Bobcats Travel to Gonzaga Invite

Thursday, September 4

Spokane, WA

7:00 pm MT

Montana State University

Maryland Eastern Shore

Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services

9/3/2025 3:16:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

VB NOTES

Montana State volleyball hits the road for the first time this weekend playing in the Gonzaga Invitational beginning on Thursday night in Spokane, Wash.

By: Tom Schulz

NEXT UP:
Montana State volleyball hits the road for the first time this weekend playing in the Gonzaga Invitational beginning on Thursday night in Spokane, Wash. The Bobcats open play Thursday, Sept. 4 when it faces the University of Maryland Eastern Shore at 7 p.m. (MT) in the Martin Centre. MSU meets Cal State Bakersfield on Friday at 3:30 p.m. (MT), and closes out the weekend with Gonzaga, Saturday at 3 p.m. (MT).

HOME OPENER:
Since the 1980 campaign the Bobcats are 26-20 all-time in season openers, after defeating Prairie View A&M last Friday night in Shroyer Gym. Under the direction of third-year head coach Matt Houk, the Bobcats are 2-1 in season openers.

WELCOME BACK:
Matt Houk welcomes back twelve players that were in the practice gym spring semester. Included in the twelve are seven letterwinners, two returning starters (Camryn Greenwald, Madilyn Siebler) plus All-Big Sky Conference libero Lauren Lindseth. Freshmen Teagan Jaynes and Elli Tufto both have a spring season under their respective wings after graduating early and joining the Bobcats in January. Freshman-redshirt Makenzie Jackson is back from injury and will look to contribute on the right-side. Other incoming freshmen include Lauren Schloe (MB), Maggie Rhew (S/DS), Alice Steman (MB), and Nicolette Noble (L/DS).

LINDSETH NAMED BIG SKY CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE POW:
Montana State senior libero Lauren Lindseth was named Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week. The product of Great Falls led the Bobcats averaging 5.82 digs per set. In all, the CMR graduate totaled 64 digs during three matches at the EVEN Hotel Bobcat Invite over the weekend. Lindseth recorded 33 digs in MSU's 3-2 setback to South Dakota on Saturday night. The total was one shy of Lindseth's career high of 34 saves set against St. Thomas (Minn.) two years ago. Lindseth also added 21 digs in MSU's win over Prairie View A&M, and 10 against Oregon on Sunday afternoon. The defensive honor is the sixth of her career in the Blue and Gold.

BOBCAT NOTEBOOK:

After the opening week of play, senior libero Lauren Lindseth ranks eighth in the nation and first in the Big Sky Conference averaging 5.82 digs per set. Lindseth totaled 64 digs last weekend, which ranks 21st in the country. She posted a weekend best 33 digs against South Dakota on Saturday, just one shy of her career-high set at St. Thomas (MN) in 2023.
Freshman setter Teagan Jaynes is third in the Big Sky Conference averaging 8.45 assists per set. The average ranks 110th in the nation. Her 93 total assists in 95th best in the country and third in the Big Sky Conference. The Northfield, Minn., product dished out a weekend-best 37 assists in the Bobcats' opener against Prairie View A&M.
Sophomore outside hitter Karli Heidemann paced the Bobcats last weekend averaging a team-best 3.36 kills per set, which ranks fourth in the Big Sky Conference after the opening weekend of play. In all, Heidemann totaled 37 kills, including a weekend-best 16 in MSU's win over Prairie View A&M.
Senior middle blocker Camryn Greenwald has an efficient opening weekend of play, hitting a team-high .378 from the field. Greenwald, who averaged 1.82 kills per set, notched just three errors on 45 swings.
Greenwald also paced the Bobcats on the defensive side of the net, recording a team-best 1.09 blocks per set. The product of Woodbury, Minn., tallied five blocks against South Dakota and added four against Big 10 power Oregon.
Third-year head coach Matt Houk used 14 players in the opening week of action, including seven freshmen. Three freshmen - Teagan Jaynes, Elli Tufto, and Nicolette Noble have played in all 11 sets to date. Freshman-redshirt Makenzie Jackson has played in ten sets.

PACKING THE PLACE: The Bobcats currently rank 38th in the nation in attendance after averaging 789 fans during the EVEN Hotel Bobcat Invite. Last season, Montana State averaged 1,185 fans over the course of 10 home matches. Against Montana on Nov. 22 , the Bobcats saw a season-high 3,567 fans packing Worthington Arena. MSU ranked among the top 65 the nation for attendance last fall, ahead of programs such as UCLA, Alabama, and Baylor. Two years ago, MSU finished 65th in the nation averaging 1,115 fans per game. On Sept. 30, 2022, Montana State set a Big Sky Conference and state of Montana record when 6,457 fans jammed Worthington Arena.

HORSESHOES & HAND GRENADES: Last season, the Bobcats went 4-5 in three set matches; 3-7 in four set matches; and 2-7 in five set matches. Fourteen sets went to extra points, which included a 33-31 setback at Weber State - a match the Bobcats won 31-33, 25-20, 25-23, 20-25, 15-11. Of the 14 sets that went into extra points, the Bobcats' opponents held an 8-6 advantage.