Montana State Volleyball Concludes Preseason Play at Mercer Invitational

Thursday, September 17

Macon, GA

4:00 pm MT

Montana State University

Mercer

Montana State Volleyball Concludes Preseason Play at Mercer Invitational

9/16/2026 5:21:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Tournament Notes

By: Kate Cooney

BOZEMAN, Mont. - Montana State Volleyball heads to Georgia to up the non-conference slate with a three-day tournament at Mercer University.

The Bobcats will face the tournament hosts on Thursday in a 4 p.m. matchup, before taking the court against Charleston Southern at 1 p.m. on Friday and Georgia State at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

Montana State's match with Mercer will be available to watch on ESPN+, and live stats will be available for all three matches.

THE MATCHUPS
Friday's matchup will mark the second between the Bobcats and the Buccaneers, the first resulting in an MSU victory in 1994. It is also the second contest with Georgia State, after the Panthers took the opening win. Mercer and Montana State will meet for the first time on Thursday.

SPELTS STANDING OUT
Senior Joelie Spelts has had a tremendous impact for the Bobcats through the first two weeks of the season. After earning a spot on the all-tournament team at Lafayette and St. Thomas, she repeated the honors at the Bobcat Invitational after totaling    22 kills, a .304 hitting percentage and three total blocks.

1K CLUB
Sophomore Teagan Jaynes reached the 1,000 career assists mark with her third set at St. Thomas. After handling starting setter duties for the Bobcats last season, Jaynes has recorded 243 assists in eight games this year.

TEE IT UP
Outside hitter and former MSU golfer, Lauren Greeny is high on the stat sheet in several categories after making her return to collegiate volleyball this season. After just three weeks, she has totaled 78 kills, 76 digs and 27 blocks with a .201 hitting percentage. She was named to the all-tournament team at the Bobcat Invitational.

NOBLE EFFORTS
After a standout season-opening performance in Easton, sophomore libero Nicolette Noble was named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career. Starting all three matches in the first week of the season, Noble made a career-best 24 digs against Marist, contributing to her tournament total of 63, and recorded 16 assists, 56 receptions, and a .982 reception percentage.

STARTING WITH A SWEEP
Montana State opened the season with a weekend sweep at the Maroon and White Classic. With three wins in two days, the Bobcats are off to their best start since Houk's inaugural season in 2023. The MSU trio of Elli Esko, Nicolette Noble and Joelie Spelts earned all-tournament honors in Easton. Esko made her collegiate debut, powering the offense with 33 kills and a .329 pct. Noble, also named tournament MVP, was a key component in the defense and passing game, while Spelts racked up 29 kills and 11 blocks.

Follow the Bobcats
For the latest news, updates, and behind-the-scenes coverage of the Montana State women's volleyball team, follow the Bobcats @MSUBobcatsVB on X, Instagram, and Facebook. Information on the Montana State athletic program can be found online at msubobcats.com or by following @MSUBobcats on X, @MontanaStateBobcats on Instagram, and @Montana State Bobcats on Facebook.