Friday Digs: Allie Lynch
5/15/2020 1:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Every Friday from now until the beginning of the volleyball season will we spotlight a member of the Bobcat volleyball program. Now up: Allie Lynch.
Allie Lynch will anchor the Bobcat attack this fall at the setting position. Last season, the Bozeman High graduate established herself as one of the top setters in the Big Sky Conference, leading a resurgent Bobcat offense. Playing in all 29 matches and 112 sets, Lynch became a multi-dimensional value for MSU scoring points on the attack, from the service line and at the net as her blocking numbers increased. Defensively, she was third on the team in digs. Lynch is already leaving a mark in the Blue and Gold as she moved into MSU's all-time top 10 with a career 1,468 assists.
CATCHING UP WITH ALLIE:
1). Can you give us an update on your current status?
My time in quarantine hasn't been too bad. I've been in Bozeman since spring break and my roommates have been here with me for the majority of that time, so we've had each other to lean on during this strange time. I would say that the majority of the quarantine was spent doing schoolwork. The second half of the semester was definitely very different from anything I've done in college up until now, but I really enjoyed online school. Outside of studying and homework, I've been staying in touch with my teammates and coaches as well as working out and getting outside. My friends and I have done a few hikes since the weather has been nice and I think being outdoors has really helped our mental state during this time. Aside from hiking, we've done a few bike rides and have gotten into puzzles recently! It has been a nice change up from the things we normally do and having the time to do these activities is really fun. Although my time during quarantine was filled with fun activities, there was a point there in the middle where it was extremely stressful. One of my friends was diagnosed with COVID-19 and placed on a strict quarantine for two weeks. It definitely brought the issue close to home.
As for my thoughts on the whole Coronavirus in general, I really appreciate how our state government has handled the issue. I think that shutting down the state for the month of April was the right move for the general safety of everyone who lives or resides in our state. I applaud our healthcare workers for their service to our community as they put our health and safety ahead of their own.
2). How do you think the spring volleyball season was progressing before everything shut down?
Before the shutdown in March, our program was experiencing significant progress in the gym. With the addition of our new assistant coach, Carly, I think that our offense is headed in a really remarkable direction and I am very excited to get back to work this summer with my teammates! Summertime is a time that we train without the direction of our coaches so having clear instruction during the spring is something that is really important so we can keep working by ourselves during the summer. I think that the direction we were headed before the shutdown is unique to this program and I am excited to see it come to fruition in the coming months.
3). What are your goals heading into the fall and what are the expectations for the team?
The major goal for our program heading into the fall is to win a Big Sky Championship. This has never been accomplished by a Bobcat volleyball team and I personally think that this year we have all the right pieces to make it happen. We have been meeting through WebEx calls as a team during our time away from campus to expand on this goal and to continue progressing our program in the right direction. These culture meetings have been really important in guiding our team towards our ultimate goal of winning the Big Sky. I think it is also important to realize that this season may look significantly different than in recent years due to the public health crisis of COVID-19. Nonetheless, our team is focused on taking each day as it comes and ready to face any challenges that may be thrown at us during our season in the fall.
HEAD COACH DANIEL JONES ON ALLIE LYNCH:
"Since the day Allie stepped on campus as a freshman, having just graduated from Bozeman High, she has been a model of growth and dedication. Allie has approached her position as a setter with a level of commitment that sets the bar high for the entire team. Her dedication to film review, planning and preparation is leading the whole team in the right direction. I can't wait to get back in the gym with Allie and continue to see her growth. The way she is working combined with her thirst for knowledge and improvement put her on a trajectory to achieve special things this year and in the years to come."
LYNCH'S PLAYING BIO:
JUNIOR (2019):
Lynch saw action in all 29 matches and 112 sets at the setting position…dished out 1,116 assists and averaged 9.96 assists per set…her 9.96 aps ranked fourth in the Big Sky Conference…registered a season-high 51 assists against Loyola Maryland…also went over the 50 assist plateau with fifty against Northern Arizona in Bozeman…ended season with 77 kills (.69 kps), which included a season-best on two occasions against Idaho State and Northern Colorado in the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament…finished third on the team in aces with 22…had six multiple ace matches, including three to open the season against Little Rock and three to end the year versus Northern Colorado…also finished third on the team with 240 digs, averaging 2.14 per outing…had 12 double-digit dig matches, including a season-high 16 digs against both Northwestern State and Sacramento State…recorded 12 double-doubles…ended season with 64 blocks…tallied season-best five blocks against Seattle U…her 1,468 career assists ranks 10th all-time at Montana State…her 1,116 assists in 2019 is tenth on MSU's all-time single-season list.
SOPHOMORE (2018):
Played in 47 sets and received eight starts...dished out 347 assists, averaging 7.38 assists per set...posted a season-high 58 assists in Montana State's win over SMU...averaged 9.85 assists per game at TCU Classic facing Horned Frogs, SMU and Louisiana...totaled 20 kills on the season, including season-best dour kills against SMU...served up 10 aces, with a high of two on three occasions, the last coming against Southern Utah...recorded 79 digs, averaging 1.68 per set...was in double-digit digs on four occasions, with a season-high 14 against Louisiana...notched 14 total blocks...had season-best three blocks against LIU Brooklyn and Seattle U.
FRESHMAN (2017):
As a freshman, Lynch saw action in six matches and 24 sets...she finished the season with seven assists and 33 digs...averaged 1.38 saves per contest...notched a season-high 10 digs in Montana State's win over UC Santa Barbara...also recorded eight and seven digs, respectively against Utah State and Pacific...her three highest dig totals helped the Bobcats win the USU Aggies Tournament in early September...for the tournament , Lynch averaged 1.92 digs per set.
HIGH SCHOOL:
Lynch is no stranger to volleyball fans in the Gallatin Valley. As a junior, she guided Bozeman High to its first-ever Montana Class AA state title. As a senior, she captained the Hawks to a 23-5 overall mark and a state tournament appearance. For her efforts, Lynch was the 2016 Class AA Eastern Conference Player of the Year. A two-time first-team all-state and all-conference performer, Lynch also made great strides in the classroom garnering Montana academic all-state accolades on four occasions. During her tenure in the Red and Black, she led the Hawks to an overall 88-20 ledger under head coach Erika Gustavsen. In addition, Lynch lettered four year in track and field.
CATCHING UP WITH ALLIE:
1). Can you give us an update on your current status?
My time in quarantine hasn't been too bad. I've been in Bozeman since spring break and my roommates have been here with me for the majority of that time, so we've had each other to lean on during this strange time. I would say that the majority of the quarantine was spent doing schoolwork. The second half of the semester was definitely very different from anything I've done in college up until now, but I really enjoyed online school. Outside of studying and homework, I've been staying in touch with my teammates and coaches as well as working out and getting outside. My friends and I have done a few hikes since the weather has been nice and I think being outdoors has really helped our mental state during this time. Aside from hiking, we've done a few bike rides and have gotten into puzzles recently! It has been a nice change up from the things we normally do and having the time to do these activities is really fun. Although my time during quarantine was filled with fun activities, there was a point there in the middle where it was extremely stressful. One of my friends was diagnosed with COVID-19 and placed on a strict quarantine for two weeks. It definitely brought the issue close to home.
As for my thoughts on the whole Coronavirus in general, I really appreciate how our state government has handled the issue. I think that shutting down the state for the month of April was the right move for the general safety of everyone who lives or resides in our state. I applaud our healthcare workers for their service to our community as they put our health and safety ahead of their own.
2). How do you think the spring volleyball season was progressing before everything shut down?
Before the shutdown in March, our program was experiencing significant progress in the gym. With the addition of our new assistant coach, Carly, I think that our offense is headed in a really remarkable direction and I am very excited to get back to work this summer with my teammates! Summertime is a time that we train without the direction of our coaches so having clear instruction during the spring is something that is really important so we can keep working by ourselves during the summer. I think that the direction we were headed before the shutdown is unique to this program and I am excited to see it come to fruition in the coming months.
3). What are your goals heading into the fall and what are the expectations for the team?
The major goal for our program heading into the fall is to win a Big Sky Championship. This has never been accomplished by a Bobcat volleyball team and I personally think that this year we have all the right pieces to make it happen. We have been meeting through WebEx calls as a team during our time away from campus to expand on this goal and to continue progressing our program in the right direction. These culture meetings have been really important in guiding our team towards our ultimate goal of winning the Big Sky. I think it is also important to realize that this season may look significantly different than in recent years due to the public health crisis of COVID-19. Nonetheless, our team is focused on taking each day as it comes and ready to face any challenges that may be thrown at us during our season in the fall.
HEAD COACH DANIEL JONES ON ALLIE LYNCH:
"Since the day Allie stepped on campus as a freshman, having just graduated from Bozeman High, she has been a model of growth and dedication. Allie has approached her position as a setter with a level of commitment that sets the bar high for the entire team. Her dedication to film review, planning and preparation is leading the whole team in the right direction. I can't wait to get back in the gym with Allie and continue to see her growth. The way she is working combined with her thirst for knowledge and improvement put her on a trajectory to achieve special things this year and in the years to come."
LYNCH'S PLAYING BIO:
JUNIOR (2019):
Lynch saw action in all 29 matches and 112 sets at the setting position…dished out 1,116 assists and averaged 9.96 assists per set…her 9.96 aps ranked fourth in the Big Sky Conference…registered a season-high 51 assists against Loyola Maryland…also went over the 50 assist plateau with fifty against Northern Arizona in Bozeman…ended season with 77 kills (.69 kps), which included a season-best on two occasions against Idaho State and Northern Colorado in the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament…finished third on the team in aces with 22…had six multiple ace matches, including three to open the season against Little Rock and three to end the year versus Northern Colorado…also finished third on the team with 240 digs, averaging 2.14 per outing…had 12 double-digit dig matches, including a season-high 16 digs against both Northwestern State and Sacramento State…recorded 12 double-doubles…ended season with 64 blocks…tallied season-best five blocks against Seattle U…her 1,468 career assists ranks 10th all-time at Montana State…her 1,116 assists in 2019 is tenth on MSU's all-time single-season list.
SOPHOMORE (2018):
Played in 47 sets and received eight starts...dished out 347 assists, averaging 7.38 assists per set...posted a season-high 58 assists in Montana State's win over SMU...averaged 9.85 assists per game at TCU Classic facing Horned Frogs, SMU and Louisiana...totaled 20 kills on the season, including season-best dour kills against SMU...served up 10 aces, with a high of two on three occasions, the last coming against Southern Utah...recorded 79 digs, averaging 1.68 per set...was in double-digit digs on four occasions, with a season-high 14 against Louisiana...notched 14 total blocks...had season-best three blocks against LIU Brooklyn and Seattle U.
FRESHMAN (2017):
As a freshman, Lynch saw action in six matches and 24 sets...she finished the season with seven assists and 33 digs...averaged 1.38 saves per contest...notched a season-high 10 digs in Montana State's win over UC Santa Barbara...also recorded eight and seven digs, respectively against Utah State and Pacific...her three highest dig totals helped the Bobcats win the USU Aggies Tournament in early September...for the tournament , Lynch averaged 1.92 digs per set.
HIGH SCHOOL:
Lynch is no stranger to volleyball fans in the Gallatin Valley. As a junior, she guided Bozeman High to its first-ever Montana Class AA state title. As a senior, she captained the Hawks to a 23-5 overall mark and a state tournament appearance. For her efforts, Lynch was the 2016 Class AA Eastern Conference Player of the Year. A two-time first-team all-state and all-conference performer, Lynch also made great strides in the classroom garnering Montana academic all-state accolades on four occasions. During her tenure in the Red and Black, she led the Hawks to an overall 88-20 ledger under head coach Erika Gustavsen. In addition, Lynch lettered four year in track and field.
Players Mentioned
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