Cats Make History: Advance to Big Sky Title Match with Win over Eastern Washington

Thursday, November 23

Greeley, Colo.

7 p.m.

Montana State University

21-7,12-4Big Sky

Eastern Washington

13-17,6-10Big Sky

Eastern Wash.

Montana St.

Photo by: Yesenia Enriquez

Cats Make History: Advance to Big Sky Title Match with Win over Eastern Washington

11/23/2023 11:19:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

“Our competitive maturity has been huge, especially since early November,” said MSU first-year head coach Matt Houk. “This is not the same group we had when we took over in January. Their resiliency was spot on tonight.”

By: Tom Schulz

For the first time since the inception of the Big Sky Conference for women's sports in 1988 the Montana State volleyball team will play for a tournament championship after posting a 25-22, 16-25, 25-18, 28-26 win over Eastern Washington in the semifinal action on Thursday night in Bank of Colorado Arena.

Montana State (21-7) faces Weber State for the Big Sky title and automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship on Friday night at 7 p.m. in Greeley.

MSU, who was crisp offensively in its sweep of Montana on Wednesday night, looked to be channeling that effort early in its match with Eastern Washington (13-17) getting out to a 7-1 lead in the opening set following a block by Kira Thomsen and Camryn Greenwald. The Bobcats held a nice cushion until the Eagles tied the contest at 20-all. MSU then rattled off three straight points, two coming off kills by Madilyn Siebler. Thomsen closed out the set with two kills.

"Our competitive maturity has been huge, especially since early November," said MSU first-year head coach Matt Houk. "This is not the same group we had when we took over in January. Their resiliency was spot on tonight."

EWU, fresh off its upset of host Northern Colorado on Wednesday night and the tournament's No. 7 seed, turned the table on the Bobcats in the second frame getting out to a 7-3 advantage and dominating the set outhitting MSU .357 to .114.

"Eastern came in on a roll and playing their best ball of the season," Houk said. "They are a well-coached, smart team and we knew it wasn't going to be easy."

But as quickly as the Eagles jumped on the Bobcats, MSU returned the favor in furious fashion in the third set getting out to a 6-1 lead following a Thomsen kill. MSU cruised down the stretch to a 21-18 victory. Thomsen and Courtney Weatherby paced MSU with four kills apiece.

Tied at eight-all in the fourth frame, MSU went on a 5-0 run capped by a Jourdain Kamps service ace. The Bobcats held a 20-14 advantage following an EWU hitting error and looked poised to win the match going away.

However, the Eagles gave it one more go, and held off two match points on three consecutive points of their own to take a 25-24 lead following a Bobcat hitting error. A Thomsen killed evened the contest at 25-all, but Bri Gunderson's kill gave EWU its second set point. Another Thomsen winner put the set at 26-all, and the Bobcats closed out the match on a block by Kamps and Greenwald, followed by a Kamps crosscourt swing that found the back corner.

Thomsen finished the match with 18 kills, eight digs and two aces. "Kira played 10-feet tall and made of steel," Houk stated.

Kamps was also in double-figures with 12 kills, while adding 15 digs, three blocks and two aces. Junior Jordan Radick had one of her top performances of the season with nine kills and a .444 attack mark. "Jordan just continues to grow," Houk said. "This season has been a slow grind for her coming back from injury and she is just starting to feel good and finding her former self."

Weatherby, who came off the bench for the final two sets, finished with eight kills and a .273 attack mark. Junior setter Nellie Stevenson dished out 39 assists and added nine digs. Sophomore libero Lauren Lindseth anchored the backrow with a team-high 19 digs.

EWU was led by Sage Brustad with 22 kills and 12 digs.

MSU and Weber State met once this season, with the Bobcats pulling a reverse sweep in Ogden, defeating the Wildcats 20-25, 19-25, 25-18, 25-9, 15-12 for its third straight win over WSU.

"Weber State is a really, really disciplined team," Houk said. "They run their system well. They have a nice outside hitter, the libero of the year and a great coaching staff. They'll be ready.

"Our best has to be good," he added. "Our leaders will need to be steady; our first contact needs to be solid; we'll need Nellie to locate a good ball and we need to put pressure on them with our serve. If we can do that, we have a chance."