. Junior Evi Wilson led the way for MSU with 21 kills and a .340 attack mark against Eastern Washington and Idaho. Freshman Hailey Merkes averaged 2.71 kills per game, while hitting .310. Sophomore Hannah Scott averaged 2.71 kills and 2.00 digs with a .185 attack mark while taking 54 swings. Senior Natalie Passeck produced 2.57 kills per set with a .197 attack mark, along with 2.00 digs per set, an ace and a block.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING:
As a team, the Bobcats ranked in the top five in three Big Sky statistical category this week. Montana State was ranked third in digs per set at 15.71 per game, fourth in attack per set at 36.14, and fifth in team digs with 1,640 saves. Nationally, the Cats are ranked 110th in digs per set, 104th in attack per set, and 108th in team digs. Individually, Allyssa Rizzo ranks among the best liberos in the nation. Her 5.46 digs per set is second in the Big Sky and ranks 17th nationally. Rizzo is also ranked No. 19 in the nation in total digs, No. 66 in aces (37) and No. 90 in aces per set (.37). Sophomore middle blocker Kelsie White's 100 total blocks is rankled No. 186 in the nation.
HARD BLOCK CAFE:
Last season in MSU's win over Pacific, freshman Kelsie White notched 15 blocks, including 14 block assists. The 14 blocks assist was a Bobcat school-record, breaking the mark of 13 held by Karen Weyler (1994) and Mindy Nowak (1998). The 15 blocks were the second highest total in the nation last fall, and White's 1.08 blocks per game were the 13th best average produced by a freshmen in the country. The Layton, Utah native is currently ranked 180th in the nation with 94 total blocks, while her .99 blocks per set is listed 221st nationally.
THE RIGHT STUFF:
The Bobcats ended the 2017 season ranked No. 213 in the final RPI, which was a 46-spot leap up the rankings from 259 at the end of the 2016 season. In all, the Bobcats defeated five teams ranked higher than themselves in the final RPI, including No. 71 North Dakota, No. 99 Pacific, No. 151 Gonzaga, No. 164 Utah State and No. 182 UC Santa Barbara. This season, Montana State is currently No. 249 in the Nitty-Gritty listings. Northern Arizona is the highest ranked Big Sky team at No. 121. Montana State's best wins of the season have been over No. 123 SMU and No. 223 Canisius.
IT'S ALL-ACADEMIC:
Six Bobcat players that received All-Big Sky Conference Academic accolades in 2017 return to the MSU rotation. They include Lexi Goroski, Libby Christensen, Sydney Mathison, Hannah Scott, Allyssa Rizzo and Kelsie White.
1,000-KILL CLUB:
Senior Natalie Passeck is closing in on becoming just the 16th member of Montana State's 1000-Kill Club. The last member of the club, Kim Stonehouse, made the list in 2006. Here's a look at MSU's all-time career kills list.
1. Diane Terrall, 78-81.......... 1,451
2. Brandy Anderson, 95-98... 1,380
3. Maggie Koughan, 82-85.... 1,328
4. Stephanie Laya, 97-00 ..... 1,260
5. Meggie Malyurek, 02-05.. 1,136
6. Moyra Ditchfield, 80-83.... 1,135
7. Kim Stonehouse, 03-06.... 1,129
8. Megan Zanto, 02-05......... 1,128
9. Kim Steffel, 89-92............ 1,108
10. Michelle Usitalo, 81-84..... 1,060
11. Cori Carper, 96-99............ 1,058
12. Mindy Nowak, 96-99 ...... 1,044
13. Stephanie Nowicki, 86-89. 1,033
14. Karen Weyler, 94-97........ 1,026
15. Aimee Halyk, 99-02.......... 1,014
--- Natalie Passeck, 15---...... 979
1,000-DIG CLUB:
Junior Allyssa Rizzo became the just the ninth member of Montana State's 1,000-Dig Club when she notched 23 saves against Louisiana on Sept. 7. The last member of the club, Kasey Schlatter, made the list in 2014. Here's a look at MSU's all-time career digs list.
1. Kandice Kelly, 03-06......... 1,720
2. Meghan Albiston, 07-10... 1,577
3. Nicole Baker, 10-13.......... 1,564
4. Allyssa Rizzo, 16--............ 1,412
5. Kamber Kelly, 01-04......... 1,262
6. Meggie Malyurek, 02-05.. 1,223
7. Stephanie Laya, 97-00...... 1,183
8. Mindy Nowak, 96-99........ 1,073
9. Kasey Schlatter, 11-14 1,059
