Saturday, March 20
Ogden, UT
2 p.m.
Montana State University
at
Weber State
Bobcats Face Wildcats in Regular Season Finale
3/18/2021 4:55:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Montana State volleyball team returns to action on Saturday, March 20, following an 11-day hiatus due to COVID-19 issues within the program.
WHO: Montana State at Weber State
WHEN: Saturday, March 20, 2021 @ 2 p.m.
Sunday, March 21, 2021 @ 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: Ogden, Utah - Swenson Gym
RECORDS: Montana St. 10-2, 10-2; Weber St. 13-1, 13-1
SERIES: Weber State leads 39-37; Streak: WSU W2
LAST MTG: Nov. 23, 2019 - @Weber St. 3, Montana St. 0
VIDEO: Montana State's matches at Weber State on Saturday and Sunday can be seen on Pluto TV - Ch. 1054
FINAL REGULAR SEASON SERIES: The Montana State volleyball team returns to action on Saturday, March 20, following an 11-day hiatus due to COVID-19 issues within the program. MSU's last match was a 3-2 victory at Idaho on March 8. Weber State sits atop the Big Sky Conference standings with a 13-1 league slate, while the Bobcats enter one match back at 10-2. Match time on Saturday is 2 p.m., in Swenson Gym, while Sunday's tilt starts at 4:30 p.m.
#BigSkyVB PLAYER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (one week removed): Sophomore Kira Thomsen earned her first weekly nod from the league office after being named #BigSkyVB Offensive Player of the Week, March 9. The Parker, Colo., product led the Bobcats in their series sweep over Idaho. The outside hitter averaged four kills per set and had a hitting mark of .253. She also totaled five aces and had two assists in eight sets. In the Bobcats' first game of the week, Thomsen led the team with 11 kills and had a .241 hitting percentage. In her final match against Idaho, Thomsen hit .261 and had a team-high 17 kills.
BOBCAT BLURBS: Kira Thomsen has five double-doubles on the season...middle blocker Susanna Sovde recorded a .625 (11-1-16) attack mark against Northern Arizona on Feb. 6- the mark is the third best hitting percentage for a single-match this season in Big Sky Conference action...Hannah Scott's career-best 25 kills against Idaho State on Feb. 20 are the second most posted in a single match in Big Sky play...Thomsen's 20 kills vs. UM on Feb. 15 is tops for three-set match...Jourdain Klein, Kaycee O'Dell and Emma Pence's eight block assists in Montana State's 3-0 win at Northern Colorado is a Big Sky season best.
SIDE OUTS:
* Montana State's 10-2 Big Sky Conference start is the best in school-history
* Montana State's current nine-match win streak is the best since the 2001 team opened 12-0
* Montana State snapped a 29-match losing streak to Northern Colorado on Jan. 24
* The Bobcats rank 66th in the nation and are first in the Big Sky with a .237 attack mark
* Montana State ranks first in the Big Sky and 78th in the country averaging 13.15 kps
* MSU's 2.29 blocks per set is third in the Big Sky and 72nd at the NCAA Division I level
* Emma Pence is ranked 17th in the nation, averaging 1.41 blocks per set
* Freshman Jourdain Klein is ranked eighth in the Big Sky Conference, averaging 1.04 bps
* MSU 5-1 in five-set matches; 1-0 in four-set matches; and 4-1 in three-set matches
* Emma Pence has won both #BigSkyVB Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week
THE SCOUTING REPORT: Weber State sits atop the Big Sky Conference standings heading into the final week of regular season action. The Wildcats are 13-1 overall and in league play. Last weekend, WSU swept Idaho State 3-0 in both matches. Weber State was paced by Rylin Adams, a 5-9 senior outside hitter from Lehi, Utah. For the two matches, Adams posted 35 kills and 24 digs, while hitting .363 from the field. Middle blocker Sam Schiess, who leads in the Big Sky in hitting (.375), totaled 21 kills and six blocks in the two-match series. As a team, the Wildcats hit .341 against the Bengals. On the season, the Wildcats are led by Adams, who averages 4.42 kills per set. Sophomore Dani Nay is second on the squad averaging 3.66 kps. Defensively, Makayla Sorensen averages 3.98 digs per set. WSU is led by Jeremiah Larsen, who is in his sixth year in Ogden.
HARD BLOCK CAFE: The Bobcats averaged 1.75 blocks per set last weekend in its two-match sweep of Idaho in Moscow. As a team, MSU is ranked third in the Big Sky Conference averaging 2.34 blocks per set. MSU's 2.34 bps also ranks No. 60 in the nation. Individually, sophomore Emma Pence leads the league averaging 1.41 blocks per set. That number ranks No. 17 in the country. Redshirt-freshman Jourdain Klein ranks eighth in the Big Sky averaging 1.04 blocks per set, which is 158th in the nation. The Bobcats had a season-best 16 team blocks in its 3-2 win over Portland State on Feb. 27.
BEAM ME UP SCOTTY: Senior Hannah Scott recorded back-to-back 20-kill matches as the Bobcats swept Idaho State, Feb. 20 & 21, including a career-high 25 kills against the Bengals on Feb. 20. Two weeks ago, she totaled 24 kills (3.00 kps) and 22 digs as the Bobcats swept Idaho in Moscow. Scott's best match of the Idaho weekend came on Monday as she notched 15 kills and a weekend-best 13 digs. She currently has three double-doubles on the season. Last season, Scott had a breakout year which culminated in being named to the all-Big Sky First-Team as she averaged 2.66 kills per set, while hitting .230 from the floor. She recorded 17 double-figure kill matches. Scott also averaged 1.71 digs per set and logged six double-digit dig matches, including a season-high 11 saves on three occasions, the last coming against Sacramento State. Scott recorded a career-high 10 blocks against Northern Colorado at the Big Sky Tournament in 2019. She is currently 71 kills shy of becoming the 16th member of MSU's 1000-kill club.
A LENDING HAND: Former Bozeman High product and Montana Class AA state champion setter Allie Lynch settled into her junior season at Montana State. Lynch is averaging 4.45 assists per set in Montana State's 6-2 offense. Against Idaho two weeks ago, Lynch dished out 40 assists and added nine digs in the two-match series. Against Portland State on Feb. 28, the 5-10 junior dished out a season-best 28 assists. Last fall, she registered ten matches with 45 assists or more, including a season-high 51 assists in MSU's win over Loyola Maryland. Freshman Delaney Shearan has also come up big in MSU's 6-2 system. The Phoenix, Ariz., product in averaging 5.51 assists per contest. She dished out a season and career-high 33 assists in MSU 3-2 win over Idaho State on Feb. 20. Additionally, Shearan is averaging 2.00 digs and .22 aces per set. For the two-match series at Idaho, Shearan averaged 6.13 assists and 1.75 digs per game. She notched a season-high 12 digs against Northern Arizona on Feb. 6, in Shroyer Gym.
MAY I ASSIST YOU?: Junior 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 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. Kira Laden, 1995-96 1,893
6. Marsha Dirks, 1985-87 1,785
7. Katie Harrington, 2014-15 1,779
8. Stacey Nielsen, 1987-89 1,735
9. Allie Lynch, 2017--- 1,726
10. Christi Ryan, 1984-85 1,497
CLIMBING THE LADDER: As the MSU program continues to improve, its numbers within the league's statistical categories have shown remarkable improvement, as well. In the 12 team categories, the Cats are ranked in the top five in eight listings. MSU is ranked second in opponent digs (13.24); third in blocking (2.34), opponent blocks (1.98), hitting percentage (.233) and kills (13.00); fourth in assists (11.73) and opponent kills (11.76); and fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.185).
THOMSEN TIME: Sophomore Kira Thomsen averaged 3.50 kills and 2.13 digs per set in MSU's sweep vs. Idaho two weeks ago. The Parker, Colo. product recorded 28 total kills, including 17 in the second match as MSU defeated the Vandals 3-2. Thomsen notched her first double-double of the season with 13 kills and 10 digs as MSU defeated Northern Arizona 3-0 in Shroyer Gym on Feb. 7. She posted back-to-back double-doubles against Portland State giving her five on the season. Thomsen has reached double-digit kills in the last nine matches, with a season-best 20 kills in MSU's win over Montana on Feb. 15 in Missoula.
PENCE POWER: Sophomore middle blocker Emma Pence is one of two players in the league that have garnered #BigSkyVB Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week accolades. She earned the defensive honor after averaging 1.70 blocks per set as the Bobcats swept Idaho State. Pence was the #BigSkyVB Offensive Player of the Week after recording 20 kills, a .514 attack mark and nine block assists against Northern Arizona. Last weekend, she recorded 18 kills and seven blocks in MSU's two-match sweep of Idaho. Her current .329 hitting percentage ranks third in the Big Sky, while her 1.45 blocks per set is best in the league.
THE MENACE FROM ENNIS: Redshirt-freshman Jourdain Klein (Ennis, Mont.) is averaging 1.73 kills and 1.04 blocks per set, while hitting at a .260 clip. Her 1.04 bps ranks eighth in the league. Klein recorded a season and career-high 14 kills as the Bobcats defeated Portland State on Feb. 28. For the match, she posted a .387 (14-2-31) attack mark and two digs. Two weeks ago, she helped the Bobcats to a road sweep of Idaho. In MSU's 3-0 win over the Vandals on March 7, Klein notched five kills, a .308 attack mark and two blocks. She also sparked the Bobcats in the second match win with 12 kills and six blocks. Klein tallied a season-high eight blocks assists in MSU's season-opening win at Northern Colorado.
WHEN IT SAYS LIBBY, LIBBY, LIBBY: After suffering an early season injury, Libby Christensen returned to the starting libero spot on Feb. 28 against Portland State. Against the Vikings, she posted a career-high 21 digs. On the season, the native of Vacaville, Calif., leads the Bobcats averaging 3.75 digs per set. Christensen had recorded four double-digit digs matches. Last weekend, she averaged a team-best 3.00 saves per game as MSU swept Idaho (3-0, 3-2) in Moscow.
A LITTLE BIT OF ALEXIS: Senior libero/defensive specialist Alexis Goroski is averaging 2.68 digs per set. The product of Phoenix, Ariz., has played five matches as libero and seven as a defensive specialist. Goroski posted a career-high 27 digs in Montana State's win at Montana on Feb. 14 to capture the first-ever Main Line Trophy. She also dished out a career-best 10 assists in MSU's 3-2 win over Idaho State on Feb. 20.
HAILEY'S HIT PARADE: Senior Hailey Merkes has started all 12 matches for the Bobcats this season. The 5-10 graduate of Half Moon Bay High School is averaging 1.64 kills and 2.07 points per set. Merkes has recorded two double-digit kill matches, including a career-best 11 kills against Northern Arizona on Feb. 6. In MSU's win over NAU on Feb. 7, she recorded seven kills, a .313 attack mark and added five digs in two blocks. Merkes has tallied a season-best eight digs as the Bobcats defeated Idaho on March 7 in Moscow. She had a season-high four blocks at Northern Colorado on Jan. 25. Last weekend, Merkes averaged 1.38 kills and 1.50 digs per set.
TURNING THE TIDE: Freshman Avery Turnage has played in five matches. Her two appearances against Idaho State and Portland State sparked the Bobcats to victory. Against PSU, the Idaho Falls product posted a season-high nine kills, while hitting .533 (and adding a block. Turnage had four kills and hit .571 at Idaho on March 8.
WHEN: Saturday, March 20, 2021 @ 2 p.m.
Sunday, March 21, 2021 @ 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: Ogden, Utah - Swenson Gym
RECORDS: Montana St. 10-2, 10-2; Weber St. 13-1, 13-1
SERIES: Weber State leads 39-37; Streak: WSU W2
LAST MTG: Nov. 23, 2019 - @Weber St. 3, Montana St. 0
VIDEO: Montana State's matches at Weber State on Saturday and Sunday can be seen on Pluto TV - Ch. 1054
FINAL REGULAR SEASON SERIES: The Montana State volleyball team returns to action on Saturday, March 20, following an 11-day hiatus due to COVID-19 issues within the program. MSU's last match was a 3-2 victory at Idaho on March 8. Weber State sits atop the Big Sky Conference standings with a 13-1 league slate, while the Bobcats enter one match back at 10-2. Match time on Saturday is 2 p.m., in Swenson Gym, while Sunday's tilt starts at 4:30 p.m.
#BigSkyVB PLAYER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (one week removed): Sophomore Kira Thomsen earned her first weekly nod from the league office after being named #BigSkyVB Offensive Player of the Week, March 9. The Parker, Colo., product led the Bobcats in their series sweep over Idaho. The outside hitter averaged four kills per set and had a hitting mark of .253. She also totaled five aces and had two assists in eight sets. In the Bobcats' first game of the week, Thomsen led the team with 11 kills and had a .241 hitting percentage. In her final match against Idaho, Thomsen hit .261 and had a team-high 17 kills.
BOBCAT BLURBS: Kira Thomsen has five double-doubles on the season...middle blocker Susanna Sovde recorded a .625 (11-1-16) attack mark against Northern Arizona on Feb. 6- the mark is the third best hitting percentage for a single-match this season in Big Sky Conference action...Hannah Scott's career-best 25 kills against Idaho State on Feb. 20 are the second most posted in a single match in Big Sky play...Thomsen's 20 kills vs. UM on Feb. 15 is tops for three-set match...Jourdain Klein, Kaycee O'Dell and Emma Pence's eight block assists in Montana State's 3-0 win at Northern Colorado is a Big Sky season best.
SIDE OUTS:
* Montana State's 10-2 Big Sky Conference start is the best in school-history
* Montana State's current nine-match win streak is the best since the 2001 team opened 12-0
* Montana State snapped a 29-match losing streak to Northern Colorado on Jan. 24
* The Bobcats rank 66th in the nation and are first in the Big Sky with a .237 attack mark
* Montana State ranks first in the Big Sky and 78th in the country averaging 13.15 kps
* MSU's 2.29 blocks per set is third in the Big Sky and 72nd at the NCAA Division I level
* Emma Pence is ranked 17th in the nation, averaging 1.41 blocks per set
* Freshman Jourdain Klein is ranked eighth in the Big Sky Conference, averaging 1.04 bps
* MSU 5-1 in five-set matches; 1-0 in four-set matches; and 4-1 in three-set matches
* Emma Pence has won both #BigSkyVB Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week
THE SCOUTING REPORT: Weber State sits atop the Big Sky Conference standings heading into the final week of regular season action. The Wildcats are 13-1 overall and in league play. Last weekend, WSU swept Idaho State 3-0 in both matches. Weber State was paced by Rylin Adams, a 5-9 senior outside hitter from Lehi, Utah. For the two matches, Adams posted 35 kills and 24 digs, while hitting .363 from the field. Middle blocker Sam Schiess, who leads in the Big Sky in hitting (.375), totaled 21 kills and six blocks in the two-match series. As a team, the Wildcats hit .341 against the Bengals. On the season, the Wildcats are led by Adams, who averages 4.42 kills per set. Sophomore Dani Nay is second on the squad averaging 3.66 kps. Defensively, Makayla Sorensen averages 3.98 digs per set. WSU is led by Jeremiah Larsen, who is in his sixth year in Ogden.
HARD BLOCK CAFE: The Bobcats averaged 1.75 blocks per set last weekend in its two-match sweep of Idaho in Moscow. As a team, MSU is ranked third in the Big Sky Conference averaging 2.34 blocks per set. MSU's 2.34 bps also ranks No. 60 in the nation. Individually, sophomore Emma Pence leads the league averaging 1.41 blocks per set. That number ranks No. 17 in the country. Redshirt-freshman Jourdain Klein ranks eighth in the Big Sky averaging 1.04 blocks per set, which is 158th in the nation. The Bobcats had a season-best 16 team blocks in its 3-2 win over Portland State on Feb. 27.
BEAM ME UP SCOTTY: Senior Hannah Scott recorded back-to-back 20-kill matches as the Bobcats swept Idaho State, Feb. 20 & 21, including a career-high 25 kills against the Bengals on Feb. 20. Two weeks ago, she totaled 24 kills (3.00 kps) and 22 digs as the Bobcats swept Idaho in Moscow. Scott's best match of the Idaho weekend came on Monday as she notched 15 kills and a weekend-best 13 digs. She currently has three double-doubles on the season. Last season, Scott had a breakout year which culminated in being named to the all-Big Sky First-Team as she averaged 2.66 kills per set, while hitting .230 from the floor. She recorded 17 double-figure kill matches. Scott also averaged 1.71 digs per set and logged six double-digit dig matches, including a season-high 11 saves on three occasions, the last coming against Sacramento State. Scott recorded a career-high 10 blocks against Northern Colorado at the Big Sky Tournament in 2019. She is currently 71 kills shy of becoming the 16th member of MSU's 1000-kill club.
A LENDING HAND: Former Bozeman High product and Montana Class AA state champion setter Allie Lynch settled into her junior season at Montana State. Lynch is averaging 4.45 assists per set in Montana State's 6-2 offense. Against Idaho two weeks ago, Lynch dished out 40 assists and added nine digs in the two-match series. Against Portland State on Feb. 28, the 5-10 junior dished out a season-best 28 assists. Last fall, she registered ten matches with 45 assists or more, including a season-high 51 assists in MSU's win over Loyola Maryland. Freshman Delaney Shearan has also come up big in MSU's 6-2 system. The Phoenix, Ariz., product in averaging 5.51 assists per contest. She dished out a season and career-high 33 assists in MSU 3-2 win over Idaho State on Feb. 20. Additionally, Shearan is averaging 2.00 digs and .22 aces per set. For the two-match series at Idaho, Shearan averaged 6.13 assists and 1.75 digs per game. She notched a season-high 12 digs against Northern Arizona on Feb. 6, in Shroyer Gym.
MAY I ASSIST YOU?: Junior 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 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. Kira Laden, 1995-96 1,893
6. Marsha Dirks, 1985-87 1,785
7. Katie Harrington, 2014-15 1,779
8. Stacey Nielsen, 1987-89 1,735
9. Allie Lynch, 2017--- 1,726
10. Christi Ryan, 1984-85 1,497
CLIMBING THE LADDER: As the MSU program continues to improve, its numbers within the league's statistical categories have shown remarkable improvement, as well. In the 12 team categories, the Cats are ranked in the top five in eight listings. MSU is ranked second in opponent digs (13.24); third in blocking (2.34), opponent blocks (1.98), hitting percentage (.233) and kills (13.00); fourth in assists (11.73) and opponent kills (11.76); and fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.185).
THOMSEN TIME: Sophomore Kira Thomsen averaged 3.50 kills and 2.13 digs per set in MSU's sweep vs. Idaho two weeks ago. The Parker, Colo. product recorded 28 total kills, including 17 in the second match as MSU defeated the Vandals 3-2. Thomsen notched her first double-double of the season with 13 kills and 10 digs as MSU defeated Northern Arizona 3-0 in Shroyer Gym on Feb. 7. She posted back-to-back double-doubles against Portland State giving her five on the season. Thomsen has reached double-digit kills in the last nine matches, with a season-best 20 kills in MSU's win over Montana on Feb. 15 in Missoula.
PENCE POWER: Sophomore middle blocker Emma Pence is one of two players in the league that have garnered #BigSkyVB Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week accolades. She earned the defensive honor after averaging 1.70 blocks per set as the Bobcats swept Idaho State. Pence was the #BigSkyVB Offensive Player of the Week after recording 20 kills, a .514 attack mark and nine block assists against Northern Arizona. Last weekend, she recorded 18 kills and seven blocks in MSU's two-match sweep of Idaho. Her current .329 hitting percentage ranks third in the Big Sky, while her 1.45 blocks per set is best in the league.
THE MENACE FROM ENNIS: Redshirt-freshman Jourdain Klein (Ennis, Mont.) is averaging 1.73 kills and 1.04 blocks per set, while hitting at a .260 clip. Her 1.04 bps ranks eighth in the league. Klein recorded a season and career-high 14 kills as the Bobcats defeated Portland State on Feb. 28. For the match, she posted a .387 (14-2-31) attack mark and two digs. Two weeks ago, she helped the Bobcats to a road sweep of Idaho. In MSU's 3-0 win over the Vandals on March 7, Klein notched five kills, a .308 attack mark and two blocks. She also sparked the Bobcats in the second match win with 12 kills and six blocks. Klein tallied a season-high eight blocks assists in MSU's season-opening win at Northern Colorado.
WHEN IT SAYS LIBBY, LIBBY, LIBBY: After suffering an early season injury, Libby Christensen returned to the starting libero spot on Feb. 28 against Portland State. Against the Vikings, she posted a career-high 21 digs. On the season, the native of Vacaville, Calif., leads the Bobcats averaging 3.75 digs per set. Christensen had recorded four double-digit digs matches. Last weekend, she averaged a team-best 3.00 saves per game as MSU swept Idaho (3-0, 3-2) in Moscow.
A LITTLE BIT OF ALEXIS: Senior libero/defensive specialist Alexis Goroski is averaging 2.68 digs per set. The product of Phoenix, Ariz., has played five matches as libero and seven as a defensive specialist. Goroski posted a career-high 27 digs in Montana State's win at Montana on Feb. 14 to capture the first-ever Main Line Trophy. She also dished out a career-best 10 assists in MSU's 3-2 win over Idaho State on Feb. 20.
HAILEY'S HIT PARADE: Senior Hailey Merkes has started all 12 matches for the Bobcats this season. The 5-10 graduate of Half Moon Bay High School is averaging 1.64 kills and 2.07 points per set. Merkes has recorded two double-digit kill matches, including a career-best 11 kills against Northern Arizona on Feb. 6. In MSU's win over NAU on Feb. 7, she recorded seven kills, a .313 attack mark and added five digs in two blocks. Merkes has tallied a season-best eight digs as the Bobcats defeated Idaho on March 7 in Moscow. She had a season-high four blocks at Northern Colorado on Jan. 25. Last weekend, Merkes averaged 1.38 kills and 1.50 digs per set.
TURNING THE TIDE: Freshman Avery Turnage has played in five matches. Her two appearances against Idaho State and Portland State sparked the Bobcats to victory. Against PSU, the Idaho Falls product posted a season-high nine kills, while hitting .533 (and adding a block. Turnage had four kills and hit .571 at Idaho on March 8.
Players Mentioned
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