Bobcats ace the season

After an amazing season, the women’s volleyball team closed out Big Sky Conference play on Sunday, March 21. The Bobcats pulled off an incredible run this season with a 10-game win streak, only falling four times. The Bobcats also had quite a run in 2019, yet their domination this 2020-21 season is undeniable. Just a game away from winning the conference title, the Bobcat women had a strong season behind them and were close to moving forward with their success. Unfortunately, the team fell to Weber State twice this past weekend, ending the regular season. Montana State has not won a matchup against Weber State in the last five meetings. Volleyball head coach Daniel Jones credited Weber State as being a “Championship program,” and while the team didn’t have the best response to their loss Saturday, Jones made one thing clear: “I'd go to war with our team any day of the week. We have all the pieces; we just need to string everything together for the course of an entire match." Shortly after this, the team did fall to Weber State once more, yet the women captured many achievements this year, even if winning the conference wasn’t one of them.

The team began the season with a bang against Northern Colorado, a team that MSU hasn’t since their first matchup in 2009. Moving on to Northern Arizona, the women dropped the first game and came back stronger than ever to pull off a win against NAU. This is one of three wins that MSU has ever claimed against NAU since they first met in 2009. The Bobcats then went on to defeat Idaho State, Portland State and Idaho before falling to Weber State at end the season.

Although the season didn’t end as planned, all eyes are focused on the team as they prepare for the Big Sky Tournament. The tournament will take place from Wednesday, March 31, to Friday, April 2, in Greeley, Colorado. The Montana State Volleyball Twitter account posted shortly after the end of the season with a supportive message for the team: “Time to regroup and show the world what we're made of.”

Heading into the Big Sky Tournament, MSU holds a lot of potential. In both matchups against Weber State, sophomore outside hitter Kira Thomsen made the match leaderboard with over 14 kills in each game. Her consistency in the last two games suggests that she will once again become a game leader. Senior outside hitter Hannah Scott also found herself leading the Cats against Weber State twice for aces, kills and blocks. For those who are unfamiliar with volleyball, a kill is an attack that leads directly to a point, while an ace is a service that leads to a direct point. In terms of assists, freshman setter Delaney Sheeran remained atop of the leaderboard, and Thomsen also lead the team in digs*(dig is the first contact with the ball after an attacker sends the ball over the net). With three players holding a consistent lead and many other players making appearances, the Bobcats seem to be in a great position for this weekend.

To stay up to date on the team and their journey in the Big Sky Tournament, follow the team on the Montana State Volleyball Twitter account or Instagram @MSUBobcatsVB account for updates.