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. 7
The 2012 Bobcats
Everyone loves an underdog. And that's exactly what the Bobcats were heading into the 2012 campaign.
Picked last in the preseason Big Sky Conference Coaches poll, the Bobcats finished the conference slate in dramatic fashion.
Front Row (l to r); Nicole Baker, Jennifer Lundquist, Kasey Schlatter
Middle: Megan Spofford, Eli Svisco, Leigh Stonerook, Macy Page, Zoe Gogan
Back: Sarah Horton, Natalee Godfrey, Taylar Barney
Hollywood couldn't have scripted it better. Montana State needed to defeat its arch nemesis Montana to finish sixth and earn the final spot in the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
"Every year I get one of those Facebook memory notices and the Cat-Griz match from 2012 always pops up," said former Montana State standout libero Nicole (Baker) Ferriter. "That was the last match of the season and we had to get the win to get into the tournament. We were coming off a four-match slide, so we were a bit shaken going in.
"I remember we were all excited and we were pumped to be playing at Montana," Ferriter added. "We played in their small gym where the fans are right on top of you and you hear everything they have to say. The pressure was huge, and we were nervous because we had lost in five to them in Bozeman. Everything clicked for us in that match and I can still remember match point."
Behind 21 kills, a .267 attack mark and eight digs from Sarah Horton, the Bobcats handed the Griz a 25-22, 23-25, 25-18, 28-26 setback in the West Auxiliary Gym (WAG). Also contributing were Macy Page with 15 kills, Eli Svisco with nine kills, 15 digs and four blocks, Jennifer Lundquist with 55 assists and 19 digs, and Baker with 18 digs. The middle blocking tandem of Taylar Barney and Natalee Godfrey combined for 17 kills and 11 blocks.
"Montana always put us in a visiting locker room that was nothing more than a football bathroom," Ferriter laughed. "It didn't even have lockers. But that didn't keep us from having a great post-match celebration. Everyone was crying and so excited because it was the first time a Bobcat team was heading to the Big Sky Tournament in almost seven years."
The foundation for the team's success in 2012 was laid during the spring under the direction of newly hired head coach Kyle Weindel. Weindel came to MSU from Ohio and brought a new offense to Bozeman.
"Kyle implemented a new offense which was a big change," Ferriter said. "It was much faster and more up-tempo than what was being played in the Big Sky. I think Sarah and Macy really benefitted from the change and both had amazing seasons."
Horton, a junior from Fresno, Calif., finished the season with 497 kills, which still ranks third on MSU's al-time single-season kill chart. Page, a senior from Orem, Utah, had a break-out season playing on the right-side posting 371 kills.
For their efforts, Horton was named First-Team All-Big Sky Conference, while Page garnered honorable mention kudos. Horton was the last Bobcat to be named first-team before Allyssa Rizzo, Evi Wilson and Hannah Scott captured the honor in 2019.
The Bobcats went 6-2 in preseason tournaments with its two losses (Santa Clara 3-2, Ohio 3-0) coming against squads that posted 20 wins or more. Santa Clara went on to the NCAA tournament.
"We gained a lot of confidence with our preseason play," Ferriter said. "We were very focused going into our first match at North Dakota. UND was new to the league and I think they had dominated their conference. It was great to come out of there with a win."
MSU would go on to post a 15-14 overall mark and a 9-11 Big Sky ledger. The Cats played in eleven matches that went five sets and notched a 7-4 mark in those contests. In addition, MSU played eight matches in Big Sky play that went the distance, posting a 5-3 mark.
"We spent a lot of time in practice simulating the intensity of a five-set match," Ferriter said. "We had a lot of five setters in previous years and we wanted to be on the winning side."
Aside from the victory at Montana, the biggest win of the season came against Idaho State. The Bengals were a 20-win squad and were sitting second in the Big Sky. MSU handed ISU a 25-21, 25-23, 21-25, 22-25, 15-12 setback in Shroyer Gym.
"We had so many close matches and it was a big accomplishment to make the tournament," Ferriter said. "Making the tournament was huge. It was a great experience because it had been a long time since the program had made the postseason. We wanted to be successful and it was great to see our hard work pay dividends. It was a dream season for our seniors and a sweet payoff."
MSU fell to Northern Arizona in the first-round of the Big Sky Tournament, but it will be the determined attitude and competitive nature of Ferriter, Lundquist, Barney, Page, Horton, Godfrey, Svisco, Kasey Schlatter, Zoe Gogan, and Megan Spofford that will be long remembered in the annals of Bobcat volleyball.
Sideouts: Setter Jennifer Lundquist would go on to play for the Canadian National Team, she was also part of the Canadian national team at the 2014 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in Italy…Lundquist finished her career with 2,500 assists, which ranks third on MSU's all-time assists chart…her 1,244 assists in 2012 was the sixth best ever recorded in a single season…Lundquist is currently a firefighter in Hope, British Columbia…Nicole Baker married former Bobcat track and field standout Sean Ferriter…Baker finished the 2012 season with 449 digs, which is sixth best in a single season…Baker's career total of 1,564 digs ranks fourth all-time…Sarah Horton transferred to Boise State after her junior season, while freshman Leigh Stonerook moved on to Grand Canyon…Baker, who had 13 digs in MSU's 3-2 loss to Santa Clara in 2012, is a former Bronco ball girl. Growing up in the Bay Area, Baker spent her childhood shagging balls at Santa Clara.
Head Coach: Kyle Weindel – Los Angeles, Calif.
Assistant Coach: Jennifer LaRoy – Pullman, Wash.
Assistant Coach: Josh Pickard – Albany, N.Y.
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!
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