Tuesday, October 26
BOZEMAN
7 p.m.
Montana State University
vs
Montana
MSU's Jourdain Klein (9) tips over the Montana block.
Photo by: UM Sports Information
Ursine Invasion: Cats Host Griz and Bears
10/25/2021 5:33:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Bobcat volleyball team will begin a four-match homestand beginning with Montana on Tuesday, Oct. 25 in the second Brawl of the Wild tilt of the fall season starting at 7 p.m. in Shroyer Gym.
WHO: Montana at Montana State
WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Bozeman, Montana - Shroyer Gym
RECORDS: Montana St. 11-10, 7-3; Montana 8-12; 3-7
SERIES: Montana State leads all-time series 61-57 (1975)
LAST MTG: Sept. 21, 2021 - Montana State 3, @ Montana 0
WHO: Northern Colorado at Montana State
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 29, 2021 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Bozeman, Montana - Shroyer Gym
RECORDS: Montana State 11-10, 7-3; No. Colorado 15-6; 7-3
SERIES: No. Colorado leads all-time series 31-4 (1981)
LAST MTG: Sept. 25 @ No. Colorado 3, Montana State 0
LIVE STATS: Live statistics of MSU's matches with Montana and Northern Colorado can be accessed at msubobcats.com
LIVE VIDEO: MSU's matches against Montana and Northern Colorado will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription necessary).
NEXT UP: The Bobcat volleyball team will begin a four-match homestand beginning with Montana on Tuesday, Oct. 25 in the second Brawl of the Wild tilt of the fall season starting at 7 p.m. in Shroyer Gym. MSU will wrap the week hosting Northern Colorado on Friday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. MSU will finish out its home season against Idaho and Eastern Washington on Nov. 4 and 6, respectively. Senior Day will be celebrated on Nov. 6 at 12 p.m.
BOBCAT BITES: MSU is ranked #166 in this week's RPI...the highest ranked team the Bobcats have defeated this fall is #133 North Texas (3-2), followed by #140 Boise State (3-1)...MSU is 2-5 in five-set matches, losing to #22 Washington, #33 Arkansas, #70 Weber State, #106 Utah State and #184 Long Beach State...other Big Sky rankings in the RPI include #80 Northern Colorado, #101 Portland State, #181 Northern Arizona, #218 Sacramento State, #239 Montana, #250 Eastern Washington, #265 Idaho State, #271 Southern Utah, and #303 Idaho...Montana State's road sweep of Northern Arizona (3-2) and Southern Utah (3-0) was its first in program history.
#BIGSKYVB OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jourdain Klein was named the #BigSkyVB Offensive Player of the Week. Klein averaged 3.13 kills and 1.13 aces per set and hit .358 from the field. MSU swept its road trip at Northern Arizona and Southern Utah for the first time in school history. In its 3-2 win in Flagstaff, the Ennis, Mont., product notched 14 kills and hit .333, while adding three aces. In the Cats' sweep of Southern Utah, she notched 11 kills, hit .391, and added a career-high six aces. Klein finished with a team-best 25 kills and nine aces on the weekend.
SIDE OUTS:
* MSU is 2-5 in five setters with two losses to Power 5 schools - Arkansas & #7 Washington
* Hannah Scott now has 1,192 career kills, which ranks fifth all-time at Montana State
* Jourdain Klein averaged 3.31 kills, 1.50 blocks and 1.13 aces/set, while hitting .358 last week
* MSU ranks #1 in the Big Sky and #26 in the country in total team blocks (202)
* The Cats rank #2 in the Big Sky & #57 in the nation averaging 2.43 blocks per set
* Montana State ranks #2 in the Big Sky and #105 in the country in hitting percentage (.225)
* The Bobcats rank #1 in the Big Sky and #63 in the nation with 971 team assists
* Emma Pence's 114 total blocks rank #1 in the Big Sky and #3 in the country this week
* Pence is also ranked #1 in the Big Sky and #10 in the nation, averaging 1.43 bps
* Freshman Jordan Radick is #5 in the Big Sky and #139 in the nation with 77 total blocks
THE SCOUTING REPORT: Montana is 8-12 overall and 3-7 in Big Sky play after splitting the Southern Utah/Northern Arizona trip, last week. The Griz opened play with a 3-0 win in Cedar City, outhitting the Thunderbirds .333 to .098. UM was led by Paige Clark, a 6-1 freshman from Idaho Falls, Idaho with 12 kills and a .421 attack mark, while Jackie Howell, a 5-9 junior from Mission, Texas chipped in 11 kills, while hitting .292. In Montana's 3-0 loss at Northern Arizona, the Griz were led by Clark with nine kills, while Catie Semadeni, a 6-1 junior from Fort Collins, Colo., posted seven kills and two blocks. On the season, the Griz have been led by Semadeni and Peyten Boutwell, who averaged 2.28 and 2.23 kills, respectively. Tuesday's match will be the 119th meeting between the two storied rivals. MSU owns a 61-57 lead in the all-time series dating back to 1975. The match will also mark the fourth fight for the Main Line Trophy, which was introduced during the 2021 spring season, and is exclusive to Cat-Griz volleyball. The Bobcats have won all three Main Line Trophy contests heading into Tuesday night. In addition, the Bobcats have won seven-of-the-last-10 meetings between the rivals, including four straight on Montana's homecourt. UM's last win in Bozeman was a 3-1 decision on Oct. 9, 2019 - the last time Montana played in Shroyer Gym. Earlier this fall, MSU swept the Grizzlies 25-20, 25-23, 25-17 in Dahlberg Arena on Sept. 21. MSU was led by Hannah Scott and Jordan Radick with eight kills. UM was paced by Elsa Goodwin with six kills and six digs. Northern Colorado is 15-6 overall and 7-3 in league action after dropping a pair of road matches at Sacramento State (3-0) and Portland State (3-1). The Bears are currently tied with the Bobcats for third place in the Big Sky standings. Earlier this season, UNC handed MSU a 25-19, 25-19, 25-21 setback in Bank of Colorado Arena. The Bobcats were led by Scott and Radick with nine and eight kills, respectively. UNC was paced by Makenzie Harris with 13 kills, while Kailey Jo Ince and Rachel Hickman added 10 kills, apiece.
HARD BLOCK CAFE: The Bobcats' 202 total blocks leads the Big Sky Conference and ranks #26 in the nation. Montana State is also ranked second in the Big Sky averaging 2.43 blocks per set, which ranks #57 in the nation. Individually, Emma Pence leads the Big Sky averaging 1.43 blocks per contest. That number ranks #10 in the country. Pence's 114 total blocks also ranks first in the Big Sky and ranks an impressive #3 in the nation. MSU had a season-best 18 team blocks in its match with Arkansas on Sept. 2 in Bozeman.
GREAT SCOTT: Senior Hannah Scott went over the 1,000-kill mark with her fourth block against Portland on Sept. 3. The Hawthorne, Calif, product is now the 16th member of MSU's prestigious 1000-kill club. Her 1,192 career kills rank fifth on Montana State's all-time kills' chart. On the season, she is averaging 3.02 kills per set. Last weekend, Scott averaged 2.75 kills and 2.13 digs per set. Against Weber State on Sept. 30, Scott had a season-best 22 kills to go along with a season-high 14 digs. Scott's best performance came against #7 Washington on Sept. 16 with 17 kills, while hitting .400 (17-3-35) from the floor. In addition, Scott added nine digs, five blocks and an ace as the Bobcats almost pulled the upset over the Huskies. Scott was named to the Boise State All-Tournament team to open this season. She has been in double-figure kills in 14-of-20 matches. Scott is currently first on the squad with 282.5 points. During the spring season, Scott had a breakout campaign which culminated in being named to the All-Big Sky First-Team as she averaged 2.89 kills, while hitting .232 from the floor.
CLIMBING THE LADDER: As the MSU program continues to improve, its numbers within the Big Sky statistical categories have shown remarkable improvement, as well. In the 15 team statistical categories, the Cats rank among the top three of the league in six categories, including #1 in total blocks (202), team kills (1,041) and team assists (971), #2 in blocks per set (2.43) and hitting percentage (.225) and #3 in assists per set (11.70).
A LENDING HAND: Former Bozeman High product Allie Lynch is averaging 5.14 assists per game running MSU's 6-2 offense. Lynch dished out a season-high 32 assists against Weber State on Sept. 30. Last week, Lynch averaged 6.00 aps. On the season, she is also averaging 1.89 digs per set, including a season-best 13 saves, twice, the last against Portland State. Freshman Audrey Hofer has started eight times and has played in 19 of MSU's 21 matches. The Helena Capital grad dished out a season-high 28 assists at North Texas and registered a career-high 11 digs against the Mean Green. Last week, Hofer dished out 10 assists and added three digs as the Bobcats defeated Northern Arizona. On the season, she is averaging 5.21 assists per set. Hofer also chips in 1.39 digs per set. Hofer's registered one double-double and is fourth on the team with 14 aces. Delaney Shearan is averaging 4.74 assists and 1.65 digs per set on the season. Shearan dished out a season-high 26 against Long Beach State in the first match of the season. Last week at Northern Arizona and Southern Utah, she averaged 5.50 assists and 1.83 digs per set.
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 sideout 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. Allie Lynch, 2017-21 2,086
TOOL TIME: In two matches last week, Kira Thomsen totaled 23 kills and 20 digs. The 5-10 outside hitter helped MSU to a 3-2 win at Northern Arizona with 17 kills and 16 digs. On the season, she has been in double-figure kills on 14 occasions and has produced seven double-doubles. She matched a season-best 18 kills in MSU's 3-1 win over Sacramento State on Oct. 14. Thomsen currently ranks second on the team with 245 kills (2.99 kps) and is first in digs with 198 (2.41 dps). On Sept. 30 against Weber State, Thomsen notched a season-high 24 digs. Her 281.5 points is second to Hannah Scott (282.5). Thomsen earned tournament MVP honors at the Boise State Invitational to open the season after posting a .337 attack mark and averaging 3.42 kills, 2.83 digs and .58 aces per set. At the Bobcat Classic, the Parker, Colo., product averaged 3.00 kills and 1.64 digs per set with a .260 attack mark. And, at the North Texas Challenge, she averaged 2.55 kills and 1.18 digs per game. Last spring, Thomsen earned First-Team All-Big Sky honors after averaging 3.52 kills and 4.02 points per set.
THE GREAT WALL OF BOZEMAN: Sophomore Emma Pence, who was one of two players in the league that garnered #BigSkyVB Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week accolades during the spring, earned #BigSkyVB Defensive Player of the Week a month ago after averaging a whopping 2.13 blocks per set against Weber State and Idaho State. Pence currently ranks first in the Big Sky in blocks per set (1.43 bps), which ranks 10th in the nation. Pence's 114 total blocks ranks third in the country. She has been in double-figure kills four times, matching a season-best 11 kills against Weber State on Sept. 30. Pence matched a season-high nine blocks in three sets against Idaho State Oct. 2, after posting eight against the Wildcats. Last week, the Carson City, Nevada product averaged 1.63 kills and 1.38 blocks per set against No. Arizona and Southern Utah.
Single-Season Block Watch:
Block Assists:
1. Ana Schanze, 2002 169
2. Megan Zanto, 2003 144
3. Karen Weyler, 1994 138
4. Karin Lundqvist, 2000 137
Julia Handwerk, 2000 137
--- Emma Pence, 2021 105
Total Blocks:
1. Ana Schanze, 2002 191
2. Karen Weyler, 1994 175
3. Kim Steffel, 1992 171
4. Megan Zanto, 2003 161
Karin Lundqvist, 2000 161
--- Emma Pence, 2021 114
Career Block Watch:
Block Assists:
1. Megan Zanto, 02-05 511
2. Karen Weyler, 94-97 460
3. Cori Carper, 96-99 425
4. Angela Wiebe, 03-06 394
5. Aimee Halyk, 99-02 308
6. Emma Pence, 2019-- 295
Total Blocks:
1. Megan Zanto, 02-05 592
2. Karen Weyler, 94-97 570
3. Cori Carper, 96-99 490
4. Angela Wiebe, 03-06 416
5. Kim Steffel, 89-92 356
6. Lisa McCanlies, 80-83 341
7. Emma Pence, 2019-- 330
THE MENACE FROM ENNIS: Jourdain Klein, a 6-1 outside hitter from Ennis, Mont., was named #BigSkyVB Offensive Player of the Week after averaging 3.13 kills, 1.50 blocks and 1.13 aces, while hitting .358 from the field last week against Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. At NAU, she matched a career-best with 14 kills against the Lumberjacks. At SUU, she notched 11 kills, a career-high six aces and hit .391.At the North Texas Challenge in mid-September, Klein had a very efficient tournament hitting, recording a .444 (17-1-36) attack for the three matches. She tallied a season-high eight blocks against Arkansas. Last spring, as a redshirt-freshman, she was named to the All-Big Sky Second-Team team after averaging 1.49 kills and .97 blocks per set.
TURN UP THE VOLUME: Sophomore Avery Turnage played in all eight sets last week at Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. She totaled five kills and two blocks. Two weeks ago, Turnage sparked MSU to a 3-1 win over Sacramento State with nine kills and two blocks. The product of Idaho Falls, Idaho registered a career-high 11 kills against Fresno State. On the season, she is averaging 1.46 kills and .65 blocks per set, while hitting .172 from the floor. Turnage notched a career-high seven blocks as Montana State upset Boise State on Aug. 28 in Bronco Gym.
MORE FROM THE MIDDLE: Freshman Jordan Radick posted 14 kills (1.75 kps) and nine blocks (1.13 bps), while hitting .360 (14-5-25) against Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. Radick, a graduate of Bozeman High, had her best outing against Southern Utah last Saturday, recording eight kills, a .700 attack mark and four blocks. Radick recorded a season-high 11 kills against Portland State and a season-high 12 blocks vs. Arkansas. She has tallied six matches hitting .400 or better.
WHEN IT SAYS LIBBY, LIBBY, LIBBY: Libby Christensen is averaging 3.53 digs per set. She has been in double-digit digs on nine occasions, including a season-high 25 digs at Northern Arizona on Thursday. Christensen tallied a career-high 27 saves against Southern Utah at last year's Big Sky tournament.
WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Bozeman, Montana - Shroyer Gym
RECORDS: Montana St. 11-10, 7-3; Montana 8-12; 3-7
SERIES: Montana State leads all-time series 61-57 (1975)
LAST MTG: Sept. 21, 2021 - Montana State 3, @ Montana 0
WHO: Northern Colorado at Montana State
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 29, 2021 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Bozeman, Montana - Shroyer Gym
RECORDS: Montana State 11-10, 7-3; No. Colorado 15-6; 7-3
SERIES: No. Colorado leads all-time series 31-4 (1981)
LAST MTG: Sept. 25 @ No. Colorado 3, Montana State 0
LIVE STATS: Live statistics of MSU's matches with Montana and Northern Colorado can be accessed at msubobcats.com
LIVE VIDEO: MSU's matches against Montana and Northern Colorado will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription necessary).
NEXT UP: The Bobcat volleyball team will begin a four-match homestand beginning with Montana on Tuesday, Oct. 25 in the second Brawl of the Wild tilt of the fall season starting at 7 p.m. in Shroyer Gym. MSU will wrap the week hosting Northern Colorado on Friday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. MSU will finish out its home season against Idaho and Eastern Washington on Nov. 4 and 6, respectively. Senior Day will be celebrated on Nov. 6 at 12 p.m.
BOBCAT BITES: MSU is ranked #166 in this week's RPI...the highest ranked team the Bobcats have defeated this fall is #133 North Texas (3-2), followed by #140 Boise State (3-1)...MSU is 2-5 in five-set matches, losing to #22 Washington, #33 Arkansas, #70 Weber State, #106 Utah State and #184 Long Beach State...other Big Sky rankings in the RPI include #80 Northern Colorado, #101 Portland State, #181 Northern Arizona, #218 Sacramento State, #239 Montana, #250 Eastern Washington, #265 Idaho State, #271 Southern Utah, and #303 Idaho...Montana State's road sweep of Northern Arizona (3-2) and Southern Utah (3-0) was its first in program history.
#BIGSKYVB OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jourdain Klein was named the #BigSkyVB Offensive Player of the Week. Klein averaged 3.13 kills and 1.13 aces per set and hit .358 from the field. MSU swept its road trip at Northern Arizona and Southern Utah for the first time in school history. In its 3-2 win in Flagstaff, the Ennis, Mont., product notched 14 kills and hit .333, while adding three aces. In the Cats' sweep of Southern Utah, she notched 11 kills, hit .391, and added a career-high six aces. Klein finished with a team-best 25 kills and nine aces on the weekend.
SIDE OUTS:
* MSU is 2-5 in five setters with two losses to Power 5 schools - Arkansas & #7 Washington
* Hannah Scott now has 1,192 career kills, which ranks fifth all-time at Montana State
* Jourdain Klein averaged 3.31 kills, 1.50 blocks and 1.13 aces/set, while hitting .358 last week
* MSU ranks #1 in the Big Sky and #26 in the country in total team blocks (202)
* The Cats rank #2 in the Big Sky & #57 in the nation averaging 2.43 blocks per set
* Montana State ranks #2 in the Big Sky and #105 in the country in hitting percentage (.225)
* The Bobcats rank #1 in the Big Sky and #63 in the nation with 971 team assists
* Emma Pence's 114 total blocks rank #1 in the Big Sky and #3 in the country this week
* Pence is also ranked #1 in the Big Sky and #10 in the nation, averaging 1.43 bps
* Freshman Jordan Radick is #5 in the Big Sky and #139 in the nation with 77 total blocks
THE SCOUTING REPORT: Montana is 8-12 overall and 3-7 in Big Sky play after splitting the Southern Utah/Northern Arizona trip, last week. The Griz opened play with a 3-0 win in Cedar City, outhitting the Thunderbirds .333 to .098. UM was led by Paige Clark, a 6-1 freshman from Idaho Falls, Idaho with 12 kills and a .421 attack mark, while Jackie Howell, a 5-9 junior from Mission, Texas chipped in 11 kills, while hitting .292. In Montana's 3-0 loss at Northern Arizona, the Griz were led by Clark with nine kills, while Catie Semadeni, a 6-1 junior from Fort Collins, Colo., posted seven kills and two blocks. On the season, the Griz have been led by Semadeni and Peyten Boutwell, who averaged 2.28 and 2.23 kills, respectively. Tuesday's match will be the 119th meeting between the two storied rivals. MSU owns a 61-57 lead in the all-time series dating back to 1975. The match will also mark the fourth fight for the Main Line Trophy, which was introduced during the 2021 spring season, and is exclusive to Cat-Griz volleyball. The Bobcats have won all three Main Line Trophy contests heading into Tuesday night. In addition, the Bobcats have won seven-of-the-last-10 meetings between the rivals, including four straight on Montana's homecourt. UM's last win in Bozeman was a 3-1 decision on Oct. 9, 2019 - the last time Montana played in Shroyer Gym. Earlier this fall, MSU swept the Grizzlies 25-20, 25-23, 25-17 in Dahlberg Arena on Sept. 21. MSU was led by Hannah Scott and Jordan Radick with eight kills. UM was paced by Elsa Goodwin with six kills and six digs. Northern Colorado is 15-6 overall and 7-3 in league action after dropping a pair of road matches at Sacramento State (3-0) and Portland State (3-1). The Bears are currently tied with the Bobcats for third place in the Big Sky standings. Earlier this season, UNC handed MSU a 25-19, 25-19, 25-21 setback in Bank of Colorado Arena. The Bobcats were led by Scott and Radick with nine and eight kills, respectively. UNC was paced by Makenzie Harris with 13 kills, while Kailey Jo Ince and Rachel Hickman added 10 kills, apiece.
HARD BLOCK CAFE: The Bobcats' 202 total blocks leads the Big Sky Conference and ranks #26 in the nation. Montana State is also ranked second in the Big Sky averaging 2.43 blocks per set, which ranks #57 in the nation. Individually, Emma Pence leads the Big Sky averaging 1.43 blocks per contest. That number ranks #10 in the country. Pence's 114 total blocks also ranks first in the Big Sky and ranks an impressive #3 in the nation. MSU had a season-best 18 team blocks in its match with Arkansas on Sept. 2 in Bozeman.
GREAT SCOTT: Senior Hannah Scott went over the 1,000-kill mark with her fourth block against Portland on Sept. 3. The Hawthorne, Calif, product is now the 16th member of MSU's prestigious 1000-kill club. Her 1,192 career kills rank fifth on Montana State's all-time kills' chart. On the season, she is averaging 3.02 kills per set. Last weekend, Scott averaged 2.75 kills and 2.13 digs per set. Against Weber State on Sept. 30, Scott had a season-best 22 kills to go along with a season-high 14 digs. Scott's best performance came against #7 Washington on Sept. 16 with 17 kills, while hitting .400 (17-3-35) from the floor. In addition, Scott added nine digs, five blocks and an ace as the Bobcats almost pulled the upset over the Huskies. Scott was named to the Boise State All-Tournament team to open this season. She has been in double-figure kills in 14-of-20 matches. Scott is currently first on the squad with 282.5 points. During the spring season, Scott had a breakout campaign which culminated in being named to the All-Big Sky First-Team as she averaged 2.89 kills, while hitting .232 from the floor.
CLIMBING THE LADDER: As the MSU program continues to improve, its numbers within the Big Sky statistical categories have shown remarkable improvement, as well. In the 15 team statistical categories, the Cats rank among the top three of the league in six categories, including #1 in total blocks (202), team kills (1,041) and team assists (971), #2 in blocks per set (2.43) and hitting percentage (.225) and #3 in assists per set (11.70).
A LENDING HAND: Former Bozeman High product Allie Lynch is averaging 5.14 assists per game running MSU's 6-2 offense. Lynch dished out a season-high 32 assists against Weber State on Sept. 30. Last week, Lynch averaged 6.00 aps. On the season, she is also averaging 1.89 digs per set, including a season-best 13 saves, twice, the last against Portland State. Freshman Audrey Hofer has started eight times and has played in 19 of MSU's 21 matches. The Helena Capital grad dished out a season-high 28 assists at North Texas and registered a career-high 11 digs against the Mean Green. Last week, Hofer dished out 10 assists and added three digs as the Bobcats defeated Northern Arizona. On the season, she is averaging 5.21 assists per set. Hofer also chips in 1.39 digs per set. Hofer's registered one double-double and is fourth on the team with 14 aces. Delaney Shearan is averaging 4.74 assists and 1.65 digs per set on the season. Shearan dished out a season-high 26 against Long Beach State in the first match of the season. Last week at Northern Arizona and Southern Utah, she averaged 5.50 assists and 1.83 digs per set.
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 sideout 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. Allie Lynch, 2017-21 2,086
TOOL TIME: In two matches last week, Kira Thomsen totaled 23 kills and 20 digs. The 5-10 outside hitter helped MSU to a 3-2 win at Northern Arizona with 17 kills and 16 digs. On the season, she has been in double-figure kills on 14 occasions and has produced seven double-doubles. She matched a season-best 18 kills in MSU's 3-1 win over Sacramento State on Oct. 14. Thomsen currently ranks second on the team with 245 kills (2.99 kps) and is first in digs with 198 (2.41 dps). On Sept. 30 against Weber State, Thomsen notched a season-high 24 digs. Her 281.5 points is second to Hannah Scott (282.5). Thomsen earned tournament MVP honors at the Boise State Invitational to open the season after posting a .337 attack mark and averaging 3.42 kills, 2.83 digs and .58 aces per set. At the Bobcat Classic, the Parker, Colo., product averaged 3.00 kills and 1.64 digs per set with a .260 attack mark. And, at the North Texas Challenge, she averaged 2.55 kills and 1.18 digs per game. Last spring, Thomsen earned First-Team All-Big Sky honors after averaging 3.52 kills and 4.02 points per set.
THE GREAT WALL OF BOZEMAN: Sophomore Emma Pence, who was one of two players in the league that garnered #BigSkyVB Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week accolades during the spring, earned #BigSkyVB Defensive Player of the Week a month ago after averaging a whopping 2.13 blocks per set against Weber State and Idaho State. Pence currently ranks first in the Big Sky in blocks per set (1.43 bps), which ranks 10th in the nation. Pence's 114 total blocks ranks third in the country. She has been in double-figure kills four times, matching a season-best 11 kills against Weber State on Sept. 30. Pence matched a season-high nine blocks in three sets against Idaho State Oct. 2, after posting eight against the Wildcats. Last week, the Carson City, Nevada product averaged 1.63 kills and 1.38 blocks per set against No. Arizona and Southern Utah.
Single-Season Block Watch:
Block Assists:
1. Ana Schanze, 2002 169
2. Megan Zanto, 2003 144
3. Karen Weyler, 1994 138
4. Karin Lundqvist, 2000 137
Julia Handwerk, 2000 137
--- Emma Pence, 2021 105
Total Blocks:
1. Ana Schanze, 2002 191
2. Karen Weyler, 1994 175
3. Kim Steffel, 1992 171
4. Megan Zanto, 2003 161
Karin Lundqvist, 2000 161
--- Emma Pence, 2021 114
Career Block Watch:
Block Assists:
1. Megan Zanto, 02-05 511
2. Karen Weyler, 94-97 460
3. Cori Carper, 96-99 425
4. Angela Wiebe, 03-06 394
5. Aimee Halyk, 99-02 308
6. Emma Pence, 2019-- 295
Total Blocks:
1. Megan Zanto, 02-05 592
2. Karen Weyler, 94-97 570
3. Cori Carper, 96-99 490
4. Angela Wiebe, 03-06 416
5. Kim Steffel, 89-92 356
6. Lisa McCanlies, 80-83 341
7. Emma Pence, 2019-- 330
THE MENACE FROM ENNIS: Jourdain Klein, a 6-1 outside hitter from Ennis, Mont., was named #BigSkyVB Offensive Player of the Week after averaging 3.13 kills, 1.50 blocks and 1.13 aces, while hitting .358 from the field last week against Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. At NAU, she matched a career-best with 14 kills against the Lumberjacks. At SUU, she notched 11 kills, a career-high six aces and hit .391.At the North Texas Challenge in mid-September, Klein had a very efficient tournament hitting, recording a .444 (17-1-36) attack for the three matches. She tallied a season-high eight blocks against Arkansas. Last spring, as a redshirt-freshman, she was named to the All-Big Sky Second-Team team after averaging 1.49 kills and .97 blocks per set.
TURN UP THE VOLUME: Sophomore Avery Turnage played in all eight sets last week at Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. She totaled five kills and two blocks. Two weeks ago, Turnage sparked MSU to a 3-1 win over Sacramento State with nine kills and two blocks. The product of Idaho Falls, Idaho registered a career-high 11 kills against Fresno State. On the season, she is averaging 1.46 kills and .65 blocks per set, while hitting .172 from the floor. Turnage notched a career-high seven blocks as Montana State upset Boise State on Aug. 28 in Bronco Gym.
MORE FROM THE MIDDLE: Freshman Jordan Radick posted 14 kills (1.75 kps) and nine blocks (1.13 bps), while hitting .360 (14-5-25) against Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. Radick, a graduate of Bozeman High, had her best outing against Southern Utah last Saturday, recording eight kills, a .700 attack mark and four blocks. Radick recorded a season-high 11 kills against Portland State and a season-high 12 blocks vs. Arkansas. She has tallied six matches hitting .400 or better.
WHEN IT SAYS LIBBY, LIBBY, LIBBY: Libby Christensen is averaging 3.53 digs per set. She has been in double-digit digs on nine occasions, including a season-high 25 digs at Northern Arizona on Thursday. Christensen tallied a career-high 27 saves against Southern Utah at last year's Big Sky tournament.
Players Mentioned
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