Courtney Weatherby celebrates a Bobcat point during Saturday's Cat-Griz scrimmage.
Photo by: Jack Power
MSU Concludes Spring Volleyball Drills with Cat-Griz Scrimmage
4/27/2024 5:25:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
“It was a really good day of volleyball,” said MSU head coach Matt Houk.
The Montana State volleyball squad completed its spring training with an 18-25, 25-22, 25-19, 33-31 win over Montana on Saturday in Shroyer Gym. The two rivals held a morning practice session followed by a four-set scrimmage in the afternoon to end its offseason drills.
"It was a really good day of volleyball," said MSU head coach Matt Houk. "We played four hours of volleyball with the Griz. The morning drills gave us opportunities to mix and match line ups and do a lot of different things. There were some things we have been struggling with, so we were able to address those areas, and then were able to apply them in a live-match setting.
"Even though the scrimmage wasn't the cleanest volleyball we've played of the spring season, it was gritty," Houk added. "It was tough, it was fight, and that is a good sign. Those are hard things to teach."
Fifth-year all-conference standout Jourdain Kamps paced the Bobcats reaching double-digit kills, while freshmen redshirts Karli Heidemann and Erika Gustafson provided a spark Bobcat fans did not get to witness last fall.
"Our freshmen who didn't get to see much game action in the fall got a ton of reps this spring, and today," Houk said. "They had a lot of opportunities, and you could see there is some real potential. They all have good strengths, yet they are freshmen who will go through some growing pains. And that is normal."
Houk returns 12 players from last season's roster that recorded a 24-9 overall mark, a 12-4 Big Sky Conference ledger, and advanced to the Fab Four of the National Invitational Volleyball Championships- MSU's first ever national postseason appearance. In all, five starters return along with libero Laura Lindseth. Ten of the returning athletes saw court time as the Bobcats won more matches than any other team in the history of the program.
According to Houk, rest, relaxation, and carrying the lessons learned during spring training over the summer will be key to next fall's successes.
"The first thing we need to do is rest," Houk said. "This summer we want them to play a lot of volleyball- both indoors and outdoors. We hope the things we implemented like expanding our defensive range and playing faster offensively, are areas they focus on. I have a lot of confidence in this team, and they way that they work."
"It was a really good day of volleyball," said MSU head coach Matt Houk. "We played four hours of volleyball with the Griz. The morning drills gave us opportunities to mix and match line ups and do a lot of different things. There were some things we have been struggling with, so we were able to address those areas, and then were able to apply them in a live-match setting.
"Even though the scrimmage wasn't the cleanest volleyball we've played of the spring season, it was gritty," Houk added. "It was tough, it was fight, and that is a good sign. Those are hard things to teach."
Fifth-year all-conference standout Jourdain Kamps paced the Bobcats reaching double-digit kills, while freshmen redshirts Karli Heidemann and Erika Gustafson provided a spark Bobcat fans did not get to witness last fall.
"Our freshmen who didn't get to see much game action in the fall got a ton of reps this spring, and today," Houk said. "They had a lot of opportunities, and you could see there is some real potential. They all have good strengths, yet they are freshmen who will go through some growing pains. And that is normal."
Houk returns 12 players from last season's roster that recorded a 24-9 overall mark, a 12-4 Big Sky Conference ledger, and advanced to the Fab Four of the National Invitational Volleyball Championships- MSU's first ever national postseason appearance. In all, five starters return along with libero Laura Lindseth. Ten of the returning athletes saw court time as the Bobcats won more matches than any other team in the history of the program.
According to Houk, rest, relaxation, and carrying the lessons learned during spring training over the summer will be key to next fall's successes.
"The first thing we need to do is rest," Houk said. "This summer we want them to play a lot of volleyball- both indoors and outdoors. We hope the things we implemented like expanding our defensive range and playing faster offensively, are areas they focus on. I have a lot of confidence in this team, and they way that they work."
Players Mentioned
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