Sunday, March 7
Moscow, ID
3 p.m. (MT)
Montana State University
at
Idaho
Bobcats Travel to Idaho; Face Vandals Sunday and Monday
3/6/2021 2:44:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Montana State volleyball team will head to the rolling hills of the Palouse to play a two-match series against Idaho.
WHO: Montana State at Idaho
WHEN: Sunday, March 7, 2021 @ 3 p.m.
Monday, March 8, 2021 @ 7 p.m.
WHERE: Moscow, Idaho - Memorial Gym
RECORDS: Montana State 8-2, 8-2; Idaho 5-5, 4-4
SERIES: Idaho leads 38-11; Streak: MSU W2
LAST MTG: Nov. 9, 2019 - Montana State 3, @ Idaho 0
VIDEO: Montana State's matches at Idaho on Sunday afternoon and Monday night can be seen on Pluto TV - Ch. 1060.
PALOUSE BOUND: The Montana State volleyball team will head to the rolling hills of the Palouse to play a two-match series against Idaho. The Bobcats will face the Vandals, Sunday, March 7 at 3 p.m. (MT) in historic Memorial Gym in Moscow. The series will conclude on Monday, March 8 at 7 p.m. (MT), also in Memorial Gym.
BOBCAT PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Defensive- Emma Pence is once again Montana State's defensive player of the week after averaging 1.78 blocks per set in MSU's two victories over Portland State, last weekend in Shroyer Gym. In the first meeting with the Vikings, Pence posted one solo and seven block assists. On Sunday, the Carson City, Nevada product had the exact same outcome at the net as the night before. Her current 1.56 blocks per set is tops in the Big Sky Conference and ranks 14th in the nation. Offensive- Freshman redshirt Jourdain Klein is MSU's offensive player of the week after averaging 2.78 kills per set, while recording a .317 attack mark. On Saturday, the Ennis native posted 11 kills and a .241 attack mark, while adding a season-best 14 kills and .387 hitting percentage on Sunday night.
BOBCAT BLURBS: Kira Thomsen has five double-doubles on the season, posting a pair of double-digit kill/dig matches last weekend against Portland State...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 Montana 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 3-set match.
SIDE OUTS:
* Montana State's 8-2 Big Sky Conference start is the best in school-history
* Montana State snapped a 29-match losing streak to Northern Colorado on Jan. 24
* MSU's 2.45 blocks per set is third in the Big Sky behind Idaho (2.86) and Weber State (2.53)
* The Bobcats rank 48th in the nation with 100.5 total team blocks
* Emma Pence is ranked 14th in the nation, averaging 1.56 blocks per set
* Emma Pence is ranked 17th in the country with 64 total blocks
* Freshman Jourdain Klein is ranked eighth in the Big Sky Conference, averaging 1.05 bps
* Hannah Scott's 25 kills against Idaho State is the 2nd highest single match total in the league
* MSU 4-1 in five-set matches; and its current 7-match win streak is the best since 2003
* Emma Pence has won both #BigSkyVB Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week
THE SCOUTING REPORT: Idaho enters Sunday afternoon's contest 5-5 overall and 4-4 in Big Sky Conference play. Last weekend, the Vandals split a series at Montana, dropping a 3-2 decision last Sunday, before handing the Grizzlies a 3-1 setback on Monday evening. In Sunday's loss, Idaho hit just .083, while being led by Kennedy Warren with 13 kills and 14 digs and Nicole Ball with 10 kills and nine blocks. The Vandals righted the ship on Monday posting a .323 attack mark. Warren had 18 kills and eight blocks, while Ball notched 10 kills and a .588 attack. Allison Munday added 15 kills and a .467 attack mark in the victory. Warren, a 6-foot junior from Weatherford, Texas has paced Idaho this season averaging 3.55 kills, 2.16 digs, and 0.89 blocks per set. As a team, the Vandals lead the Big Sky Conference in blocking averaging 2.86 bps.
HARD BLOCK CAFE: The Bobcats averaged 2.78 blocks per set last weekend in its two-match sweep of Portland State in Shroyer Gym. As a team, MSU is ranked third in the Big Sky Conference averaging 2.45 blocks per set. MSU's 2.45 bps also ranks No. 55 in the nation. Individually, sophomore Emma Pence leads the league averaging 1.56 blocks per set. That number ranks No. 14 in the country. Redshirt-freshman Jourdain Klein ranks eighth in the Big Sky averaging 1.05 blocks per set, which is 154th in the nation. The Bobcats had a season-best 16 team blocks in its 3-2 win over Portland State on Sunday.
BEAM ME UP SCOTTY: Senior Hannah Scott recorded back-to-back 20-kill matches as the Bobcats swept Idaho State, Feb. 20 & 21. Last weekend, she totaled 17 kills and 21 digs as the Bobcats swept Portland State in Shroyer Gym. Scott's best match of the weekend came on Sunday as she notched eight kills and a season-best 15 digs. She currently has two 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, including a season-best 20 kills in MSU's victory over Sacramento State. 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 118 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 4.34 assists per set in Montana State's 6-2 offense. Against Portland State on Sunday night, Lynch dished out a season-high 28 assists. Last weekend, the 5-10 junior averaged 5.44 assists and 1.67 digs per set, helping the Bobcats in its sweep of the Vikings. 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 5.39 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 2.05 digs and .22 aces per set. For the two-match series vs. PSU, Shearan averaged 5.56 assists and 1.56 digs per game. She notched a season-high 12 digs against Northern Arizona on Feb. 6.
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--- 1,646
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 nine listings. MSU is ranked second in opponent blocks (2.00), third in blocking (2.45), opponent digs (13.29), kills (12.83), fourth in hitting percentage (.220), opponent hitting percentage (.174), assists (11.63), opponent kills (11.41), and fifth in opponent assists (10.68).
THOMSEN TIME: Sophomore Kira Thomsen averaged 3.56 kills and 4.78 digs per set in MSU's sweep vs. Portland State last weekend. The Parker, Colo. product recorded 32 total kills, including 17 in the first match as MSU swept PSU 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 seven matches, with a season-best 20 kills in MSU's win over Montana on Feb. 15.
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 16 blocks in MSU's two-match sweep of Portland State. Her current .312 hitting percentage ranks fourth in the Big Sky, while her 1.56 blocks per set is best in the league.
THE MENACE FROM ENNIS: Redshirt-freshman Jourdain Klein (Ennis, Mont.) has been solid in the starting rotation for the Bobcats. Klein is averaging 1.66 kills and 1.05 blocks per set, while hitting at a .264 clip. Last Sunday, Klein recorded a season and career-high 14 kills as the Bobcats defeated Portland State 3-1. For the match, she posted a .387 (14-2-31) attack mark and two digs. On Saturday against the Vikings, Klein notched 11 kills, a .241 attack mark and seven blocks. For the weekend, she averaged 2.78 kills and 1.00 blocks per set, while hitting .317 from the field. Klein tallied a season-high eight blocks assists in MSU's season-opening win at Northern Colorado.
A LITTLE BIT OF ALEXIS: Senior libero/defensive specialist Alexis Goroski is averaging 3.13 digs per set. The product of Phoenix, Ariz., has played five matches as libero and five 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. Last, weekend, Goroski averaged 2.56 saves per contest and added two service aces.
WHEN IT SAYS LIBBY, LIBBY, LIBBY: After suffering an early season injury, senior Libby Christensen returned to the starting libero spot last Sunday against Portland State. Against the Vikings, she posted a career-high 21 digs, while adding four assists. On the season, the native of Vacaville, Calif., leads the Bobcats averaging 4.25 digs per set. Last weekend, Christensen averaged a team-best 4.80 saves per game.
HAILEY'S HIT PARADE: Senior Hailey Merkes has started all 10 matches for the Bobcats this season. The 5-10 graduate of Half Moon Bay High School is averaging 1.69 kills and 2.18 points per set. Merkes has recorded two double-digit kill matches, including a career-best 11 kills against Northern Arizona. 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 seven digs on two occasions, coming against NAU and Portland State. She had a season-high four blocks at Northern Colorado on Jan. 25.
TURNING THE TIDE: True-freshman Avery Turnage has played in four matches this season, and her last two appearances against Idaho State and Portland State sparked the Bobcats to victory. Last Sunday against the Vikings, the Idaho Falls product posted a season-high nine kills, while hitting .533 (9-1-15) and adding a block. Against ISU, Turnage tallied five kills, a .455 attack mark and four blocks.
WHEN: Sunday, March 7, 2021 @ 3 p.m.
Monday, March 8, 2021 @ 7 p.m.
WHERE: Moscow, Idaho - Memorial Gym
RECORDS: Montana State 8-2, 8-2; Idaho 5-5, 4-4
SERIES: Idaho leads 38-11; Streak: MSU W2
LAST MTG: Nov. 9, 2019 - Montana State 3, @ Idaho 0
VIDEO: Montana State's matches at Idaho on Sunday afternoon and Monday night can be seen on Pluto TV - Ch. 1060.
PALOUSE BOUND: The Montana State volleyball team will head to the rolling hills of the Palouse to play a two-match series against Idaho. The Bobcats will face the Vandals, Sunday, March 7 at 3 p.m. (MT) in historic Memorial Gym in Moscow. The series will conclude on Monday, March 8 at 7 p.m. (MT), also in Memorial Gym.
BOBCAT PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Defensive- Emma Pence is once again Montana State's defensive player of the week after averaging 1.78 blocks per set in MSU's two victories over Portland State, last weekend in Shroyer Gym. In the first meeting with the Vikings, Pence posted one solo and seven block assists. On Sunday, the Carson City, Nevada product had the exact same outcome at the net as the night before. Her current 1.56 blocks per set is tops in the Big Sky Conference and ranks 14th in the nation. Offensive- Freshman redshirt Jourdain Klein is MSU's offensive player of the week after averaging 2.78 kills per set, while recording a .317 attack mark. On Saturday, the Ennis native posted 11 kills and a .241 attack mark, while adding a season-best 14 kills and .387 hitting percentage on Sunday night.
BOBCAT BLURBS: Kira Thomsen has five double-doubles on the season, posting a pair of double-digit kill/dig matches last weekend against Portland State...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 Montana 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 3-set match.
SIDE OUTS:
* Montana State's 8-2 Big Sky Conference start is the best in school-history
* Montana State snapped a 29-match losing streak to Northern Colorado on Jan. 24
* MSU's 2.45 blocks per set is third in the Big Sky behind Idaho (2.86) and Weber State (2.53)
* The Bobcats rank 48th in the nation with 100.5 total team blocks
* Emma Pence is ranked 14th in the nation, averaging 1.56 blocks per set
* Emma Pence is ranked 17th in the country with 64 total blocks
* Freshman Jourdain Klein is ranked eighth in the Big Sky Conference, averaging 1.05 bps
* Hannah Scott's 25 kills against Idaho State is the 2nd highest single match total in the league
* MSU 4-1 in five-set matches; and its current 7-match win streak is the best since 2003
* Emma Pence has won both #BigSkyVB Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week
THE SCOUTING REPORT: Idaho enters Sunday afternoon's contest 5-5 overall and 4-4 in Big Sky Conference play. Last weekend, the Vandals split a series at Montana, dropping a 3-2 decision last Sunday, before handing the Grizzlies a 3-1 setback on Monday evening. In Sunday's loss, Idaho hit just .083, while being led by Kennedy Warren with 13 kills and 14 digs and Nicole Ball with 10 kills and nine blocks. The Vandals righted the ship on Monday posting a .323 attack mark. Warren had 18 kills and eight blocks, while Ball notched 10 kills and a .588 attack. Allison Munday added 15 kills and a .467 attack mark in the victory. Warren, a 6-foot junior from Weatherford, Texas has paced Idaho this season averaging 3.55 kills, 2.16 digs, and 0.89 blocks per set. As a team, the Vandals lead the Big Sky Conference in blocking averaging 2.86 bps.
HARD BLOCK CAFE: The Bobcats averaged 2.78 blocks per set last weekend in its two-match sweep of Portland State in Shroyer Gym. As a team, MSU is ranked third in the Big Sky Conference averaging 2.45 blocks per set. MSU's 2.45 bps also ranks No. 55 in the nation. Individually, sophomore Emma Pence leads the league averaging 1.56 blocks per set. That number ranks No. 14 in the country. Redshirt-freshman Jourdain Klein ranks eighth in the Big Sky averaging 1.05 blocks per set, which is 154th in the nation. The Bobcats had a season-best 16 team blocks in its 3-2 win over Portland State on Sunday.
BEAM ME UP SCOTTY: Senior Hannah Scott recorded back-to-back 20-kill matches as the Bobcats swept Idaho State, Feb. 20 & 21. Last weekend, she totaled 17 kills and 21 digs as the Bobcats swept Portland State in Shroyer Gym. Scott's best match of the weekend came on Sunday as she notched eight kills and a season-best 15 digs. She currently has two 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, including a season-best 20 kills in MSU's victory over Sacramento State. 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 118 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 4.34 assists per set in Montana State's 6-2 offense. Against Portland State on Sunday night, Lynch dished out a season-high 28 assists. Last weekend, the 5-10 junior averaged 5.44 assists and 1.67 digs per set, helping the Bobcats in its sweep of the Vikings. 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 5.39 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 2.05 digs and .22 aces per set. For the two-match series vs. PSU, Shearan averaged 5.56 assists and 1.56 digs per game. She notched a season-high 12 digs against Northern Arizona on Feb. 6.
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--- 1,646
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 nine listings. MSU is ranked second in opponent blocks (2.00), third in blocking (2.45), opponent digs (13.29), kills (12.83), fourth in hitting percentage (.220), opponent hitting percentage (.174), assists (11.63), opponent kills (11.41), and fifth in opponent assists (10.68).
THOMSEN TIME: Sophomore Kira Thomsen averaged 3.56 kills and 4.78 digs per set in MSU's sweep vs. Portland State last weekend. The Parker, Colo. product recorded 32 total kills, including 17 in the first match as MSU swept PSU 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 seven matches, with a season-best 20 kills in MSU's win over Montana on Feb. 15.
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 16 blocks in MSU's two-match sweep of Portland State. Her current .312 hitting percentage ranks fourth in the Big Sky, while her 1.56 blocks per set is best in the league.
THE MENACE FROM ENNIS: Redshirt-freshman Jourdain Klein (Ennis, Mont.) has been solid in the starting rotation for the Bobcats. Klein is averaging 1.66 kills and 1.05 blocks per set, while hitting at a .264 clip. Last Sunday, Klein recorded a season and career-high 14 kills as the Bobcats defeated Portland State 3-1. For the match, she posted a .387 (14-2-31) attack mark and two digs. On Saturday against the Vikings, Klein notched 11 kills, a .241 attack mark and seven blocks. For the weekend, she averaged 2.78 kills and 1.00 blocks per set, while hitting .317 from the field. Klein tallied a season-high eight blocks assists in MSU's season-opening win at Northern Colorado.
A LITTLE BIT OF ALEXIS: Senior libero/defensive specialist Alexis Goroski is averaging 3.13 digs per set. The product of Phoenix, Ariz., has played five matches as libero and five 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. Last, weekend, Goroski averaged 2.56 saves per contest and added two service aces.
WHEN IT SAYS LIBBY, LIBBY, LIBBY: After suffering an early season injury, senior Libby Christensen returned to the starting libero spot last Sunday against Portland State. Against the Vikings, she posted a career-high 21 digs, while adding four assists. On the season, the native of Vacaville, Calif., leads the Bobcats averaging 4.25 digs per set. Last weekend, Christensen averaged a team-best 4.80 saves per game.
HAILEY'S HIT PARADE: Senior Hailey Merkes has started all 10 matches for the Bobcats this season. The 5-10 graduate of Half Moon Bay High School is averaging 1.69 kills and 2.18 points per set. Merkes has recorded two double-digit kill matches, including a career-best 11 kills against Northern Arizona. 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 seven digs on two occasions, coming against NAU and Portland State. She had a season-high four blocks at Northern Colorado on Jan. 25.
TURNING THE TIDE: True-freshman Avery Turnage has played in four matches this season, and her last two appearances against Idaho State and Portland State sparked the Bobcats to victory. Last Sunday against the Vikings, the Idaho Falls product posted a season-high nine kills, while hitting .533 (9-1-15) and adding a block. Against ISU, Turnage tallied five kills, a .455 attack mark and four blocks.
Players Mentioned
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