WHO: Montana State vs. Long Beach State
WHEN: Friday, August 27 at 10 a.m.
WHERE: Boise, Idaho - Bronco Gym
RECORDS: Montana St. 0-0, 0-0; Long Beach St. 0-0, 0-0
SERIES: Long Beach State leads series 2-0
LAST MTG: Sept. 16, 2017 - @ Long Beach State wins 3-2
WHO: Montana State vs. Dixie State
WHEN: Friday, August 27 at 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Boise, Idaho - Bronco Gym
RECORDS: Montana St. 0-0, 0-0; Dixie St., 0-0, 0-0
SERIES: Series even at 0-0
LAST MTG: First Meeting
WHO: Montana State at Boise State
WHEN: Saturday, August 28 at 2:30 p.m.
WHERE: Boise, Idaho - Bronco Gym
RECORDS: Montana St. 0-0, 0-0; Boise St., 0-0, 0-0
SERIES: Boise State leads series 24-6
LAST MTG: Sept. 11, 2004 - Boise State wins 3-1 @ MSU
LIVE STATS: Live statistics can be accessed at msubobcats.com
LIVE STREAMING: MSU's matches at the Boise State Invite can be accessed at msubobcats.com volleyball schedule page
TOURNEY TALK: Following its season-opening match against Long Beach State, MSU will face Dixie State at 5:30 p.m., before meeting Boise State on Saturday, Aug. 28 at 2:30 p.m.
BOBCAT BLURBS: Montana State returns 12 letterwinners, including five starters and libero Libby Christensen from last spring's team that went 10-5 overall and 10-4 in Big Sky action. MSU is led by first-team all-Big Sky Conference performers Kira Thomsen and Emma Pence.
SIDE OUTS:
* Montana State's 10-4 Big Sky record last spring was its best since the 2004 campaign.
* Montana State's nine-match win streak was the longest since the 2001 team opened 12-0.
* Montana State snapped a 29-match losing streak to Northern Colorado on Jan. 24.
* The Bobcats ranked 84th in the nation and third in the Big Sky with a .221 attack mark
* Montana State ranked third in the Big Sky and 123rd in the country averaging 12.75 kps
* MSU's 2.20 blocks per set was third in the Big Sky and 83rd in NCAA Division I play.
* Emma Pence ranked 25th in the nation, averaging 1.36 blocks per set last spring.
* Freshman Jourdain Klein ranked eighth in the Big Sky, averaging 0.97 bps last spring.
* Last spring, MSU was 5-2 in 5-set matches; 1-1 in 4-set matches; 4-2 in 3-set matches.
* Emma Pence won both #BigSkyVB Offensive & Defensive Player of the Week last spring.
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
Montana State will open its traditional 2021 fall season when it travels to Boise, Idaho, Aug. 27-28 in Idaho. MSU opens play against Long Beach State. The 49ers own a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series with the Bobcats dating back to Sept. 23, 1982. In its last meeting against Long Beach State, MSU dropped a 3-2 decision on Sept. 16, 2017, which was head coach Daniel Jones' first season at the helm of the Bobcat program. LBS sports 22 athletes on its roster, including 14 newcomers. The 49ers haven't played a match since Dec. 4, 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Leading the squad are junior outside hitter Kashauna Williams and sophomore outside hitter Katie Kennedy. Both were 2019 Big West All-Conference selections. Dixie State is in its second season of action in the WAC where it went 9-8 overall and 8-8 in league play in its first season as a NCAA Division I member. The Trailblazers are under the direction of first-year head coach Camilla Hofoka. Guiding DSU this fall with be junior outside hitter Whittnee Nihipali (149 kills), junior middle blocker Lauolive Tonga (116 kills), and freshman Kate Hardy (WAC All-Freshman team, 103 kills). Boise State placed second last season (spring 2021) going 10-5 in Mountain West Conference action and overall. Boise State returns five starters and the libero, as well as 11 letterwinners from the 2020-21 campaign. Returning veterans include all three of the Broncos' 2021 preseason honorees Lauren Ohlinger, Jessica Donahue, and Danielle Boss, in addition to Alyssa Wissinger, Annie Kaminski, Shae Duffy, Kayly Pau, Allison Casillas, Chey Jones, Ashley Hayden and Jolei Akima. BSU was picked to finish second in the preseason MWC poll, behind UNLV.
HARD BLOCK CAFE:
Last spring, MSU is ranked third in the Big Sky Conference averaging 2.20 blocks per set. MSU's 2.20 bps also ranked No. 83 in the nation. Individually, sophomore Emma Pence was first in the Big Sky averaging 1.36 blocks per contest. That number ranked 25th in the country. Redshirt-freshman Jourdain Klein ranked eighth in the Big Sky averaging .97 blocks per set, which is 212th in the nation. The Bobcats had a season-best 16 team blocks in its 3-2 win over Portland State on Feb. 27.
BEAM ME UP SCOTTY:
Senior Hannah Scott recorded back-to-back 20-kill matches as the Bobcats swept Idaho State, Feb. 20 & 21, including a career-high 25 kills against the Bengals on Feb. 20. Scott posted four double-doubles during spring play, including 16 kills and 11 digs in MSU's loss to Southern Utah in the league tournament quarterfinals. The Hawthorne, Calif., product had a breakout year which culminated in being named to the all-Big Sky First-Team as she averaged 2.89 kills per set, while hitting .232 from the floor. She recorded 18 double-figure kill matches. Scott also averaged 2.18 digs per set and logged seven double-digit dig matches, including a season-high 15 saves against Portland State on Feb. 28. Scott recorded a career-high 10 blocks against Northern Colorado at the Big Sky Tournament in 2019. She is currently 56 kills shy of becoming the 16th member of MSU's 1000-kill club.
A LENDING HAND:
Former Bozeman High product and Montana Class AA state champion setter Allie Lynch settled into her junior season at Montana State. Lynch averaged 4.41 assists per set in Montana State's 6-2 offense. Last spring, against Portland State on Feb. 28, the 5-10 junior dished out a season-best 28 assists. Freshman Delaney Shearan also came up big in MSU's 6-2 system. The Phoenix, Ariz., product in averaged 5.41 assists per contest. She dished out a season and career-high 33 assists in MSU 3-2 win over Idaho State on Feb. 20. Additionally, Shearan averaged 2.00 digs and .21 aces per set. Shearan recorded a season-high 13 digs against Southern Utah on March 31 as the Bobcats dropped a 3-2 decision to Southern Utah in quarterfinal action of the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
MAY I ASSIST YOU?:
Senior setter Allie Lynch is slowly creeping up the all-time Montana State assists chart. The Bozeman native went over the 1,000-assist plateau against Portland State on Oct. 24, 2019. Former Bobcat standout Brooke Olsen-Roush (1996-99) holds the all-time Bobcats record set back in the old 15-point scoring era. Here's a look at MSU's all-time Top 10, and where Lynch stands:
1. Brooke Olsen, 1996-99 4,712
2. Kamber Kelly, 2001-04 3,751
3. Jennifer Lundquist, 2009-12 2,500
4. Lorraine Morrison, 1999-01 2,293
5. Kira Laden, 1995-96 1,893
6. Marsha Dirks, 1985-87 1,785
7. Katie Harrington, 2014-15 1,779
8. Allie Lynch, 2017--- 1,737
9. Stacey Nielsen, 1987-89 1,735
10. Christi Ryan, 1984-85 1,497
CLIMBING THE LADDER:
As the MSU program continues to improve, its numbers within the Big Sky Conference's statistical categories have shown remarkable improvement, as well. In the 15 team stat categories, the Cats ranked third in assists per set (11.62), blocks per set (2.20), hitting percentage (.221), kills per set (12.75), and match w/l (.667).
THOMSEN TIME:
Sophomore Kira Thomsen earned First-Team All-Big Sky Conference honors after averaging 3.52 kills and 4.02 points per set during MSU's spring season. The Parker, Colo. product notched her first of eight double-doubles on the season with 13 kills and 10 digs as MSU defeated Northern Arizona 3-0 in Shroyer Gym on Feb. 7. Thomsen posted back-to-back-to-back double-doubles against Weber State (2) and Southern Utah to close out the season giving her seven on the season. Thomsen registered a season-best 22 kills at Weber State on March 20, and a season-high 26 digs against Portland State on Feb.27.
PENCE POWER:
Sophomore middle blocker Emma Pence was one of two players in the league that garnered #BigSkyVB Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week accolades during spring action. For her efforts, she was a First-Team All-Big Sky honoree. Pence earned the defensive POW recognition after averaging 1.70 blocks per set as the Bobcats swept Idaho State. Her #BigSkyVB Offensive Player of the Week came after recording 20 kills, a .514 attack mark and nine block assists against Northern Arizona. Pence's .315 hitting percentage ranked third in the Big Sky, while her 1.36 blocks per set was best in the league.
THE MENACE FROM ENNIS:
Redshirt-freshman Jourdain Klein (Ennis, Mont.) averaged 1.49 kills and .97 blocks per set, while hitting at a .197 clip. For her efforts, Klein was named to the Second-Team All-Big Sky Conference team. Klein's .97 bps ranked eighth in the league and was 212th in the nation. During spring ball, Klein recorded a season and career-high 14 kills as the Bobcats defeated Portland State on Feb. 28. For the match, she posted a .387 (14-2-31) attack mark and two digs. Klein tallied a season-high eight blocks assists in MSU's season-opening win at Northern Colorado. She logged six matches with five or more blocks.
WHEN IT SAYS LIBBY, LIBBY, LIBBY:
After suffering an early season injury, Libby Christensen returned to the starting libero spot on Feb. 28 against Portland State. Against the Vikings, she posted a career-high 21 digs. On the season, the native of Vacaville, Calif., leads the Bobcats averaging 4.19 digs per set. Christensen had recorded six double-digit digs matches, including a career-high 27 saves as the Bobcats dropped a 3-2 decision to Southern Utah in quarterfinal action of the Big Sky Conference Tournament on March 31.
TURNING THE TIDE:
Freshman Avery Turnage played in eight matches. Her two appearances against Idaho State and Portland State sparked the Bobcats to victory. Against PSU, the Idaho Falls product posted a season-high nine kills, while hitting .533 and one block. Turnage had six kills and hit .455 at Weber State on March 20.
PRESEASON PREDICTION:
The Montana State volleyball team's progress as a program has been evident in the win-loss column, and has been noticed by its conference peers, as the Bobcats were tabbed to finish fourth in the 2021 Big Sky Volleyball Coaches' Poll released on Wednesday. MSU was picked to finish fourth in last year's conference preseason poll as well. Montana State returns all but two players from a team that posted a 10-4 regular season mark that featured all Big Sky opponents. The conference record led to the Bobcats' best league finish since 2004. The Bobcats advanced to the Big Sky Conference Tournament for the third consecutive season. Weber State was picked as a favorite to repeat as Big Sky champions earning 10 first-place votes and 100 points in the poll. Northern Arizona was selected to finish second place in the preseason poll with 86 points and received Weber State's first-place vote. Northern Colorado (83) finished narrowly behind NAU in third among the coach's votes. The Bobcats (73) rank ahead of Sacramento State (67), Portland State (50), Southern Utah (38), Idaho (38), Eastern Washington (36), Idaho State (18) and Montana (16).
EXHIBITION ACTION:
Daniel Jones had a lot to evaluate during his Montana State volleyball team's season-opening exhibition match in Shroyer Gym last Thursday, when TCU beat the Bobcats 3-0, but one strong positive stood out. "Anyone I put on the court can do a job for me," Jones said after his team's 25-15, 25-19, 26-24 loss, "that's one of my first takeaways. We mixed the lineups up a lot, and they have confidence in their own abilities and in each other that they can go out there with a mixed lineup and get the job done." Montana State's first match against non-Big Sky competition since 2019 featured many individual positives. Outside hitters Hannah Scott, a senior, and sophomore Kira Thomsen led the Bobcats with nine kills each. Sophomore middle blockers Emma Pence (five kills) and Kaycee O'Dell (six kills) each hit .500 to pace MSU, which hit .190 as a team to TCU's .295. Senior Allie Lynch recorded 18 assists to lead the Bobcats, while Delaney Shearan posted nine and Audrey Hofer four. Libby Christensen registered a team-high 10 digs. Jones played three setters, including freshman Hofer. "I think Delaney and Allie have a slight advantage having a lot of experience," he said. "I think Audrey is extremely talented. The thing we have to remember is that this is the first time our underclass group, the sophomores and freshmen, have ever played in front of a crowd so there are going to be some moments where their nerves get the better of them. I think that's where Allie and Delaney have a slight advantage because they've done it before, but Audrey's good. I have confidence in any of the three of them to go out and get it done." A crowd of 1,014 packed Shroyer Gym on Thursday, the first full-capacity on-campus sporting event for a Bobcat team since the spring of 2019. Jones was thrilled with the turnout. "It was awesome," he said. "Oh man, there's nothing better than a packed out Shroyer, and to have 1,100 people in here on a Thursday night for an exhibition game was great. It's exciting to have people back on campus."
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