Bobcats Continue Season at Tommie Invitational

Thursday, September 3

Minneapolis, MN

2:00 pm MT

Montana State University

St. Thomas

9/2/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Match Notes | Tommie Invitational

By: Kate Cooney

BOZEMAN, Mont. – The Montana State Volleyball team returns to the road to continue the season at the Tommie Invitational in Minneapolis, Minn., for three days of volleyball between Sept. 3 and 5.

The three-day tournament will begin with a 2 p.m. MT matchup with the tournament host, St. Thomas (0-2), who made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Cats will face UW-Milwaukee at 11 a.m. MT on Friday and are set to conclude the tournament at 11 a.m. MT against UIC on Saturday.

The Bobcats and Tommies have met twice between 2022 and 2023, with each team picking up a win on the road. Montana State and Milwaukee met in a match that fell in favor of the Panthers in 2023. This marks the first meeting between the Bobcats and the Flames.

Thursday's match with St. Thomas will be livestreamed, and live stats will be available for all three matches.

HOUK'S HISTORY
Friday's contest features head coach Matt Houk's alma mater, UW-Milwaukee. Houk was a student-athlete on the Panthers' baseball team from 2000-2001 and played 104 games while hitting .342 with 58 RBIs. Houk also kicked off his collegiate coaching career with the Panthers, where he spent 2002 and 2003 as an assistant coach.

THREE AND OH!
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.

NOBLE EFFORTS
After a standout 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, 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. She leads the Big Sky in total digs and digs per set, averaging 4.85.

TEE IT UP
Outside hitter and former MSU golfer, Lauren Greeny was high on the stat sheet in several categories in her return to collegiate volleyball. Greeny finished with 26 kills, 36 digs, 10 blocks, and three service aces while appearing in 12 sets during the opening weekend.

1K CLUB
Sophomore Teagan Jaynes is just three assists away from reaching 1,000 in her career. After handling starting setter duties for the Bobcats last season, Jaynes racked up 63 assists at the Maroon and White Classic.

SOPHOMORE STANDOUTS
MSU's sophomore class showed up in several categories in Easton. Elli Tufto led the team with 34 kills, while Lauren Schloe topped blocking efforts with 13 on the weekend. Maggie Rhew also had a career-best game against Marist, collecting 61 assists through three games.

The Bobcats' home opener will be played Sept. 10, the first of a three-game tournament featuring North Dakota State and Portland. Season and single-match tickets are on sale now.

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.