FULL RELEASE (PDF)
OGDEN, Utah (August 28, 2017) – This year’s edition of Big Sky volleyball began with several comeback victories as North Dakota and Northern Arizona both overcame 2-0 deficits during the opening weekend. In all, Big Sky Volleyball went 17-22 this past week.
Among 12 Big Sky members that compete in volleyball, four emerged from week one with a winning record. Those teams include North Dakota (4-1), Sacramento State (3-1), Montana (2-1) and Portland State (2-1).
North Dakota swept through competition at the Ole Miss-hosted Rebel Invitational with a 4-0 record. North Dakota even topped the host, digging themselves out of a 2-0 deficit to win the match 3-2. Senior middle hitter Faith Dooley was named tournament MVP for her efforts and finished the weekend with 62 kills and 32 blocks. Dooley now holds the North Dakota record for career blocks (509). Senior setter Sydney Griffin also reached a milestone, surpassing 3,000 career assists. UND picked up its first loss of the season on Sunday, falling to Georgia Tech 3-0.
The Hornets nabbed a 3-1 record over the opening weekend at the Jack Kaiser Volleyball Classic, beating UConn, Holy Cross and New Hampshire. Their only defeat came at the hands of tournament host, St. John’s. Junior middle blocker Lana Brown got off to a scorching hot start, hitting a .490 hitting percentage over four contests. Brown recorded 56 kills and 17 blocks over the weekend and was also named to the all-tournament team.
First-year head coach, Allison Lawrence, saw her team record a 2-1 mark over the weekend at the North Texas Tournament. The Grizzlies defeated UTEP and Tulsa before faltering to North Texas. Outside hitter Mykaela Hammer led the charge with a career-high 19 kills on .395 hitting against Tulsa.
The Vikings got off to a 2-1 start to the 2017 campaign at the San Diego State-hosted Aztec Invitational. PSU topped Cal State Northridge and Eastern Kentucky before losing to San Diego State. Sophomore outside hitter Caitlin Bettenay turned in three-straight double-digit kill performances, averaging 3.50 kills per set.
Home matches in the Big Sky Conference will be seen on Watch Big Sky and
Pluto TV. Also, the Big Sky semifinal and championship matches will be nationally televised on Eleven Sports.