A Walk In Time: 1997
10/16/2020 7:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The shot heard around Syracuse reverberated throughout New York’s Finger Lakes region.
When the Bobcat volleyball coaches approached me to do a top 20 countdown of the all-time greatest players during my era with the program, I instantly hesitated. The reason: I didn't want to step on any toes because Montana State has had a plethora of talented athletes since my first year in 1988, which was also the first season women competed under the Big Sky Conference umbrella.
I knew if I had to list players from 1-20 my Facebook message box would light-up with former athletes putting in their two cents. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy corresponding with former players and the group I usually hear from holds a special place in my heart. They were good, funny, and full of shenanigans.
So, as I thought about the list, the idea to do a top 10 favorite teams list suddenly became much more palatable. Over the course of the next ten weeks, while we all look for things to do with our Thursday and Saturday nights without volleyball in Shroyer Gym, I will revisit ten teams which during my 32 years covering the Cats standout in the back of my cobwebbed mind. Again, these are not necessarily the best teams, but the teams that have had an impact on Bobcat Athletics, Montana State University, and my career as Sports Information Director.
I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that before the Bobcats started play in the Big Sky Conference, there were some amazing teams in the '70s and early '80s led by some of the best coaches in the country. Names like Terrall, Moe, McKinzie, Williams-McMullan, Wagner, McCanlies, Ditchfield, Kinney, Usitalo, Koughan, Ryan, Cruz, Griffith and Dirks set the foundation for what Bobcat volleyball is today, and they will always be remembered in the annals of Bobcat history.
No. 5
The 1997 Bobcats
The shot heard around Syracuse reverberated throughout New York's Finger Lakes region.
The shot came off the swing of senior and future Bobcat Hall of Famer Karen Weyler as Montana State faced the Orangewomen in the championship match of the Syracuse Invitational.
Syracuse had watched the Bobcats defeat Colgate and James Madison, and despite seeing a talented MSU squad, gave no respect to Montana State, led by its fans who constantly moo-ed the Cats.
The Orange engaged in a little trash talking in the early going of the match, but that was about to end abruptly.
Following a Bobcat time out, MSU set its all-conference middle blocker. And Weyler delivered.
"We came into the match with a little chip on our shoulders," Weyler said. "Usually, I ignored the trash talking, but they were getting me riled-up, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. I remember Coach Watson, in his lovely, calm way, say during the time out 'let's get a good pass, a good set and get it to the middle.' Everything went perfectly and I hit it as hard as I could."
The resulting six-pack- a volleyball term which refers to the dizzying sensation of being hit directly in the head or face by a volleyball as being analogous to the dizzying sensation of having drunk a six pack of beer- rendered the Syracuse setter silent.
"At the time, we used a left-side overload in our offense," said then assistant coach Jason Watson, who is now head coach at Arkansas. "Not too many programs were running the set. Syracuse's outside was playing on the antenna, which gave Weyler a one-on-one opportunity. And we knew it wasn't going to work out so well for the Orange."
Twenty-three years later, Cori Carper, who was MSU's other starting middle blocker exclaimed 'Weyler demolished her face. It was awesome.'
The Syracuse setter would eventually be okay, but the message was sent, and the Bobcats cruised to a 15-5, 15-5, 15-8 victory to win the tournament title.
The 1997 squad went on to a 19-12 overall mark and a 9-7 Big Sky Conference record. The Bobcat offense was one of the most efficient in school history, while the defense rallied around a strong blocking game.
As a team, MSU finished the season hitting an impressive .252 from the field, while averaging 15.03 kills per set. Setter Brooke Olsen dished out 12.76 assists per game running a balanced attack led by Weyler.
Weyler, a graduate of Billings Senior, put up All-America numbers. She finished with 353 kills, while hitting a whopping .393 and adding 1.22 blocks per set. Weyler, who earned Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year honors, earned honorable mention kudos as a sophomore, second-team accolades as a junior, capped her final season being named to the league's first-team.
"I remember not wanting it to end," Weyler said. "I enjoyed Bozeman so much and it was a great experience. I didn't want to leave. I wish we had one more year with that corps group because we were just starting to gel. I loved everything about my time playing for the Cats. The community support, the big crowds, having faculty at our matches- everyone just embraced us, and it was a really good feeling."
Aside from Wyler, another future Bobcat Hall of Famer, Brandy Anderson, was establishing herself as one of the top players in the Big Sky Conference. Anderson, from Silver Spring, Md., ended the season with 455 kills, which still ranks among the top 10 single-season outcomes in school history. She also added 318 digs.
Mindy Nowak, a sophomore from Marysville, Wash., posted 330 kills, a .288 attack mark and 93 blocks, gave MSU a solid source on the right-side. Carper complemented Weyler and finished with 239 kills, a .309 attack mark and 133 total blocks in the middle. The final outside hitting spot went to freshman Stephanie Laya out of Ranchester, Wyo. The freshman had an instant impact pounding down 292 kills, while adding 254 digs.
MSU's starting rotation was backed up by a solid group including its other senior, Jenny Cook from Missoula, along with Heather Dolan, Shannon Kemper, Tennille Upham, Andrea Bruch, Ashley Wyatt, and Bobbi Stoltz.
"I had two choices for my first coaching job," Watson said. "I knew absolutely nothing about Dave Gantt, but I didn't want to live in San Jose. My wife and I chose Bozeman and it turned into a wonderful, grounding situation.
"The team was a mishmash of people from all over the place," Watson commented. "East coast people; Montana people; an Australian. I was thinking 'what did these people all have in common?' They had nothing in common. But we had a good setter, middles that were physical and just good people all-around. They all wanted to be the best MSU had ever had. They all bought in. Coach Gantt recruited solid individuals that wanted to set the bar high."
The Bobcats battled throughout the Big Sky season, which included a six-match winning streak with notable victories at Sacramento State and Montana. Rivalries with the Hornets and Eastern Washington were epic and became part of the folklore of MSU volleyball.
One such story included the husband of MSU assistant coach Jennifer Streatfeild Michalczik chasing EWU's assistant coach on to his teams' bus in the Shroyer Gym parking lot following some not so kind words going through the line at the end of the match.
And, as the 1997 media guide touted as its theme, it was the 'Glory Days' as the Bobcat program had been resurrected under Gantt with a rag-tag bunch of great kids, including the Treasure State's own Karen Weyler.
"It meant a lot to be a Montana kid on the team," Weyler said. "I didn't fully appreciate that fact until I got a little older. I had opportunities to go out of state to play, but I'm glad I didn't. As I went through the four years, it became a point of pride for me, because it proved a Montana kid could achieve on a national level."
Indeed, it did.
Sideouts: Weyler came from an athletic family. Her father Hilmer was an All-America boxer at Cal Poly, her sister Linda was the Big Sky Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year at Montana in 1999-2000, and brother David played football as a defensive end and special teams player for the Bobcats in 2000 and 2001…David walked-on to the MSU football team after serving in the US Marines as a lance corporal. Following the 2001 season he was called back into service following the 9/11 attacks…Weyler was inducted into the Bobcat Hall of Fame in 2010…Brandy Anderson was inducted into the Bobcat Hall of Fame in 2017…Brooke Olsen's son Sam recently committed to play football at Stanford…Heather Dolan's son Riley is a member of the state-ranked Billings West football team…The weekend MSU played at Syracuse was one of those 'where were you when…' moments. That weekend, on Aug. 31, Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris…MSU was also able to take in a quick trip to Niagara Falls during the Syracuse trip…said Weyler 'playing for MSU took me all over the country to places I'd never been before.'…following her playing days, Weyler served as an assistant coach at Rider University from 1999-2000…Jason Watson and his Razorback squad will open its season at Mississippi State this weekend. Its match with the Bulldogs can be seen on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. (MST) on ESPNU…Jenny Cook married former Bobcat basketball standout Adam Leachman
1997 Roster:
1 – Andrea Bruch – S – 5-7 – Jr., - Lusk, Wyo.
3 – Bobbi Stoltz – OH – 6-0 – So., - Laurel, Mont.
4 – Heather Dolan – DS – 5-6 – So., - Billings, Mont.
5 – Stephanie Laya – OH – 5-10 – Fr., - Ranchester, Wyo.
6 – Julia Handwerk – MB – 6-0 – Fr., - Great Falls, Mont.
7 – Ashley Wyatt – MB – 6-2 – Fr., - Deer Lodge, Mont.
8 – Karen Weyler – MB – 6-2 – Sr., - Billings, Mont.
9 – Tennille Upham – OH – 5-11 – Jr., - Spanish Fork, Utah
10 – Brooke Olsen – S – 5-8 – So., - North Potomac, Md.
11 – Jenny Cook – OH – 5-11 – Sr., - Missoula, Mont.
12 – Brandy Anderson – OH – 6-0 – Jr., - Silver Spring, Md.
13 – Mindy Nowak – OH – 5-10 – So., - Marysville, Wash.
14 – Cori Carper – MB – 6-1 – So., - Lander, Wyo.
15 – Shannon Kemper – OH – 6-0 – Jr., - Bozeman, Mont.
Head Coach: Dave Gantt; Assistant Coaches: Jennifer Streatfeild-Michalczik, Jason Watson
Where Are They Now:
1 – Andrea Bruch Busby – Brock, Texas
3 – Bobbi Stoltz – Laurel, Mont.
4 – Heather Dolan Bergeson – Billings, Mont.
5 – Stephanie Laya Maughan – Bozeman, Mont.
6 – Julia Handwerk Fitzpatrick – Great Falls, Mont.
7 – Ashley Wyatt Welch – Boise, Idaho
8 – Karen Weyler Massey – Oland Park, Ill.
9 – Tennille Upham – Lehi, Utah
10 – Brooke Olsen Roush – San Jose, Calif.
11 – Jenny Cook Leachman – Billings, Mont.
12 – Brandy Anderson Archdale – Lakeville, Minn.
13 – Mindy Nowak Staudinger – Snohomish, Wash.
14 – Cori Carper Jones – Cranford, N.J.
15 – Shannon Kemper Lundgren – Bozeman, Mont.
Head Coach: Dave Gantt – Great Falls, Mont.
Assistant Coach: Jennifer Streatfeild-Michalczik – Corvallis, Ore.
Assistant Coach: Jason Watson – Fayetteville, Ark.
.
If any former alum would like to reconnect with Bobcat Volleyball or update their current whereabouts, please email Tom Schulz, Sports Information, with your contact information – tschulz@msubobcats.com We would love to hear from you!
As Montana State Athletics strives to develop the best and brightest student-athletes, support for the Bobcat Club Annual Scholarship Fund is crucial now more than ever. Donating to the Bobcat Club Annual Scholarship Fund's Plant The Flag initiative ensures not only that the 350-plus Bobcat student-athletes will continue to receive the resources needed to succeed in and out of competition, but that Montana State Athletics will rise above the pack stronger.
For more information about the Plant The Flag initiative, visit MSUBobcatClub.com or contact a member of the Bobcat Club staff.
I knew if I had to list players from 1-20 my Facebook message box would light-up with former athletes putting in their two cents. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy corresponding with former players and the group I usually hear from holds a special place in my heart. They were good, funny, and full of shenanigans.
So, as I thought about the list, the idea to do a top 10 favorite teams list suddenly became much more palatable. Over the course of the next ten weeks, while we all look for things to do with our Thursday and Saturday nights without volleyball in Shroyer Gym, I will revisit ten teams which during my 32 years covering the Cats standout in the back of my cobwebbed mind. Again, these are not necessarily the best teams, but the teams that have had an impact on Bobcat Athletics, Montana State University, and my career as Sports Information Director.
I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that before the Bobcats started play in the Big Sky Conference, there were some amazing teams in the '70s and early '80s led by some of the best coaches in the country. Names like Terrall, Moe, McKinzie, Williams-McMullan, Wagner, McCanlies, Ditchfield, Kinney, Usitalo, Koughan, Ryan, Cruz, Griffith and Dirks set the foundation for what Bobcat volleyball is today, and they will always be remembered in the annals of Bobcat history.
No. 5
The 1997 Bobcats
The shot heard around Syracuse reverberated throughout New York's Finger Lakes region.
The shot came off the swing of senior and future Bobcat Hall of Famer Karen Weyler as Montana State faced the Orangewomen in the championship match of the Syracuse Invitational.
Syracuse had watched the Bobcats defeat Colgate and James Madison, and despite seeing a talented MSU squad, gave no respect to Montana State, led by its fans who constantly moo-ed the Cats.
The Orange engaged in a little trash talking in the early going of the match, but that was about to end abruptly.
Following a Bobcat time out, MSU set its all-conference middle blocker. And Weyler delivered.
"We came into the match with a little chip on our shoulders," Weyler said. "Usually, I ignored the trash talking, but they were getting me riled-up, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. I remember Coach Watson, in his lovely, calm way, say during the time out 'let's get a good pass, a good set and get it to the middle.' Everything went perfectly and I hit it as hard as I could."
The resulting six-pack- a volleyball term which refers to the dizzying sensation of being hit directly in the head or face by a volleyball as being analogous to the dizzying sensation of having drunk a six pack of beer- rendered the Syracuse setter silent.
"At the time, we used a left-side overload in our offense," said then assistant coach Jason Watson, who is now head coach at Arkansas. "Not too many programs were running the set. Syracuse's outside was playing on the antenna, which gave Weyler a one-on-one opportunity. And we knew it wasn't going to work out so well for the Orange."
Twenty-three years later, Cori Carper, who was MSU's other starting middle blocker exclaimed 'Weyler demolished her face. It was awesome.'
The Syracuse setter would eventually be okay, but the message was sent, and the Bobcats cruised to a 15-5, 15-5, 15-8 victory to win the tournament title.
The 1997 squad went on to a 19-12 overall mark and a 9-7 Big Sky Conference record. The Bobcat offense was one of the most efficient in school history, while the defense rallied around a strong blocking game.
As a team, MSU finished the season hitting an impressive .252 from the field, while averaging 15.03 kills per set. Setter Brooke Olsen dished out 12.76 assists per game running a balanced attack led by Weyler.
Weyler, a graduate of Billings Senior, put up All-America numbers. She finished with 353 kills, while hitting a whopping .393 and adding 1.22 blocks per set. Weyler, who earned Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year honors, earned honorable mention kudos as a sophomore, second-team accolades as a junior, capped her final season being named to the league's first-team.
"I remember not wanting it to end," Weyler said. "I enjoyed Bozeman so much and it was a great experience. I didn't want to leave. I wish we had one more year with that corps group because we were just starting to gel. I loved everything about my time playing for the Cats. The community support, the big crowds, having faculty at our matches- everyone just embraced us, and it was a really good feeling."
Aside from Wyler, another future Bobcat Hall of Famer, Brandy Anderson, was establishing herself as one of the top players in the Big Sky Conference. Anderson, from Silver Spring, Md., ended the season with 455 kills, which still ranks among the top 10 single-season outcomes in school history. She also added 318 digs.
Mindy Nowak, a sophomore from Marysville, Wash., posted 330 kills, a .288 attack mark and 93 blocks, gave MSU a solid source on the right-side. Carper complemented Weyler and finished with 239 kills, a .309 attack mark and 133 total blocks in the middle. The final outside hitting spot went to freshman Stephanie Laya out of Ranchester, Wyo. The freshman had an instant impact pounding down 292 kills, while adding 254 digs.
MSU's starting rotation was backed up by a solid group including its other senior, Jenny Cook from Missoula, along with Heather Dolan, Shannon Kemper, Tennille Upham, Andrea Bruch, Ashley Wyatt, and Bobbi Stoltz.
"I had two choices for my first coaching job," Watson said. "I knew absolutely nothing about Dave Gantt, but I didn't want to live in San Jose. My wife and I chose Bozeman and it turned into a wonderful, grounding situation.
"The team was a mishmash of people from all over the place," Watson commented. "East coast people; Montana people; an Australian. I was thinking 'what did these people all have in common?' They had nothing in common. But we had a good setter, middles that were physical and just good people all-around. They all wanted to be the best MSU had ever had. They all bought in. Coach Gantt recruited solid individuals that wanted to set the bar high."
The Bobcats battled throughout the Big Sky season, which included a six-match winning streak with notable victories at Sacramento State and Montana. Rivalries with the Hornets and Eastern Washington were epic and became part of the folklore of MSU volleyball.
One such story included the husband of MSU assistant coach Jennifer Streatfeild Michalczik chasing EWU's assistant coach on to his teams' bus in the Shroyer Gym parking lot following some not so kind words going through the line at the end of the match.
And, as the 1997 media guide touted as its theme, it was the 'Glory Days' as the Bobcat program had been resurrected under Gantt with a rag-tag bunch of great kids, including the Treasure State's own Karen Weyler.
"It meant a lot to be a Montana kid on the team," Weyler said. "I didn't fully appreciate that fact until I got a little older. I had opportunities to go out of state to play, but I'm glad I didn't. As I went through the four years, it became a point of pride for me, because it proved a Montana kid could achieve on a national level."
Indeed, it did.
Sideouts: Weyler came from an athletic family. Her father Hilmer was an All-America boxer at Cal Poly, her sister Linda was the Big Sky Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year at Montana in 1999-2000, and brother David played football as a defensive end and special teams player for the Bobcats in 2000 and 2001…David walked-on to the MSU football team after serving in the US Marines as a lance corporal. Following the 2001 season he was called back into service following the 9/11 attacks…Weyler was inducted into the Bobcat Hall of Fame in 2010…Brandy Anderson was inducted into the Bobcat Hall of Fame in 2017…Brooke Olsen's son Sam recently committed to play football at Stanford…Heather Dolan's son Riley is a member of the state-ranked Billings West football team…The weekend MSU played at Syracuse was one of those 'where were you when…' moments. That weekend, on Aug. 31, Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris…MSU was also able to take in a quick trip to Niagara Falls during the Syracuse trip…said Weyler 'playing for MSU took me all over the country to places I'd never been before.'…following her playing days, Weyler served as an assistant coach at Rider University from 1999-2000…Jason Watson and his Razorback squad will open its season at Mississippi State this weekend. Its match with the Bulldogs can be seen on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. (MST) on ESPNU…Jenny Cook married former Bobcat basketball standout Adam Leachman
1997 Roster:
1 – Andrea Bruch – S – 5-7 – Jr., - Lusk, Wyo.
3 – Bobbi Stoltz – OH – 6-0 – So., - Laurel, Mont.
4 – Heather Dolan – DS – 5-6 – So., - Billings, Mont.
5 – Stephanie Laya – OH – 5-10 – Fr., - Ranchester, Wyo.
6 – Julia Handwerk – MB – 6-0 – Fr., - Great Falls, Mont.
7 – Ashley Wyatt – MB – 6-2 – Fr., - Deer Lodge, Mont.
8 – Karen Weyler – MB – 6-2 – Sr., - Billings, Mont.
9 – Tennille Upham – OH – 5-11 – Jr., - Spanish Fork, Utah
10 – Brooke Olsen – S – 5-8 – So., - North Potomac, Md.
11 – Jenny Cook – OH – 5-11 – Sr., - Missoula, Mont.
12 – Brandy Anderson – OH – 6-0 – Jr., - Silver Spring, Md.
13 – Mindy Nowak – OH – 5-10 – So., - Marysville, Wash.
14 – Cori Carper – MB – 6-1 – So., - Lander, Wyo.
15 – Shannon Kemper – OH – 6-0 – Jr., - Bozeman, Mont.
Head Coach: Dave Gantt; Assistant Coaches: Jennifer Streatfeild-Michalczik, Jason Watson
Where Are They Now:
1 – Andrea Bruch Busby – Brock, Texas
3 – Bobbi Stoltz – Laurel, Mont.
4 – Heather Dolan Bergeson – Billings, Mont.
5 – Stephanie Laya Maughan – Bozeman, Mont.
6 – Julia Handwerk Fitzpatrick – Great Falls, Mont.
7 – Ashley Wyatt Welch – Boise, Idaho
8 – Karen Weyler Massey – Oland Park, Ill.
9 – Tennille Upham – Lehi, Utah
10 – Brooke Olsen Roush – San Jose, Calif.
11 – Jenny Cook Leachman – Billings, Mont.
12 – Brandy Anderson Archdale – Lakeville, Minn.
13 – Mindy Nowak Staudinger – Snohomish, Wash.
14 – Cori Carper Jones – Cranford, N.J.
15 – Shannon Kemper Lundgren – Bozeman, Mont.
Head Coach: Dave Gantt – Great Falls, Mont.
Assistant Coach: Jennifer Streatfeild-Michalczik – Corvallis, Ore.
Assistant Coach: Jason Watson – Fayetteville, Ark.
.
If any former alum would like to reconnect with Bobcat Volleyball or update their current whereabouts, please email Tom Schulz, Sports Information, with your contact information – tschulz@msubobcats.com We would love to hear from you!
As Montana State Athletics strives to develop the best and brightest student-athletes, support for the Bobcat Club Annual Scholarship Fund is crucial now more than ever. Donating to the Bobcat Club Annual Scholarship Fund's Plant The Flag initiative ensures not only that the 350-plus Bobcat student-athletes will continue to receive the resources needed to succeed in and out of competition, but that Montana State Athletics will rise above the pack stronger.
For more information about the Plant The Flag initiative, visit MSUBobcatClub.com or contact a member of the Bobcat Club staff.
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