Thursday, October 14
BOZEMAN
7 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Sacramento State
Hannah Scott (16) and Jordan Radick (10) combine for a Bobcat block.
Bobcats Host Sacramento State and Portland State
10/13/2021 3:26:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Bobcat volleyball team will host a pair of Big Sky Conference matches this week in Shroyer Gym. The Bobcats will face Sacramento State, Thursday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. and will finish out the weekend on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 12 noon.
WHO: Sacramento State at Montana State
WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. (MT)
WHERE: Bozeman, Montana - Shroyer Gym
RECORDS: Montana St. 8-9, 4-2; Sacramento St. 8-8, 3-3
SERIES: Sacramento State leads series 45-8 (1991)
LAST MTG: Nov. 28, 2021 - MSU 3, @ Sacramento St. 1
WHO: Portland State at Montana State
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021 at 12 p.m. (MT)
WHERE: Bozeman, Montana - Shroyer Gym
RECORDS: Montana State 8-9, 4-2; Portland St. 11-6, 5-1
SERIES: Portland State leads series 24-44-1 (1979)
LAST MTG: Feb. 28, 2021 - @ MSU 3, Portland State 1
LIVE STATS: Live statistics of MSU's matches against Sacramento State and Portland State can be accessed at msubobcats.com
LIVE VIDEO: MSU's matches vs. Sacramento State and Portland State will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription necessary).
NEXT UP: The Bobcat volleyball team will host a pair of Big Sky Conference matches this week in Shroyer Gym. The Bobcats will face Sacramento State, Thursday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. and will finish out the weekend on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 12 noon.
BOBCAT BITES: MSU is ranked #170 in this week's RPI...the highest ranked team the Bobcats have defeated this fall is #113 Boise State, followed by #148 North Texas...MSU is 1-5 in five-set matches, losing to #23 Washington, #34 Arkansas, #72 Weber State, #141 Utah State and #145 Long Beach State...other Big Sky rankings in the RPI include #63 Northern Colorado, #108 Portland State, #182 Northern Arizona, #232 Idaho State, #246 Montana, #257 Sacramento State, #264 Southern Utah, #276 Eastern Washington and #308 Idaho.
BOBCAT OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE PLAYER(S) OF THE WEEK: Kira Thomsen was Montana State's nominee for both offensive and defensive Big Sky Conference Player of the Week. Thomsen, a product of Parker, Colo. led the Bobcats averaging 3.71 kills per set, while hitting .250 from the field. She had a weekend-high 16 kills in MSU's win over Eastern Washington, and followed that performance with 10 kills at Idaho, for her fourth consecutive match in double-digit kills. Defensively, Thomsen averaged 3.71 digs per set, second best on the squad for the two-match road swing. In addition, she averaged 1.00 blocks per set. Thomsen recorded 14 digs at Eastern Washington and 12 saves at Idaho. Her double-doubles at EWU and Idaho were her fourth and fifth of the season. Thomsen registered a career-high five blocks assists at Eastern Washington on Thursday night.
SIDE OUTS:
* MSU is 1-5 in five setters with two losses to Power 5 schools - Arkansas & #11 Washington
* Hannah Scott now has 1,143 career kills, which ranks fifth all-time at Montana State
* Kira Thomsen averaged 3.71 kills, 3.71 digs & 1.00 blocks per set with a .250 htg% last week
* The Cats rank #2 in the Big Sky & #44 in the nation averaging 2.43 blocks per set
* MSU ranks #2 in the Big Sky and #31 in the country in total team blocks (163)
* Montana State ranks #3 in the Big Sky and #136 in the country in hitting percentage (.215)
* The Bobcats rank #2 in the Big Sky and #109 in the nation with 745 team assists
* Sophomore Emma Pence is #1 in the Big Sky and #16 in the nation, averaging 1.39 bps
* Pence's 89 total blocks rank #1 in the Big Sky and #6 in the country this week
* Freshman Jordan Radick is #5 in the Big Sky and #172 in the nation, averaging 1.05 bps
THE SCOUTING REPORT: Sacramento State is 8-8 overall and 3-3 in Big Sky play after dropping a 3-0 decision to Northern Arizona, last Thursday night in the Nest. The Hornets responded with a 3-0 sweep of Southern Utah on Saturday, also on the home hardwood. MSU's match on Thursday night against Sacramento State will be the 54th meeting between the two Big Sky foes. The Hornets own a 45-8 lead in the all-time series, with the Bobcats winning the last two contests- both during the 2019 season, including a 3-2 decision at Sacramento State in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Conference tournament snapping a 23-match losing streak in the Nest. Bobcat head coach Daniel Jones is 2-3 against Sacramento State. This season, the Hornets have been led by Bridgette Smith, a 5-10 sophomore outside hitter from Salem, Ore., who guides the squad averaging 3.15 kills and 2.44 digs per set. She has been in double-figure kills in five of the last six matches, including a whopping 18 kills in three sets against Southern Utah. Thursday's contest will also feature the top two blocking teams in the Big Sky Conference as the Hornets average a league-leading 2.44 blocks per set, while the Bobcats check in at 2.43 bps. The Hornets have a pair of middle blockers ranked among the Big Sky's top 10 in blocking, including Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin, a 5-11 junior from Davis, Calif., at 1.08 bps, and Cianna Andrews, a 5-10 senior from Bellflower, Calif., who averages 1.06 blocks per outing. Sacramento State is under the leadership of Ruben Volta, who is in his 14th season. Portland State is 11-6 overall and 5-1 in league action after winning a pair of matched in Viking Pavilion at the Stott Center. PSU opened last week with a 3-0 win over Southern Utah, before handing Northern Arizona a 3-1 setback on Saturday. the Vikings will play at Montana on Thursday night, before making the trek down I-90. PSU is one of the top offensive teams in the Big Sky, leading the league in kills, assists, while sitting second in hitting percentage with a .216 attack mark. On the season, the Vikings have been led by Parker Webb, a 6-1 senior outside hitter from Yakima, Wash., who averages 3.40 kills per set with a .298 attack mark.
HARD BLOCK CAFE: Montana State is ranked second in the Big Sky Conference averaging 2.38 blocks per set. MSU's 2.43 bps also ranks #54 in the nation. The Bobcats' 163 total blocks is second in the conference and #32 in the nation this week. Individually, sophomore Emma Pence leads the Big Sky averaging 1.39 blocks per contest. That number ranks #16 in the country. Freshman Jordan Radick is fifth the league averaging 1.05 blocks per set, which ranks #173 in the country. Montana State had a season-best 18 team blocks in its match with Arkansas on Sept. 2 at the Bobcat Classic.
GREAT SCOTT: Senior Hannah Scott went over the 1,000-kill mark with her fourth block against Portland on Sept. 3. The Hawthorne, Calif, product is now the 16th member of MSU's prestigious 1000-kill club. Her 1,143 career kills rank fifth on Montana State's all-time kills' chart. On the season, she is averaging 3.02 kills per set. Last weekend, Scott averaged 2.57 kills and 2.71 digs per set. Against Weber State on Sept. 30, Scott had a season-best 22 kills to go along with a season-high 14 digs. She followed that performance with 11 kills, a .333 attack mark and eight saves against Idaho State. Scott's best performance came against #7 Washington on Sept. 16 with 17 kills, while hitting .400 (17-3-35) from the floor. In addition, Scott added nine digs, five blocks and an ace as the Bobcats almost pulled the upset over the Huskies. Scott was named to the Boise State All-Tournament team to open this season. She has been in double-figure kills in 11-of-17 matches. Scott is currently first on the squad with 226.5 points on the season. During the spring season, Scott had a breakout campaign which culminated in being named to the all-Big Sky Conference First-Team as she averaged 2.89 kills per set, while hitting .232 from the floor. Scott posted a career-high 25 kills against Idaho State on Feb. 20. In addition, she recorded 18 double-figure kill matches. Scott also averaged 2.18 digs per set and logged seven double-digit dig matches, including a season-high 15 against Portland State on Feb. 28. Scott recorded a career-high 10 blocks against Northern Colorado at the league tournament in 2019.
CLIMBING THE LADDER: As the MSU program continues to improve, its numbers within the Big Sky Conference's statistical categories have shown remarkable improvement, as well. In the 15 team statistical categories, the Cats rank in the top three in five categories, including #2 in blocks per set (2.43 bps), team assists (745), and team total blocks (163), and #3 in hitting percentage (.215) and team kills (801).
A LENDING HAND: Former Bozeman High product Allie Lynch is averaging 4.66 assists per game running MSU's 6-2 offense. At the Bobcat Classic in early September, she played in eight sets and averaged 4.29 assists and .63 digs per set. Lynch dished out a season-high 32 assists against Weber State on Sept. 30. Last week, Lynch averaged 5.14 aps. On the season, she is also averaging 1.76 digs per set, including a season-best 13 saves against Weber State. True-freshman Audrey Hofer has started eight times and has played in 16 of MSU's 17 matches. Over the course of two matches last week, she averaged 4.86 assists and 1.43 digs per set. In MSU's 3-1 win over Eastern Washington last Thursday, she notched a weekend high 18 assists. The Helena Capital grad dished out a season-high 28 assists at North Texas and registered a career-high 11 digs against the Mean Green. On the season, Hofer is averaging 5.13 assists per set, which ranks ninth in the Big Sky Conference. Hofer also chips in 1.40 digs per set. In addition, she's registered one double-double and is second on the team with 13 aces. Sophomore Delaney Shearan is averaging 4.56 assists and 1.60 digs per set on the season. Shearan dished out a season-high 26 against Long Beach State in the first match of the season. Last spring, Shearan dished out a season and career-high 33 assists in MSU 3-2 win over Idaho State on Feb. 20.
MAY I ASSIST YOU?: Senior setter Allie Lynch is slowly creeping up the all-time Montana State assists chart. The Bozeman native went over the 1,000-assist plateau against Portland State on Oct. 24, 2019. Former Bobcat standout Brooke Olsen-Roush (1996-99) holds the all-time Bobcats record set back in the old 15-point sideout scoring era. Here's a look at MSU's all-time Top 10, and where Lynch stands:
1. Brooke Olsen, 1996-99 4,712
2. Kamber Kelly, 2001-04 3,751
3. Jennifer Lundquist, 2009-12 2,500
4. Lorraine Morrison, 1999-01 2,293
5. Allie Lynch, 2017--- 1,980
THOMSEN TIME: Sophomore Kira Thomsen earned tournament MVP honors at the Boise State Invitational to open the season after posting a .337 attack mark and averaging 3.42 kills, 2.83 digs and .58 aces per set. At the Bobcat Classic, the Parker, Colo., product averaged 3.00 kills and 1.64 digs per set with a .260 attack mark. And, at the North Texas Challenge, she averaged 2.55 kills and 1.18 digs per game. In two matches last week, Thomsen totaled 26 kills and 26 digs. On the season, she has been in double-figure kills on 11 occasions and has produced five double-doubles. She tallied a season-best 18 kills in MSU's 3-1 loss to Portland. Thomsen currently ranks second on the team with 189 kills (2.82 kps) and is first in digs with 152 (2.27 dps). On Sept. 30 against Weber State, Thomsen notched a season-high 24 digs. Her 219.5 points is second to Hannah Scott (226.5). Last spring, Thomsen earned First-Team All-Big Sky Conference honors after averaging 3.52 kills and 4.02 points per set during MSU's spring season. She registered a season-best 22 kills at Weber State on March 20, and a career-high 26 digs against Portland State on Feb.27.
PENCE POWER: Sophomore Emma Pence, who was one of two players in the league that garnered #BigSkyVB Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week accolades during the spring, earned #BigSkyVB Defensive Player of the Week two weeks ago after averaging a whopping 2.13 blocks per set against Weber State and Idaho State. Pence currently ranks first in the Big Sky in blocks per set (1.39 bps), which ranks 16th in the nation. Pence's 89 total blocks ranks sixth in the country. She has been in double-figure kills three times, matching a season-best 11 kills against Weber State on Sept. 30. Pence matched a season-high nine blocks in three sets against Idaho State Oct. 2, after posting eight against the Wildcats. Last week, the Carson City, Nevada product averaged 1.00 kills and 1.43 blocks per set against Eastern Washington and Idaho.
THE MENACE FROM ENNIS: Jourdain Klein, a 6-1 outside hitter from Ennis, Mont., combined for 12 kills, six blocks and five digs, while hitting .258 (12-4-31) from the field last week in matches against Eastern Washington and Idaho. At the North Texas Challenge in mid-September, Klein had a very efficient tournament hitting, recording a .444 (17-1-36) attack for the three matches. She tallied a season-high eight blocks against Arkansas. On Oct. 2, Klein registered a season-high eight kills, while hitting .412 against Idaho State. Last spring, as a redshirt-freshman, she was named to the All-Big Sky Second-Team team after averaging 1.49 kills and .97 blocks per set. During spring ball, she recorded a season and career-high 14 kills as the Bobcats beat Portland State on Feb. 28.
TURN UP THE VOLUME: Sophomore Avery Turnage played in seven sets last week against Eastern Washington and Idaho. She totaled 13 kills and three blocks. Turnage had her best match of the week at Eastern Washington posting eight kills and three blocks. The product of Idaho Falls, Idaho registered a career-high 11 kills against Fresno State. On the season, she is averaging 1.56 kills and .71 blocks per set, while hitting .182 from the floor. Turnage notched a career-high seven blocks as Montana State upset Boise State on Aug. 28 in Bronco Gym.
MORE FROM THE MIDDLE: Freshman Jordan Radick posted 11 kills (1.57) and ten blocks (1.43 bps), while hitting a team-high .360 (11-2-25) against Eastern Washington and Idaho, last week. Radick, a graduate of Bozeman High, had eight kills, six blocks and hit .467 in MSU's 3-0 win at Idaho on Saturday night. Radick has posted a season-best 10 kills, twice, and had 12 blocks vs. Arkansas. She has tallied five matches hitting .400 or better this fall.
YES, WE'RE SURE: Freshman Maci Abshier (Ab-sure) has started the last nine matches as MSU's libero and is averaging 3.65 digs per set in Big Sky play, which ranks eighth in the league. Against Weber State on Sept. 30, she recorded a season-best 25 digs.
WHEN IT SAYS LIBBY, LIBBY, LIBBY: Libby Christensen is averaging 2.88 digs per set. She has been in double-digit digs on five occasions, including 19 digs at Boise State. Christensen tallied a career-high 27 saves against Southern Utah at last year's Big Sky tournament.
WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. (MT)
WHERE: Bozeman, Montana - Shroyer Gym
RECORDS: Montana St. 8-9, 4-2; Sacramento St. 8-8, 3-3
SERIES: Sacramento State leads series 45-8 (1991)
LAST MTG: Nov. 28, 2021 - MSU 3, @ Sacramento St. 1
WHO: Portland State at Montana State
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021 at 12 p.m. (MT)
WHERE: Bozeman, Montana - Shroyer Gym
RECORDS: Montana State 8-9, 4-2; Portland St. 11-6, 5-1
SERIES: Portland State leads series 24-44-1 (1979)
LAST MTG: Feb. 28, 2021 - @ MSU 3, Portland State 1
LIVE STATS: Live statistics of MSU's matches against Sacramento State and Portland State can be accessed at msubobcats.com
LIVE VIDEO: MSU's matches vs. Sacramento State and Portland State will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription necessary).
NEXT UP: The Bobcat volleyball team will host a pair of Big Sky Conference matches this week in Shroyer Gym. The Bobcats will face Sacramento State, Thursday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. and will finish out the weekend on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 12 noon.
BOBCAT BITES: MSU is ranked #170 in this week's RPI...the highest ranked team the Bobcats have defeated this fall is #113 Boise State, followed by #148 North Texas...MSU is 1-5 in five-set matches, losing to #23 Washington, #34 Arkansas, #72 Weber State, #141 Utah State and #145 Long Beach State...other Big Sky rankings in the RPI include #63 Northern Colorado, #108 Portland State, #182 Northern Arizona, #232 Idaho State, #246 Montana, #257 Sacramento State, #264 Southern Utah, #276 Eastern Washington and #308 Idaho.
BOBCAT OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE PLAYER(S) OF THE WEEK: Kira Thomsen was Montana State's nominee for both offensive and defensive Big Sky Conference Player of the Week. Thomsen, a product of Parker, Colo. led the Bobcats averaging 3.71 kills per set, while hitting .250 from the field. She had a weekend-high 16 kills in MSU's win over Eastern Washington, and followed that performance with 10 kills at Idaho, for her fourth consecutive match in double-digit kills. Defensively, Thomsen averaged 3.71 digs per set, second best on the squad for the two-match road swing. In addition, she averaged 1.00 blocks per set. Thomsen recorded 14 digs at Eastern Washington and 12 saves at Idaho. Her double-doubles at EWU and Idaho were her fourth and fifth of the season. Thomsen registered a career-high five blocks assists at Eastern Washington on Thursday night.
SIDE OUTS:
* MSU is 1-5 in five setters with two losses to Power 5 schools - Arkansas & #11 Washington
* Hannah Scott now has 1,143 career kills, which ranks fifth all-time at Montana State
* Kira Thomsen averaged 3.71 kills, 3.71 digs & 1.00 blocks per set with a .250 htg% last week
* The Cats rank #2 in the Big Sky & #44 in the nation averaging 2.43 blocks per set
* MSU ranks #2 in the Big Sky and #31 in the country in total team blocks (163)
* Montana State ranks #3 in the Big Sky and #136 in the country in hitting percentage (.215)
* The Bobcats rank #2 in the Big Sky and #109 in the nation with 745 team assists
* Sophomore Emma Pence is #1 in the Big Sky and #16 in the nation, averaging 1.39 bps
* Pence's 89 total blocks rank #1 in the Big Sky and #6 in the country this week
* Freshman Jordan Radick is #5 in the Big Sky and #172 in the nation, averaging 1.05 bps
THE SCOUTING REPORT: Sacramento State is 8-8 overall and 3-3 in Big Sky play after dropping a 3-0 decision to Northern Arizona, last Thursday night in the Nest. The Hornets responded with a 3-0 sweep of Southern Utah on Saturday, also on the home hardwood. MSU's match on Thursday night against Sacramento State will be the 54th meeting between the two Big Sky foes. The Hornets own a 45-8 lead in the all-time series, with the Bobcats winning the last two contests- both during the 2019 season, including a 3-2 decision at Sacramento State in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Conference tournament snapping a 23-match losing streak in the Nest. Bobcat head coach Daniel Jones is 2-3 against Sacramento State. This season, the Hornets have been led by Bridgette Smith, a 5-10 sophomore outside hitter from Salem, Ore., who guides the squad averaging 3.15 kills and 2.44 digs per set. She has been in double-figure kills in five of the last six matches, including a whopping 18 kills in three sets against Southern Utah. Thursday's contest will also feature the top two blocking teams in the Big Sky Conference as the Hornets average a league-leading 2.44 blocks per set, while the Bobcats check in at 2.43 bps. The Hornets have a pair of middle blockers ranked among the Big Sky's top 10 in blocking, including Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin, a 5-11 junior from Davis, Calif., at 1.08 bps, and Cianna Andrews, a 5-10 senior from Bellflower, Calif., who averages 1.06 blocks per outing. Sacramento State is under the leadership of Ruben Volta, who is in his 14th season. Portland State is 11-6 overall and 5-1 in league action after winning a pair of matched in Viking Pavilion at the Stott Center. PSU opened last week with a 3-0 win over Southern Utah, before handing Northern Arizona a 3-1 setback on Saturday. the Vikings will play at Montana on Thursday night, before making the trek down I-90. PSU is one of the top offensive teams in the Big Sky, leading the league in kills, assists, while sitting second in hitting percentage with a .216 attack mark. On the season, the Vikings have been led by Parker Webb, a 6-1 senior outside hitter from Yakima, Wash., who averages 3.40 kills per set with a .298 attack mark.
HARD BLOCK CAFE: Montana State is ranked second in the Big Sky Conference averaging 2.38 blocks per set. MSU's 2.43 bps also ranks #54 in the nation. The Bobcats' 163 total blocks is second in the conference and #32 in the nation this week. Individually, sophomore Emma Pence leads the Big Sky averaging 1.39 blocks per contest. That number ranks #16 in the country. Freshman Jordan Radick is fifth the league averaging 1.05 blocks per set, which ranks #173 in the country. Montana State had a season-best 18 team blocks in its match with Arkansas on Sept. 2 at the Bobcat Classic.
GREAT SCOTT: Senior Hannah Scott went over the 1,000-kill mark with her fourth block against Portland on Sept. 3. The Hawthorne, Calif, product is now the 16th member of MSU's prestigious 1000-kill club. Her 1,143 career kills rank fifth on Montana State's all-time kills' chart. On the season, she is averaging 3.02 kills per set. Last weekend, Scott averaged 2.57 kills and 2.71 digs per set. Against Weber State on Sept. 30, Scott had a season-best 22 kills to go along with a season-high 14 digs. She followed that performance with 11 kills, a .333 attack mark and eight saves against Idaho State. Scott's best performance came against #7 Washington on Sept. 16 with 17 kills, while hitting .400 (17-3-35) from the floor. In addition, Scott added nine digs, five blocks and an ace as the Bobcats almost pulled the upset over the Huskies. Scott was named to the Boise State All-Tournament team to open this season. She has been in double-figure kills in 11-of-17 matches. Scott is currently first on the squad with 226.5 points on the season. During the spring season, Scott had a breakout campaign which culminated in being named to the all-Big Sky Conference First-Team as she averaged 2.89 kills per set, while hitting .232 from the floor. Scott posted a career-high 25 kills against Idaho State on Feb. 20. In addition, she recorded 18 double-figure kill matches. Scott also averaged 2.18 digs per set and logged seven double-digit dig matches, including a season-high 15 against Portland State on Feb. 28. Scott recorded a career-high 10 blocks against Northern Colorado at the league tournament in 2019.
CLIMBING THE LADDER: As the MSU program continues to improve, its numbers within the Big Sky Conference's statistical categories have shown remarkable improvement, as well. In the 15 team statistical categories, the Cats rank in the top three in five categories, including #2 in blocks per set (2.43 bps), team assists (745), and team total blocks (163), and #3 in hitting percentage (.215) and team kills (801).
A LENDING HAND: Former Bozeman High product Allie Lynch is averaging 4.66 assists per game running MSU's 6-2 offense. At the Bobcat Classic in early September, she played in eight sets and averaged 4.29 assists and .63 digs per set. Lynch dished out a season-high 32 assists against Weber State on Sept. 30. Last week, Lynch averaged 5.14 aps. On the season, she is also averaging 1.76 digs per set, including a season-best 13 saves against Weber State. True-freshman Audrey Hofer has started eight times and has played in 16 of MSU's 17 matches. Over the course of two matches last week, she averaged 4.86 assists and 1.43 digs per set. In MSU's 3-1 win over Eastern Washington last Thursday, she notched a weekend high 18 assists. The Helena Capital grad dished out a season-high 28 assists at North Texas and registered a career-high 11 digs against the Mean Green. On the season, Hofer is averaging 5.13 assists per set, which ranks ninth in the Big Sky Conference. Hofer also chips in 1.40 digs per set. In addition, she's registered one double-double and is second on the team with 13 aces. Sophomore Delaney Shearan is averaging 4.56 assists and 1.60 digs per set on the season. Shearan dished out a season-high 26 against Long Beach State in the first match of the season. Last spring, Shearan dished out a season and career-high 33 assists in MSU 3-2 win over Idaho State on Feb. 20.
MAY I ASSIST YOU?: Senior setter Allie Lynch is slowly creeping up the all-time Montana State assists chart. The Bozeman native went over the 1,000-assist plateau against Portland State on Oct. 24, 2019. Former Bobcat standout Brooke Olsen-Roush (1996-99) holds the all-time Bobcats record set back in the old 15-point sideout scoring era. Here's a look at MSU's all-time Top 10, and where Lynch stands:
1. Brooke Olsen, 1996-99 4,712
2. Kamber Kelly, 2001-04 3,751
3. Jennifer Lundquist, 2009-12 2,500
4. Lorraine Morrison, 1999-01 2,293
5. Allie Lynch, 2017--- 1,980
THOMSEN TIME: Sophomore Kira Thomsen earned tournament MVP honors at the Boise State Invitational to open the season after posting a .337 attack mark and averaging 3.42 kills, 2.83 digs and .58 aces per set. At the Bobcat Classic, the Parker, Colo., product averaged 3.00 kills and 1.64 digs per set with a .260 attack mark. And, at the North Texas Challenge, she averaged 2.55 kills and 1.18 digs per game. In two matches last week, Thomsen totaled 26 kills and 26 digs. On the season, she has been in double-figure kills on 11 occasions and has produced five double-doubles. She tallied a season-best 18 kills in MSU's 3-1 loss to Portland. Thomsen currently ranks second on the team with 189 kills (2.82 kps) and is first in digs with 152 (2.27 dps). On Sept. 30 against Weber State, Thomsen notched a season-high 24 digs. Her 219.5 points is second to Hannah Scott (226.5). Last spring, Thomsen earned First-Team All-Big Sky Conference honors after averaging 3.52 kills and 4.02 points per set during MSU's spring season. She registered a season-best 22 kills at Weber State on March 20, and a career-high 26 digs against Portland State on Feb.27.
PENCE POWER: Sophomore Emma Pence, who was one of two players in the league that garnered #BigSkyVB Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week accolades during the spring, earned #BigSkyVB Defensive Player of the Week two weeks ago after averaging a whopping 2.13 blocks per set against Weber State and Idaho State. Pence currently ranks first in the Big Sky in blocks per set (1.39 bps), which ranks 16th in the nation. Pence's 89 total blocks ranks sixth in the country. She has been in double-figure kills three times, matching a season-best 11 kills against Weber State on Sept. 30. Pence matched a season-high nine blocks in three sets against Idaho State Oct. 2, after posting eight against the Wildcats. Last week, the Carson City, Nevada product averaged 1.00 kills and 1.43 blocks per set against Eastern Washington and Idaho.
THE MENACE FROM ENNIS: Jourdain Klein, a 6-1 outside hitter from Ennis, Mont., combined for 12 kills, six blocks and five digs, while hitting .258 (12-4-31) from the field last week in matches against Eastern Washington and Idaho. At the North Texas Challenge in mid-September, Klein had a very efficient tournament hitting, recording a .444 (17-1-36) attack for the three matches. She tallied a season-high eight blocks against Arkansas. On Oct. 2, Klein registered a season-high eight kills, while hitting .412 against Idaho State. Last spring, as a redshirt-freshman, she was named to the All-Big Sky Second-Team team after averaging 1.49 kills and .97 blocks per set. During spring ball, she recorded a season and career-high 14 kills as the Bobcats beat Portland State on Feb. 28.
TURN UP THE VOLUME: Sophomore Avery Turnage played in seven sets last week against Eastern Washington and Idaho. She totaled 13 kills and three blocks. Turnage had her best match of the week at Eastern Washington posting eight kills and three blocks. The product of Idaho Falls, Idaho registered a career-high 11 kills against Fresno State. On the season, she is averaging 1.56 kills and .71 blocks per set, while hitting .182 from the floor. Turnage notched a career-high seven blocks as Montana State upset Boise State on Aug. 28 in Bronco Gym.
MORE FROM THE MIDDLE: Freshman Jordan Radick posted 11 kills (1.57) and ten blocks (1.43 bps), while hitting a team-high .360 (11-2-25) against Eastern Washington and Idaho, last week. Radick, a graduate of Bozeman High, had eight kills, six blocks and hit .467 in MSU's 3-0 win at Idaho on Saturday night. Radick has posted a season-best 10 kills, twice, and had 12 blocks vs. Arkansas. She has tallied five matches hitting .400 or better this fall.
YES, WE'RE SURE: Freshman Maci Abshier (Ab-sure) has started the last nine matches as MSU's libero and is averaging 3.65 digs per set in Big Sky play, which ranks eighth in the league. Against Weber State on Sept. 30, she recorded a season-best 25 digs.
WHEN IT SAYS LIBBY, LIBBY, LIBBY: Libby Christensen is averaging 2.88 digs per set. She has been in double-digit digs on five occasions, including 19 digs at Boise State. Christensen tallied a career-high 27 saves against Southern Utah at last year's Big Sky tournament.
Players Mentioned
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