Volleyball earns spot in tournament

Volleyball ends streak, earns tournament spot

To snap one 18-match losing streak is a big accomplishment, but to snap two in a span of roughly three weeks displays a whole new kind of team – one that will be competing in the conference tournament at the end of the month.

The University of Montana volleyball team earned a place in the six-team Big Sky Conference tournament in Portland, Ore. on Nov. 28-29 with a 25-21, 25-19, 25-23 sweep of Sacramento State Saturday night during the regular season home finale.

“I’ve never been to the conference tournament … I’m speechless,” sophomore Jaimie Thibeault said of the win. Thibeault earned Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year honors last season, but Montana just missed out on the tournament. This season marks the Grizzlies’ second trip to the conference tournament in three years under head coach Jerry Wagner. 

“Sac. State has always been good, I don’t care who’s wearing their jerseys,” Wagner said. Both Montana and Sacramento State feature nine underclassmen each, including only two seniors apiece.
The Grizzlies squared their overall record at 12-12 and improved to 8-6 in league-play. The win also ended an 18-match losing streak to the Hornets, who have come on hard times after more than a decade of excellence in the conference.

Sacramento State will suffer its first losing season in more than a decade. The Hornets had beaten Montana every time the two played dating back to the 1999 season. Eastern Washington also held an 18-match winning streak until Montana beat the Eagles on Oct. 30.

Against the Hornets, sophomore Thibeault tallied a match-high 11 kills on .381 hitting. The 6-foot-2 middle blocker added three and a half blocks and three aces to lead the Grizzlies. Montana also limited Sacramento State to .062 hitting, a season-best for the Grizzlies.

Montana is tied with Weber State (19-11, 8-6 in the BSC) for fourth in the league a game ahead of the Hornets (9-21, 7-7). The Eagles sit atop the Big Sky standings with Portland State tied at 11-4 in league play, but Eastern Washington owns the tiebreaker with a season sweep of the Vikings.

The Grizzlies close the regular season on the road at Weber State and Idaho State on Nov. 21-22.

Lady Griz top Wyoming in season opener

Montana overcame an early deficit and some hot-shooting Cowgirls to beat Wyoming Sunday afternoon at Dahlberg Arena in the Lady Griz basketball team season opener.

In a matchup of NCAA Tournament qualifiers from last season, Montana topped the Cowgirls 71-64, led by sophomore Sarah Ena, who scored 12 of her 19 points the second half. Mandy Morales chipped in 14 points.

Wyoming opened the game with a 13-3 lead in the first five minutes. The two teams traded big runs, including a 16-0 spurt that gave Montana a 21-14 lead with just under six minutes to go in the first half capped by junior Shadra Robison’s short jumper. Wyoming answered with a 14-2 run, before Lauren Beck’s 3-pointer with two seconds left trimmed the Cowgirls’ lead to 31-29 at the half.

In the second half, the Lady Griz held a slim 66-64 lead with 35 seconds to play after Wyoming’s Megan McGuffey scored down low. A quick foul put Morales on the line where she sank both free throws for a 68-64 advantage. After a missed jumper from the Cowgirls, senior Britney Lohman sealed the game at the line with 13 seconds left.

Lohman collected nine points and matched a career-high with 12 rebounds, while Beck pumped in 11 points and nine boards. Senior Sonya Rogers added 12 points.

Cowgirl freshman Emma Langford led all scores with 20 points, while McGuffey posted 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The charity stripe proved to be a big factor throughout the game as Montana outscored Wyoming 22-7, connecting on 79 percent of their attempts.

Next up for the Lady Griz is a game at Idaho on Tuesday night. The Vandals dropped their opener on Friday at Texas Tech 90-55.

charles.pulliam@umontana.edu