Tuesday, September 21
Missoula, Mont.
7 p.m.
Montana State University
at
Montana
Photo by: Jack Murrey
Main Line Trophy Up for Grabs as Cats Face Griz in Missoula
9/20/2021 6:54:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Bobcat volleyball team will open its Big Sky Conference season with a pair of road matches, beginning at Montana on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in Dahlberg Arena.
WHO: Montana State at Montana
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021
WHERE: Missoula, Montana - Dahlberg Arena
RECORDS: Montana St. 4-7, 0-0; Montana 5-5, 0-0
SERIES: Montana State leads series 60-57 (1975)
LAST MTG: Feb. 15, 2021 - Montana State 3, @ Montana 0
WHO: Montana State at Northern Colorado
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. (MT)
WHERE: Greeley, Colorado - Bank of Colorado Arena
RECORDS: Montana St. 4-7, 0-0; No. Colorado 8-3, 0-0
SERIES: Northern Colorado leads series 30-4 (1981)
LAST MTG: Jan. 25, 2021 - @ No. Colorado 3, Montana St. 0
LIVE STATS: Live statistics of MSU's matches at Montana and Northern Colorado can be accessed at msubobcats.com
LIVE STREAMING: MSU's matches at Montana and No. Colorado will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription necessary).
NEXT UP: The Bobcat volleyball team will open its Big Sky Conference season with a pair of road matches, beginning at Montana on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in Dahlberg Arena. It marks the third installment in the fight for the Main Line Trophy. The Bobcats swept the season series in February, with both matches being played in Missoula. MSU will conclude its opening week of league action when it travels to Northern Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. in Greeley, taking on the Bears in Bank of Colorado Arena.
BIG SKY CONFERENCE OPENERS: Since the inception of the Big Sky Conference for women in the fall of 1988, Montana State is 13-20 in league openers. Current Bobcat head coach Daniel Jones is 3-1 in Big Sky openers, including a 3-0 sweep of Northern Colorado on Jan. 24, 2021 in Greeley. The win over the Bears snapped a 29-match losing streak to UNC and was the first time Northern Colorado had been swept in Bank of Colorado Arena since Sept. 20, 2018.
BOBCAT BITES: Montana State nearly pulled off the biggest upset in NCAA Division I play this fall, before falling to #7 Washington, 26-28, 25-17, 22-25, 25-11, 16-14, last Thursday in Seattle. Playing against a Huskies squad that featured two All-America First-Team selections along with the 2020-21 AVCA Pacific North Region Freshman of the Year, the Bobcats held leads of 5-0, 10-5 and 11-7 in set five before Washington rallied with a 7-2 run to hold match point at 14-13. A Hannah Scott kill tied the contest at 14-all, but the Huskies received a kill from Samantha Drechsel, before a Shannon Crenshaw serve caught the tape, dribbling over to the Bobcat side of the floor.
SIDE OUTS:
* MSU is 1-4 in five setters with two losses to Power 5 schools - Arkansas & #7 Washington
* Hannah Scott now has 1,075 career kills, which ranks 10th all-time at Montana State
* Jordan Radick had six blocks at the Washington Invitational, averaging .75 bps
* The Cats rank #2 in the Big Sky & #82 in the nation averaging 2.28 blocks per set
* MSU ranks #2 in the Big Sky and #39 in the country in total team blocks (105)
* Montana State ranks #2 in the Big Sky and #85 in the country in team assists (509)
* The Bobcats rank #3 in the Big Sky and #102 in the nation with 536 team kills
* Freshman Jordan Radick is #3 in the Big Sky and #127 in the nation, averaging 1.10 bps
* Sophomore Emma Pence is #2 in the Big Sky and #83 in the nation, averaging 1.21 bps
* Pence's 52 total blocks rank #2 in the Big Sky and #39 in the country this week
THE SCOUTING REPORT: Montana is 5-5 overall and off to its best start in 16 years. The Grizzlies posted non-conference wins over Kennesaw State, Seattle U, Green Bay, Drake and North Dakota. Tuesday's match against UM marks the 118th meeting in the Brawl of the Wild series with the Bobcats holding a 60-57 edge. Montana State has won four of the last five meetings, including two last February in Missoula to lay claim to the first Main Line Trophy- a volleyball only award that features a bronze bell symbolizing longevity, resilience, and strength. It is a whimsical throwback to the early mining boom and the railroad that brought only the hardiest citizenry to the Treasure State. It was a time when you could hear the railway bells resonating from Hellgate to Gateway. Looking to pace Montana on Tuesday will be Ellie Scherffius, a 6-foot sophomore middle blocker from Eagle River, Alaska, who leads the Big Sky Conference with a .415 (91-23-164) attack mark. On the season, she's averaging 2.22 kills and .95 blocks per set. Also contributing to the Griz attack are Peyten Boutwell and Catie Semadeni, who average 2.12 and 2.05 kills per set, respectively - each hitting over .250 from the field. Defensively, UM is led by Sabrina Moreno at 3.95 digs per contest. The Grizzlies are under the direction of Allison Lawrence who is in her fifth season as head coach. She's posted a 32-84 overall mark during her tenure in Missoula. Northern Colorado went 8-3 in the non-conference portion of the 2021 season. last weekend, the Bears went 2-1 at the Bradley Tournament, with its lone loss being a 3-2 decision to the Braves. UNC's other two losses came to Texas Tech and Colorado. Northern Colorado posted notable victories over Northwestern and Colorado State. On the season, the Bears have been led by Kailey Jo Ince, who is averaging 3.40 kills per set. Makenzie Harris and Rachel Hickman also play a big role in UNC's offense, averaging 2.72 and 2.62 kills per contest, respectively. Defensively, Kyndall Feather paces the team averaging 3.63 digs per set. UNC is under the direction of 17th year head coach Lyndsey Oates. Northern Colorado will play Montana on Thursday, before facing the Bobcats.
HARD BLOCK CAFE: Montana State is ranked second in the Big Sky Conference averaging 2.28 blocks per set. MSU's 2.30 bps also ranks #82 in the nation. The Bobcats' 105 total blocks is second in the conference and #39 in the nation this week. Individually, sophomore Emma Pence is second in the Big Sky averaging 1.21 blocks per contest. That number ranks #83 in the country. Freshman Jordan Radick is third the league averaging 1.10 blocks per set, which ranks #127 in the country. The Bobcats had a season-best 18 team blocks in its match with Arkansas on Sept. 2.
BEAM ME UP SCOTTY: 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 1,075 career kills rank 10th on Montana State's all-time kills' chart. On the season, she is averaging 2.91 kills per set. Last weekend, Scott averaged 2.89 kills and 1.89 digs per set, while hitting .304 from the field. Her best match of the weekend came against #7 Washington as she was nearly unstoppable recording a match and season-high 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. A month ago, Scott was named to the Boise State All-Tournament team. She has been in double-figure kills in all eight-of-11 matches. Scott is currently first on the squad with 148.5 points on the season. During the spring season, Scott had a breakout campaign which culminated in being named to the All-Big Sky 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 acknowledged by the NCAA, the Cats rank in the top three of five categories, including #2 in team blocks (105), blocks per set (2.28) and team assists (509), and #3 in hitting percentage (.219) and team kills (536).
A LENDING HAND: Former Bozeman High product and Montana Class AA state champion setter Allie Lynch is averaging 4.38 assists per game running MSU's 6-2 offense. At the Bobcat Classic in early September, she played in eight sets and averaged 4.75 assists and .63 digs per set. Lynch dished out a season-high 22 assists against Arkansas. On the season, she is also averaging 1.35 digs per set, including a season-best 10 saves against Boise State. Sophomore Delaney Shearan averaged 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. True-freshman Audrey Hofer has started six times, including last Thursday against #7 Washington. In two matches last week, Hofer averaged 4.33 assists and 1.33 digs per set. The Helena native had a weekend-best 24 assists as MSU dropped a 3-2 decision to #7 Washington on Thursday. 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 5.28 assists per set, which ranks ninth in the Big Sky Conference. Hofer also chips in 1.51 digs per set. She registered one double-double this season and is currently second on the team with 10 aces.
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 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. Allie Lynch, 2017--- 1,874
7. Marsha Dirks, 1985-87 1,785
8. Katie Harrington, 2014-15 1,779
9. Stacey Nielsen, 1987-89 1,735
10. Christi Ryan, 1984-85 1,497
THOMSEN TIME: A month ago, sophomore Kira Thomsen earned tournament MVP honors at the Boise State Invitational 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 chipped in 2.11 kills and 1.33 digs per set. She recorded 10 kills and five digs against #7 Washington. On the season, she has been in double-figure kills on seven occasions and has produced two 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 130 kills (2.83 kps) and is third in digs with 89 (2.87 dps). Her 145.5 points is second to Hannah Scott (148.5). 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 season-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 spring action, is averaging 1.40 kills and 1.21 blocks per set, while hitting .181 from the field this fall. Pence currently ranks second in blocks per set, which ranks 83rd in the nation. Pence's 52 total blocks ranks 39th in the country. She has been in double-figure kills twice, including a season-best 11 kills against Arkansas. She registered a season-high nine blocks at Boise State a month ago. Last weekend, the Carson City, Nevada product averaged 1.44 blocks per set, including an impressive eight blocks against #7 Washington on Thursday afternoon in Alaska Airlines Arena.
THE MENACE FROM ENNIS: Jourdain Klein, a 6-1 outside hitter from Ennis, Mont., combined for nine kills, five blocks, five digs and three aces last week in matches with Washington and Fresno State. At the North Texas Challenge two weeks ago, Klein had a very efficient weekend hitting, recording a .444 (17-1-36) attack for the three matches. Her best outing of the tournament came against North Texas as she registered seven kills, a .500 attack mark and three blocks. Last spring, as a redshirt-freshman, Klein was named to the Second-Team All-Big Sky Conference team after averaging 1.49 kills and .97 blocks per set. She tallied a season-high eight blocks against Arkansas. During spring ball, she recorded a season and career-high 14 kills as the Bobcats defeated Portland State on Feb. 28.
WHEN IT SAYS LIBBY, LIBBY, LIBBY: Senior libero Libby Christensen is averaging 2.87 digs per set. She has been in double-digit digs on five occasions this fall, including a season-best 19 digs at Boise State on Aug. 28. Last spring, Christensen averaged 4.19 digs per set, recording six double-digit digs matches, including a career-high 27 saves as the Bobcats dropped a 3-2 decision to Southern Utah at the Big Sky Tourney.
TURNING THE TIDE: Sophomore Avery Turnage played in all nine sets last week in Washington and averaged 2.11 kills and .67 blocks per set. In addition, she recorded a .289 (19-6-45) attack mark. The product of Idaho Falls, Idaho registered a career-high leading MSU with 11 kills against Fresno State. On the season, she is averaging 1.75 kills and .78 blocks per set, while hitting .231 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: True-freshman Jordan Radick and sophomore Kaycee O'Dell combined for nine kills and seven blocks during MSU's two matches at Washington. Radick, a graduate of Bozeman High, turned in seven kills and three blocks against Washington, and added three blocks against Fresno State, as well. O'Dell, a product of Glendale, Ariz., played two sets against Fresno State and posted one kill, one dig and one block.
YES, WE'RE SURE:
True-freshman Maci Abshier (Ab-sure) has started the last three matches as MSU's libero and is averaging 3.25 dps.
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021
WHERE: Missoula, Montana - Dahlberg Arena
RECORDS: Montana St. 4-7, 0-0; Montana 5-5, 0-0
SERIES: Montana State leads series 60-57 (1975)
LAST MTG: Feb. 15, 2021 - Montana State 3, @ Montana 0
WHO: Montana State at Northern Colorado
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. (MT)
WHERE: Greeley, Colorado - Bank of Colorado Arena
RECORDS: Montana St. 4-7, 0-0; No. Colorado 8-3, 0-0
SERIES: Northern Colorado leads series 30-4 (1981)
LAST MTG: Jan. 25, 2021 - @ No. Colorado 3, Montana St. 0
LIVE STATS: Live statistics of MSU's matches at Montana and Northern Colorado can be accessed at msubobcats.com
LIVE STREAMING: MSU's matches at Montana and No. Colorado will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription necessary).
NEXT UP: The Bobcat volleyball team will open its Big Sky Conference season with a pair of road matches, beginning at Montana on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in Dahlberg Arena. It marks the third installment in the fight for the Main Line Trophy. The Bobcats swept the season series in February, with both matches being played in Missoula. MSU will conclude its opening week of league action when it travels to Northern Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. in Greeley, taking on the Bears in Bank of Colorado Arena.
BIG SKY CONFERENCE OPENERS: Since the inception of the Big Sky Conference for women in the fall of 1988, Montana State is 13-20 in league openers. Current Bobcat head coach Daniel Jones is 3-1 in Big Sky openers, including a 3-0 sweep of Northern Colorado on Jan. 24, 2021 in Greeley. The win over the Bears snapped a 29-match losing streak to UNC and was the first time Northern Colorado had been swept in Bank of Colorado Arena since Sept. 20, 2018.
BOBCAT BITES: Montana State nearly pulled off the biggest upset in NCAA Division I play this fall, before falling to #7 Washington, 26-28, 25-17, 22-25, 25-11, 16-14, last Thursday in Seattle. Playing against a Huskies squad that featured two All-America First-Team selections along with the 2020-21 AVCA Pacific North Region Freshman of the Year, the Bobcats held leads of 5-0, 10-5 and 11-7 in set five before Washington rallied with a 7-2 run to hold match point at 14-13. A Hannah Scott kill tied the contest at 14-all, but the Huskies received a kill from Samantha Drechsel, before a Shannon Crenshaw serve caught the tape, dribbling over to the Bobcat side of the floor.
SIDE OUTS:
* MSU is 1-4 in five setters with two losses to Power 5 schools - Arkansas & #7 Washington
* Hannah Scott now has 1,075 career kills, which ranks 10th all-time at Montana State
* Jordan Radick had six blocks at the Washington Invitational, averaging .75 bps
* The Cats rank #2 in the Big Sky & #82 in the nation averaging 2.28 blocks per set
* MSU ranks #2 in the Big Sky and #39 in the country in total team blocks (105)
* Montana State ranks #2 in the Big Sky and #85 in the country in team assists (509)
* The Bobcats rank #3 in the Big Sky and #102 in the nation with 536 team kills
* Freshman Jordan Radick is #3 in the Big Sky and #127 in the nation, averaging 1.10 bps
* Sophomore Emma Pence is #2 in the Big Sky and #83 in the nation, averaging 1.21 bps
* Pence's 52 total blocks rank #2 in the Big Sky and #39 in the country this week
THE SCOUTING REPORT: Montana is 5-5 overall and off to its best start in 16 years. The Grizzlies posted non-conference wins over Kennesaw State, Seattle U, Green Bay, Drake and North Dakota. Tuesday's match against UM marks the 118th meeting in the Brawl of the Wild series with the Bobcats holding a 60-57 edge. Montana State has won four of the last five meetings, including two last February in Missoula to lay claim to the first Main Line Trophy- a volleyball only award that features a bronze bell symbolizing longevity, resilience, and strength. It is a whimsical throwback to the early mining boom and the railroad that brought only the hardiest citizenry to the Treasure State. It was a time when you could hear the railway bells resonating from Hellgate to Gateway. Looking to pace Montana on Tuesday will be Ellie Scherffius, a 6-foot sophomore middle blocker from Eagle River, Alaska, who leads the Big Sky Conference with a .415 (91-23-164) attack mark. On the season, she's averaging 2.22 kills and .95 blocks per set. Also contributing to the Griz attack are Peyten Boutwell and Catie Semadeni, who average 2.12 and 2.05 kills per set, respectively - each hitting over .250 from the field. Defensively, UM is led by Sabrina Moreno at 3.95 digs per contest. The Grizzlies are under the direction of Allison Lawrence who is in her fifth season as head coach. She's posted a 32-84 overall mark during her tenure in Missoula. Northern Colorado went 8-3 in the non-conference portion of the 2021 season. last weekend, the Bears went 2-1 at the Bradley Tournament, with its lone loss being a 3-2 decision to the Braves. UNC's other two losses came to Texas Tech and Colorado. Northern Colorado posted notable victories over Northwestern and Colorado State. On the season, the Bears have been led by Kailey Jo Ince, who is averaging 3.40 kills per set. Makenzie Harris and Rachel Hickman also play a big role in UNC's offense, averaging 2.72 and 2.62 kills per contest, respectively. Defensively, Kyndall Feather paces the team averaging 3.63 digs per set. UNC is under the direction of 17th year head coach Lyndsey Oates. Northern Colorado will play Montana on Thursday, before facing the Bobcats.
HARD BLOCK CAFE: Montana State is ranked second in the Big Sky Conference averaging 2.28 blocks per set. MSU's 2.30 bps also ranks #82 in the nation. The Bobcats' 105 total blocks is second in the conference and #39 in the nation this week. Individually, sophomore Emma Pence is second in the Big Sky averaging 1.21 blocks per contest. That number ranks #83 in the country. Freshman Jordan Radick is third the league averaging 1.10 blocks per set, which ranks #127 in the country. The Bobcats had a season-best 18 team blocks in its match with Arkansas on Sept. 2.
BEAM ME UP SCOTTY: 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 1,075 career kills rank 10th on Montana State's all-time kills' chart. On the season, she is averaging 2.91 kills per set. Last weekend, Scott averaged 2.89 kills and 1.89 digs per set, while hitting .304 from the field. Her best match of the weekend came against #7 Washington as she was nearly unstoppable recording a match and season-high 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. A month ago, Scott was named to the Boise State All-Tournament team. She has been in double-figure kills in all eight-of-11 matches. Scott is currently first on the squad with 148.5 points on the season. During the spring season, Scott had a breakout campaign which culminated in being named to the All-Big Sky 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 acknowledged by the NCAA, the Cats rank in the top three of five categories, including #2 in team blocks (105), blocks per set (2.28) and team assists (509), and #3 in hitting percentage (.219) and team kills (536).
A LENDING HAND: Former Bozeman High product and Montana Class AA state champion setter Allie Lynch is averaging 4.38 assists per game running MSU's 6-2 offense. At the Bobcat Classic in early September, she played in eight sets and averaged 4.75 assists and .63 digs per set. Lynch dished out a season-high 22 assists against Arkansas. On the season, she is also averaging 1.35 digs per set, including a season-best 10 saves against Boise State. Sophomore Delaney Shearan averaged 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. True-freshman Audrey Hofer has started six times, including last Thursday against #7 Washington. In two matches last week, Hofer averaged 4.33 assists and 1.33 digs per set. The Helena native had a weekend-best 24 assists as MSU dropped a 3-2 decision to #7 Washington on Thursday. 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 5.28 assists per set, which ranks ninth in the Big Sky Conference. Hofer also chips in 1.51 digs per set. She registered one double-double this season and is currently second on the team with 10 aces.
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 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. Allie Lynch, 2017--- 1,874
7. Marsha Dirks, 1985-87 1,785
8. Katie Harrington, 2014-15 1,779
9. Stacey Nielsen, 1987-89 1,735
10. Christi Ryan, 1984-85 1,497
THOMSEN TIME: A month ago, sophomore Kira Thomsen earned tournament MVP honors at the Boise State Invitational 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 chipped in 2.11 kills and 1.33 digs per set. She recorded 10 kills and five digs against #7 Washington. On the season, she has been in double-figure kills on seven occasions and has produced two 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 130 kills (2.83 kps) and is third in digs with 89 (2.87 dps). Her 145.5 points is second to Hannah Scott (148.5). 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 season-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 spring action, is averaging 1.40 kills and 1.21 blocks per set, while hitting .181 from the field this fall. Pence currently ranks second in blocks per set, which ranks 83rd in the nation. Pence's 52 total blocks ranks 39th in the country. She has been in double-figure kills twice, including a season-best 11 kills against Arkansas. She registered a season-high nine blocks at Boise State a month ago. Last weekend, the Carson City, Nevada product averaged 1.44 blocks per set, including an impressive eight blocks against #7 Washington on Thursday afternoon in Alaska Airlines Arena.
THE MENACE FROM ENNIS: Jourdain Klein, a 6-1 outside hitter from Ennis, Mont., combined for nine kills, five blocks, five digs and three aces last week in matches with Washington and Fresno State. At the North Texas Challenge two weeks ago, Klein had a very efficient weekend hitting, recording a .444 (17-1-36) attack for the three matches. Her best outing of the tournament came against North Texas as she registered seven kills, a .500 attack mark and three blocks. Last spring, as a redshirt-freshman, Klein was named to the Second-Team All-Big Sky Conference team after averaging 1.49 kills and .97 blocks per set. She tallied a season-high eight blocks against Arkansas. During spring ball, she recorded a season and career-high 14 kills as the Bobcats defeated Portland State on Feb. 28.
WHEN IT SAYS LIBBY, LIBBY, LIBBY: Senior libero Libby Christensen is averaging 2.87 digs per set. She has been in double-digit digs on five occasions this fall, including a season-best 19 digs at Boise State on Aug. 28. Last spring, Christensen averaged 4.19 digs per set, recording six double-digit digs matches, including a career-high 27 saves as the Bobcats dropped a 3-2 decision to Southern Utah at the Big Sky Tourney.
TURNING THE TIDE: Sophomore Avery Turnage played in all nine sets last week in Washington and averaged 2.11 kills and .67 blocks per set. In addition, she recorded a .289 (19-6-45) attack mark. The product of Idaho Falls, Idaho registered a career-high leading MSU with 11 kills against Fresno State. On the season, she is averaging 1.75 kills and .78 blocks per set, while hitting .231 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: True-freshman Jordan Radick and sophomore Kaycee O'Dell combined for nine kills and seven blocks during MSU's two matches at Washington. Radick, a graduate of Bozeman High, turned in seven kills and three blocks against Washington, and added three blocks against Fresno State, as well. O'Dell, a product of Glendale, Ariz., played two sets against Fresno State and posted one kill, one dig and one block.
YES, WE'RE SURE:
True-freshman Maci Abshier (Ab-sure) has started the last three matches as MSU's libero and is averaging 3.25 dps.
Players Mentioned
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