Saturday, August 29
Easton, PA
5:00 pm Mt
Montana State University
2-0,0-0Big Sky
3
at
0
Lafayette
1-1,0-0Patriot
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana St. | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Lafayette | 22 | 21 | 18 | 0 |
Photo by: Brian Morse
Two Games, Two Wins for Bobcat Volleyball
8/29/2026 8:03:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
EASTON, Pa. – Just a few hours after the conclusion of their first match of the season, the Bobcats returned to the court on Saturday night to claim their second victory at the Maroon and White Classic, this time conquering the hosting Lafayette Leopards in a swift 3-0 sweep.
The pair of wins mark the best start by the Bobcats since head coach Matt Houk's inaugural season in 2023 when the team opened with a 4-0 record.
"It was a good way to end the day," Houk said. "We showed we could battle, even when things weren't smooth. We improved from the first match and found a way to execute."
Montana State won the opening point of the match and did not look back as they led wire-to-wire in a 25-22 first set. The Cats and the Leopards went back and forth for the first points of the second set and battled through 10 tied scores and four lead changes before the Bobcats came out on top of the tussle at 25-21. A 25-18 final set score was the widest margin of victory for the Bobcats, where they recorded a game-high 16 kills.
The Bobcat offense hit .284 with two more players reaching double-digit kills. Sophomore Elli Tufto led the team with 13 kills while freshman Elli Esko added 12 more to her daily total of 22, the most by any MSU hitter. Joelie Spelts was once again a big contributor with eight kills and a pair of blocks.
Maggie Rhew started as setter, and improved her career-high assists to 33, surpassing her 28 sets earlier today, and added 11 digs on the defensive side. Nicolette Noble led the defensive efforts once again with 22 digs while Lauren Greeny was not far behind with 14 digs, 7 kills and four blocks.
The tournament weekend continues and concludes on Sunday morning as MSU takes on Marist at 8:30 a.m. MT.
Montana State's home opener will be played Sept. 10, the first of a three-game tournament featuring North Dakota State and Portland. 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.
The pair of wins mark the best start by the Bobcats since head coach Matt Houk's inaugural season in 2023 when the team opened with a 4-0 record.
"It was a good way to end the day," Houk said. "We showed we could battle, even when things weren't smooth. We improved from the first match and found a way to execute."
Montana State won the opening point of the match and did not look back as they led wire-to-wire in a 25-22 first set. The Cats and the Leopards went back and forth for the first points of the second set and battled through 10 tied scores and four lead changes before the Bobcats came out on top of the tussle at 25-21. A 25-18 final set score was the widest margin of victory for the Bobcats, where they recorded a game-high 16 kills.
The Bobcat offense hit .284 with two more players reaching double-digit kills. Sophomore Elli Tufto led the team with 13 kills while freshman Elli Esko added 12 more to her daily total of 22, the most by any MSU hitter. Joelie Spelts was once again a big contributor with eight kills and a pair of blocks.
Maggie Rhew started as setter, and improved her career-high assists to 33, surpassing her 28 sets earlier today, and added 11 digs on the defensive side. Nicolette Noble led the defensive efforts once again with 22 digs while Lauren Greeny was not far behind with 14 digs, 7 kills and four blocks.
The tournament weekend continues and concludes on Sunday morning as MSU takes on Marist at 8:30 a.m. MT.
Montana State's home opener will be played Sept. 10, the first of a three-game tournament featuring North Dakota State and Portland. 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.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
S/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballTeam Stats
MSU
Laf
Kills
46
35
Errors
13
19
Attempts
116
129
Hitting %
.284
.124
Points
55.0
39.0
Assists
44
31
Aces
2
2
Blocks
7
2
Game Leaders
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
12
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Wednesday, January 18
Monday, November 15
Saturday, September 04
Friday, September 03
