Expectations high for Grizzly spikers

It's been nearly 20 years since the Montana Grizzlies regularly dominated the Big Sky Conference volleyball scene, but the Griz look to be back in the hunt this year.

In the recently released Big Sky coaches' preseason poll, the Griz came out on top, tied for first with Portland State. But for Montana head coach Jerry Wagner, who piloted the Griz to a 10-6 conference record last year in his fourth season, the thought of his Griz as a realistic title contender is nothing new.

"We know that we won a lot of matches [last year] and a lot of our players are coming back a year better," Wagner said. "The poll was certainly a vote of confidence for the girls' efforts."

 Wagner hopes his squad can use the preseason recognition as motivation. But to win Montana's first regular season Big Sky championship since 1994, the players are going to have to live up to the expectations. The poll means nothing unless they can compete at the top of their game, the coach said.

"That's all [the poll] really is," Wagner said, holding up a folded sheet of notebook paper after a practice last week. "It's just a piece of paper. As a coaching staff, we were quick to let them know that the vote of confidence is nice, but I don't see any trophy in our trophy case."

Leading this season's charge and the program revolution the past few years has been senior middle blocker Jaimie Thibeault. The 6-foot-2 spiker is a two-time first team All-Big Sky Conference selection and led the conference in hitting last year with a .353 clip—shattering Montana's 28-year-old record by 48 points.

Thibeault echoed Wagner's enthusiasm for the fresh season. After a first-round playoff exit last November, she said the team's sights are set high for the 2010 campaign and a chance to return Montana to the top of the conference standings is the goal after an extended dry spell.

"We expect to win it," she said. "We want to get the gold medal in the Big Sky.

"It's been such a transition," Thibeault added, reflecting on her three years at Montana. "When I first came in, I knew I wanted to be a part of the transition and strengthening the program. I can't wait to see it keep going up."

 Now in his fifth season at the helm, it's the first time coach Wagner has been surrounded solely by his own recruits. In that time, he's managed to build a well-oiled machine that works smoothly and performs well together.

"That first year, I had little to do with [putting together] the team that was here," Wagner said. "But now, they know how to be a good team, to have good team chemistry."

The strong foundation can be traced back to Wagner's first few recruiting classes, a group that included seniors Thibeault and outside hitter Stephanie Turner, junior middle blocker Brittany Quick and junior outside hitter Amy Roberts.

Those four, along with senior libero Brittney Brown, who transferred from Division II St. Edward's University before the 2008 season, provide strong leadership for many of the team's young players. The roles they play help develop a strong bond among the volleyballers, Brown said.

"The first team I was on had absolutely no connection," said Brown, who garnered Big Sky libero of the year honors last season. "I'm so excited for the season. Trust is absolutely the number-one thing and we all have that in each other."

In order to have a strong season the Griz will need more than just leadership on the court. Effective play by new setter Kortney James will be a must as she takes over for the graduated Taryn Wright as an every-game player. James, one of six freshmen that Wagner expects to see playing time this year, is replacing a 2009 second-team All-Big Sky setter in Wright.

Wagner said he hasn't discovered any obtrusive weaknesses in the team's game. It's still a very young season, though, and he said some of the little things—like proper ball placement and minor details in fundamentals—still need work.

"There are no big glaring things," Wagner said, "just small things that can lead to big plays. It's not automatic yet to do the little things; it's not routine yet … That's only going to come with more experience and that's going to be so fun to watch."

anthony.mazzolini@umontana.edu