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NEXT UP:
Montana State hits the road again this weekend with stops in Flagstaff, Ariz., and Greeley, Colo. MSU opens the week at Northern Arizona on Thursday, Oct. 5 for a 7:30 p.m. (MT) tilt with the Lumberjacks in the Rolle Activity Center. The Bobcats close out the weekend at Northern Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. against the Bears in Bank of Colorado Arena. The two road contests mark the end of MSU’s early season Big Sky slate which has had the Cats away from home for four of its first five league outings.
QUICK RESET:
Montana outhit Montana State .344 to .225 and held advantages in kills, aces, digs and blocks, en route to a 25-20, 27-25, 25-11 victory last Friday night in Dahlberg Arena. Montana was led by Camryn Greenwald, Kira Thomsen and Jourdain Kamps with eight kills apiece. Greenwald, a sophomore middle blocker paced the Bobcats with a .500 attack mark committing just one error on 14 swings. Greenwald and Kamps also led MSU at the net with a match-high four blocks each. Bobcat setter Nellie Stevenson, a junior from San Leandro, Calif., dished out 20 assists and had a team-high two aces, while Lauren Lindseth, a sophomore libero from Great Falls, Mont., guided the Cats in the back row with 10 digs.
RPI RANKINGS:
Portland State (121) is the highest ranked Big Sky school in the most recent RPI listing. The Bears are followed by Portland State (145), Sacramento State (147), Weber State (161), Montana (162), Montana State (169), Northern Arizona (245), Eastern Washington (280), Idaho State (306), and Idaho (334).
AMONG THE NATION’S ELITE:
Bobcat senior outside hitter Kira Thomsen is ranked first in the Big Sky Conference in attacks, averaging 11.29 swings per set. That number also ranks 17th in the nation. In addition, the product of Parker, Colorado is first in the Big Sky averaging 3.92 kills per set, which is the 44th best average in the country as are her 4.55 points per contest. From the service line, Thomsen is second in the league and 35th in the country averaging .50 aces per set.
AMONG THE NATION’S ELITE x2:
As a unit, the Bobcats lead the Big Sky Conference in attacks averaging 36.40 swings per set, which ranks 38th in the nation. MSU also paces the Big Sky averaging 13.19 kills per contest, which ranks 75th in the nation. Eastern Kentucky leads the country at 14.78 kps.
SCOUTING REPORT:
Northern Arizona is 4-10 overall and 1-2 in Big Sky Conference action heading into Thursday night’s contest against the Bobcats. Last Saturday, the Lumberjacks dropped a hard-fought 3-2 decision at Northern Colorado. Against the Bears, NAU was led by Hanah Stoddard and Kylie Moran with 25 and 17 kills, respectively. Stoddard, a redshirt freshman outside hitter from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho also posted a .365 attack mark and nine digs. She is a former high school teammate of Bobcat setter Nellie Reese. On the season, Stoddard paces the Lumberjacks averaging 3.69 kps, while Moran, a 5-11 sophomore outside hitter from Phoenix, Ariz., chips in 2.53 kps. Defensively, NAU is led by Millie O’Ketter, who averages 4.16 digs per outing. The Lumberjacks are under the direction of Ken Murphy, who is in his 11th season in Flagstaff. MSU currently owns a four-match winning streak over Northern Arizona. NAU’s last victory in the series (3-2) came on Feb. 6, 2021, in Shroyer Gym. Northern Colorado is 7-7 overall and 2-1 in Big Sky action. The Bears will face Montana on Thursday night before hosting the Bobcats. UNC has posted league wins over Eastern Washington (3-0) and Northern Arizona (3-2) with its lone loss coming at Portland State (3-1). In its win over NAU last Saturday, the Bears were led by All-Big Sky performer Makenzie Harris, who notched 20 kills and nine digs. Also contributing to the UNC attack was Isabel Bennett, a 5-11 sophomore middle hitter from Aurora, Colo., who registered 12 kills and six blocks. Setter Syd Cole dished out 47 assists in the win. On the season, the Bears have been led by Harris, who is averaging 3.08 kills per set. Defensively, UNC is paced by Bella LePore, who averages a team-best 2.44 digs per set.
SERVING NOTICE:
Montana State is second in the Big Sky Conference, averaging 1.79 aces per set. The number ranks 57th in the nation. Individually, Kira Thomsen leads the league averaging .78 aces per set. Her overall .50 aces per set ranks 35th in the country. Thomsen posted seven aces in six sets last week.
PACKING THE PLACE:
Montana State finished 39th in the nation averaging 1,292 fans per game, last fall. On Sept. 30, 2022, Montana State set a Big Sky Conference and State of Montana record when 6,457 fans jammed Worthington Arena. MSU’s average attendance was higher than notable programs such as UCLA, LSU, and Notre Dame. The Cats are currently averaging 705 fans per match.
WE GET THE POINT:
As a team, Montana State leads the Big Sky Conference averaging 17.10 points per set. Senior Kira Thomsen is second in the league and 44th in the nation, averaging 4.55 per contest. Junior Jourdain Kamps is tenth in the Big Sky averaging 3.45 points per set.
GOTTA DIG IT:
MSU libero Lauren Lindseth ranks seventh in the Big Sky averaging 3.92 saves per game. Last week she totaled 10 digs at Montana. Her streak of nine double-figure dig matches was snapped after recording six saves in MSU’s 3-0 loss to Cal on Sept. 15. A month ago, Lindseth recorded a career-high 34 saves against St. Thomas (MN). Last season, she played in all 30 matches and 122 sets and was in double-digit digs in 22 matches, including a streak of 13 consecutive matches in double-figures. In addition, she went over the 20-dig plateau on nine occasions. Her 475 digs last fall ranks fifth in a single season at MSU. Lindseth earned All-Big Sky Tourney honors after averaging 3.56 digs in two matches, which included 24 digs in MSU’s quarterfinal upset over Weber State. She also guided the Cats from the service line with a team-best 33 aces.
TOUTING THOMSEN:
Senior outside hitter Kira Thomsen, a three-time all-Big Sky Conference selection, is off to an impressive start for the Bobcats. Thomsen currently leads the league in kills per set (3.92) and is second in points (4.55). Thomsen’s 2.50 digs per set is third on the Bobcat squad, while her .225 attack mark is third best. This season, Thomsen has been in double-digit kills in 10 of 13 matches, including a season-high 28 kills against St. Thomas (MN). She had a 19-match streak of double-figure kills dating back to Oct. 22, 2022, snapped after recording four against Cal on Sept. 15. Last season, Thomsen recorded a career-high 32 kills in MSU’s 3-2 win over Portland State. Her 1,326 career kills rank fourth on MSU’s all-time kills chart and her 3,839 total career attacks is the most all-time. Thomsen went over the 1,000-career digs mark against Nevada making her tenth member of MSU’s 1,000-Dig Club. She is now just one of four players in Montana State history to record 1,000 kills/digs – joining Meggie Malyurek, Stephanie Laya, and Mindy Nowak. On Nov. 18, 2022, Thomsen was named the GameChanger/AVCA Division National Player of the Week (the first in MSU history) after averaging 6.0 kills and 6.4 points per set as MSU knocked off Portland State and Sacramento State. Last Friday, she totaled eight kills, a .200 attack mark, eight digs and one block assist against Montana.
THE MENACE FROM ENNIS:
Jourdain (Klein) Kamps is another Bobcat to get out of the gates early. On the season, she is averaging 2.79 kills per set, while hitting a team-best .291 from the floor. In addition, she is averaging 1.65 digs and .94 blocks per contest and has chipped in eight aces. The product of Ennis, Mont., has been in double-figure kills in nine of 13 matches, including a season-best 14 kills on two occasions. Last Friday at Montana, she registered eight kills, a .429 attack mark, and a team-best four blocks. Kamps is currently ranked eighth in the Big Sky Conference with a .291 attack mark and is tenth in points (3.45 ppg). Kamps was a Second Team All-Big Sky pick in the spring of 2021 after averaging 1.49 kills and .97 blocks per set in the shortened 15-match season. Last year, she played in all 30 matches and 122 sets, totaling 242 kills (1.98 kps). She recorded a career-high 23 kills at Eastern Washington and had six matches hitting .300 or better. Kamps also posted 100 blocks, averaging .82 per contest. Kamps moved into tenth on Montana State’s all-time block assists chart last week with four blocks against Montana. Her career total is 281 career block assists.
LINDSETH LEGACY:
Sophomore libero Lauren Lindseth is part of Bobcat history as one-half of the first mother/daughter duo to play volleyball at MSU. Lindseth’s mother – Kelly Modrow (MOD-row) – played for the Blue and Gold from 1992-1996. The native of Minnetonka, Minn., (Hopkins HS) played in 110 matches and 359 sets. In all, Modrow’s career totals include: 889 kills, 733 digs, 128 blocks and 87 service aces wearing the No. 2 jersey, as well.
HARD BLOCK CAFE`:
Montana State finished with five team blocks at Montana on Friday night, led by Jourdain Kamps and Camryn Greenwald with four apiece. MSU utility player Avery Turnage, middle blocker Jordan Radick and Kamps rank seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively, averaging .97, 96, and .94 blocks per set. As a team, the Bobcats are ranked fourth in the Big Sky (2.13 bps), behind Weber State, Sacramento State and Eastern Washington.
LENDING A HAND:
Junior college transfer Nellie Stevenson is averaging 8.16 assists per set. At Montana, the transfer from Feather River (CA) College dished out 20 assists and had two aces and two digs. Junior setter Audrey Hofer played in three sets at UM and notched two assists. The Helena Capital product posted a season-best 35 assists in MSU’s win over Kennesaw State. Sophomore Nellie Reese saw action at the setting spot in one set at Montana and posted four assists. As a team, the Bobcat setters rank second in the Big Sky dishing out 12.27 aps.
A PARTING NOTE:
The Cats are second in the Big Sky giving up 1.08 aces per set.
2023-10-04 19:22:34
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