The launching pad to the glory years of Montana State volleyball can be traced to the 1996 Bobcats.
By: Tom Schulz
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. 8
The 1996 Bobcats
The launching pad to the glory years of Montana State volleyball can be traced to the 1996 Bobcats.
Head coach Dave Gantt entered the season with four solid seniors – Jennifer Elliot, Kira Laden, Kelly Modrow and Bekki Kirsch. Modrow and Kirsch were nursing injuries, while Elliot and Laden carried the team into battle.
1996 Bobcats: Kneelng (l to r) Jennifer Elliot, Jennifer Cook, Anita Dewald, Bobbi Stoltz. Middle Row:
Heather Modrow, Brooke Olsen, Heather Dolan, Kira Laden, Assistant Coach Jennifer Michalczik.
Back Row: Head Coach Dave Gantt, Shannon Kemper, Cori Carper, Karen Weyler, Bekki Kirsch, Brandy
Anderson, Kelly Modrow. Missing: Ashley Wyatt, Assistant Coach Jason Watson
"The most prolific thought that came to mind is that is the group I wished I had had for a longer period of time," Gantt said. "We trained them in 1994 and 1995, and I wish we had one more year as they were just settling into the system and we would have had time to create a nice supporting cast around them.
"The win/loss record didn't justify what they did," Gantt added. "They set the culture of the program. We asked a boatload from those kids and I have so much respect for them taking us from where we had been to where we wanted to be. They pushed the envelope and changed the culture to what it ended up being."
Laden, who transferred to Montana State from Carroll College after her sophomore season, was more than capable of guiding the Bobcats. The Belgrade product was named the 1995 Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year. Laden took control of the team and she also took redshirt freshman Brooke Olsen under her wing, and the duo ran one of the most efficient offenses in the Big Sky.
"If you looked at the spokes of the wheel," Gantt said. "Kira was the hub."
On a team that featured eight players from the Treasure State, it was a kid with a huge heart from Buffalo, Wyo., that led the team both offensively and defensively. Elliot, who played one season at setter and two years as an opposite found her home on the outside. She knocked down 357 kills and added 303 digs- becoming one of just a handful of Bobcats to ever record over 300 kills/digs in a season.
"She was wonderfully athletic," Gantt said. "Jenn did everything we asked of her and she did it with a great work-ethic and persistence."
As Gantt built his program, he quickly became known for his ability to find outstanding middle blockers, turning raw athletes into some of the best players the Big Sky Conference has ever seen. And the 1996 duo of Karen Weyler and Cori Carper was no different.
Weyler entered the season as a known commodity. The Billings Senior graduate was the 1994 Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year and followed that honor by being named all-Big Sky Honorable Mention as a sophomore.. As a junior, Weyler garnered all-Big Sky Second Team accolades after notching 320 kills, a .304 attack mark and leading the team in blocks with 122.
"Weyler was a lunch-pail player," Gantt chuckled. "My lasting image of her is driving up 19th Avenue from Hyalite in an old Jeep Wagoneer, windows down, hair blowing and float tubes in the back. She was a free-spirit, but boy was she a competitor.
"I had to take notes on her during a match and talk things through with her at the end," Gantt said. "She was just so focused during a match and had a take no prisoners attitude."
The biggest question that needed to be answered prior to the start of the 1996 season was finding someone to fill the void of Kirsch. Kirsch, a product of Boulder, Mont., would miss the season due to injury.
Gantt looked to a former Wyoming High School cross country ski champion for a solution to his problem. Enter Cori Carper, who was nothing more than arms and legs. The Lander native redshirted the 1995 season and was in the starting rotation as the Bobcats opened the 1996 schedule at the Marquette Invitational.
In her second match as a Bobcat, Carper paced MSU to a dominating 15-5, 15-0, 15-7 victory over Virginia Commonwealth. Carper posted 14 kills, no errors on 17 swings for a .824 attack mark. To this day, her .824 attack percentage is a Bobcat single-match record- 23 years removed from her Blue and Gold debut.
"She didn't know she should be that good," Gantt laughed. Carper went on to have one of the best freshman seasons in Montana State history posting 228 kills, a .267 attack mark, a team-best 30 aces, 147 digs and 121 blocks.
The 1996 season also saw the emergence of Bobcat Hall of Famer Brandy Anderson. Anderson, from Silver Spring, Md., played in the middle as a freshman, but found a home on the outside as a sophomore. In early November, Anderson recorded a school-record 32 kills against Weber State. She went on to earn all-Big Sky Honorable Mention kudos after registering 291 kills, 173 digs and 82 blocks.
"If I had to pick one kid that we built this program around, it was Brandy," Gantt said. "She took a risk coming across the country to be a Bobcat. She had made visits to Penn State, Michigan and Clemson, but in the end, she knew she wanted to be here."
Gantt filled in an outstanding contingent around the nucleus of the 1996 squad including juniors Anita Dewald and Jen Cook; sophomore Shannon Kemper; and freshmen Heather Dolan, Olsen, Mindy Nowak, Bobbi Stoltz, Heather Modrow, and Ashley Wyatt.
Overall, the 1996 Bobcats went 16-12 and 7-9 in Big Sky action. And, for the first time in over a decade, MSU had put together back-to-back winning seasons. In addition, the Bobcats played in its first Big Sky Conference Tournament and made its first postseason appearance since 1984. They broke seven school records and captured two tournament titles at Marquette and Memphis.
The highlight of the season came on Oct. 12 as the Bobcats defeated Montana 10-15, 15-6, 12-15, 15-6, 15-8 in front of 1,215 fans in Shroyer Gym. Anderson led MSU with 20 kills and 15 digs, while Carper added 13 kills and five blocks, Weyler 12 kills and six blocks and Olsen with 53 assists. The win broke a 17-match losing streak to Montana. The last time the Bobcats had beaten the Lady Griz was Nov. 14, 1987.
"Boy, did it feel good to get the Griz off our back," Gantt stated.
Sideouts:
Climbing To The Top: The 1996 Bobcat media guide featured a team picture with Coach Gantt holding a live Bobcat on his lap. Moments later, the Bobcat took a swat at Gantt and broke free, sending everyone into a frenzy before being captured. "Man, did that Bobcat slap me," Gantt laughed. "Fortunately, it didn't have claws. (Assistant Jason) Watson really got a kick out of that one."
I Got A Guy: One of the reasons the Bobcats found success in 1996 was due to two outstanding assistant coaches, Jason Watson and Jennifer Streatfeild. Gantt caught wind of Watson through Carl McGown, who was Watson's coach at BYU and who Gantt knew as a consultant with the US Men's National Team. "I was talking with Carl and he said, 'I got a guy,'" Gantt said. "I came from the defensive side of the game, so I was looking for someone to run the offense. I think it turned out pretty well." After leaving Bozeman, Watson served as an assistant at Arkansas State, Kansas State and BYU. Watson then became head coach at BYU, before taking the head job at Arizona State. He is currently the head coach at the University of Arkansas. Watson, a native Australian, witnessed his first major league baseball game in 1996. After finishing off Morehead (Ky) State to open the Marquette Tournament on Aug. 30, myself, Gantt and Watson raced to old County Stadium to watch the Brewers down Minnesota 5-4 in 12 innings. Watson enjoyed his first-ever brat.
Cats and Dawgs: Streatfeild came with Gantt in his inaugural season in 1994. She was a standout defensive specialist at the University of Washington who Gantt got to know when helping former MSU head coach and then current UW head man Bill Neville with camps. "She was an outstanding coach," Gantt said. "Jen possessed a lot of fire and had a 'get after it' approach." Streatfeild married former Bobcat offensive line coach Jim Michalczik. After leaving MSU, Michalczik coached at Oregon State, Arizona, Cal and with the Oakland Raiders. He is currently back at OSU. The couple have two sons: Max and Chase. Max plays at Northern Arizona, and Chase at Linfield College.
Holiday Inn Classic: Gantt started the Holiday Inn Classic preseason tournament in Bozeman, which featured some of the outstanding programs in the nation. In 1996, the tournament field included Minnesota, Washington and Kent State. Other notable teams that participated in the Holiday Inn Classic over the years include Virginia Tech, Marquette, Memphis, Wake Forest, Syracuse, Villanova, Oklahoma, TCU, Kansas State, Alabama, Missouri and Wisconsin. "We were always flattered that some of the best programs in the nation would come to Montana State," Gantt said. "It was a great deal for our fans to witness the game at a high level and to see teams from a lot of different conferences."
Where Are The Twizzlers: The one and only time that Gantt got booted from a match occurred at the Memphis tournament in 1996. On his way to the locker room, Gantt was hurried along, however, he didn't leave the bench area until he had secured his trademark Red Twizzlers that he finished in the bowels of Tiger Gym. MSU defeated Memphis 17-15, 15-12, 15-9. Said a reserved assistant coach Jason Watson following the match… "Coach, I think we're too emotional."
Odds and Ends: The 1996 season saw the first of Cal State Northridge and Portland State in the Big Sky Conference…MSU went 9-2 in the preseason.
Head Coach: Dave Gantt; Assistants: Jennifer Streatdfeild, Jason Watson
Where Are They Now:
Kira Laden Brown – Gardnerville, Nev.
Kelly Modrow Lindseth – Great Falls, Mont.
Bobbi Stoltz Poser – Billings, Mont.
Heather Dolan Bergeson – Billings, Mont.
Heather Modrow Fitzpatrick – Minneapolis, Minn.
Anita Dewald Foster – Billings, Mont.
Bekki Kirsch – Helena, Mont.
Karen Weyler Massey – Orland Park, Ill.
Jennifer Elliot Talich – Cody, Wyo.
Brooke Olsen Roush – San Jose, Calif.
Jennifer Cook Leachman – Billings, Mont.
Brandy Anderson Archdale – Lakeville, Minn.
Mindy Nowak Staudinger – Snohomish, Wash.
Cori Carper Jones – Cranford, N.J.
Shannon Kemper Lundgren – Bozeman, Mont.
Ashley Wyatt Welch – Boise, Idaho
Dave Gantt – Head Coach – Great Falls, Mont.
Jennifer Streatfeild – Assistant Coach – Corvallis, Ore.
Jason Watson – Assistant Coach – 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.
