Bobcats Defeat Georgia State to Close Preseason Play

Saturday, September 19

Macon, GA

9:00 am MT

Montana State University

7-4,0-0Big Sky

Georgia State

6-6,0-0Sun Belt

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Montana St.	25	22	23	25	17	3
Georgia St.	18	25	25	20	15	2

Box Score (PDF)

9/19/2026 12:31:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Kate Cooney

MACON, Ga. – The Montana State volleyball team closed out the non-conference slate with another five-set win over Georgia State on the third and final day of the Mercer Invitational.

The Bobcats (7-4) were able to secure their fifth 3-2 win of the season, defeating the Panthers (6-6) to secure their second win of the tournament. Montana State settled into their rotation, with seniors Karli Heidemann and Joelie Spelts leading the offense by example while the younger generation provided the complete effort in the win.

"It was a gritty win," head coach Matt Houk said. "We were still a bit up and down, but we were good when we needed to be. We got a ton of good performances from a lot of people. Teya Yeomans, Afton Thomsen, Maggie Rhew and Lauren Schloe all came off the bench to give us a lift at different times."

In a style that has become familiar for the Bobcats, the teams traded sets back and forth throughout the match. Montana State opened with a 25-18 win, but the Georgia State answered with wins in the second and third.

Battling back in the fourth set, the Bobcats once again held the lead at the media timeout. Able to maintain the advantage, MSU closed out the score at 25-20, forcing a deciding set. The Cats and Panthers were within a point of each other through the fifth set, exchanging points back and forth to 15-15, before MSU ended the set with two consecutive scores.

"We'll enjoy this for 24 hours, then turn the page and get ready for the trip up to Missoula," Houk said. "It was a solid preseason, and the team is ready for the start of Big Sky play."

Heidemann closed out the weekend with another team-leading offensive performance, totaling 18 kills while hitting .318. The senior racked up 48 kills on the weekend, hitting .274 with 3.42 kills per set. Elli Tufto was not far behind, reaching 16 kills on Saturday for a tournament total 30. Spelts hit .312 on the weekend with 32 kills, including 12 in the win over Georgia State.

Nicolette Noble played a major defensive role for MSU, with 28 digs on Saturday contributing to a tournament total of 55 while averaging nearly four digs per set. Lauren Greeny and Taylor McDonald added 12 digs each, finishing with 29 and 28 for the weekend, while McDonald added nine kills in the non-conference finale. Sophomore Alice Steman stepped up as a middle blocker, finishing with 10 over the course of the tournament.

Montana State returns to the court to open conference play on Tuesday at 7 p.m., heading up the road to Missoula for the first of two annual Cat-Griz matchups. Conference play continues on the road Sept. 26 at Northern Colorado, before the Bobcats return to Shroyer Gym on Oct. 1. Single-game and season tickets to all MSU home matches are available now.

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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.