WEEKLY NOTEBOOK (PDF)
Sacramento State (22-8, 13-1): After trailing two sets to none, the Hornets stormed back and edged Portland State 3-2 to clinch their first Big Sky regular-season title since 2007. With the win, Sacramento State notched its 24th consecutive Big Sky win at home and hasn’t lost in the Nest to a conference foe since the 2014 season. The Hornets also beat Montana State 3-1 on Thursday. Senior setter Kennedy Kurtz now has 5,240 assists in her career and ranks second all-time in Big Sky history in that category. Senior outside hitter Shannon Boyle continues her balanced approach, picking up her league-leading 23rd Double-Double of the season on Saturday. Sacramento State will conclude the regular season on the road against Idaho State and Weber State.
North Dakota (25-7, 10-4): The Fighting Hawks swept Eastern Washington, but lost 3-2 on Saturday to Idaho. UND also took a loss at No. 19 Iowa State on Monday. With the loss to the Vandals, North Dakota and Idaho are locked in a tie for the Big Sky’s North Division title and the No. 2 Seed in the conference tournament. Senior middle blocker Faith Dooley needs just 15 blocks to set the Big Sky’s new record for total blocks in a career. Dooley currently sits in second with 643 total blocks over her four-year career.
Portland State (19-7, 10-4): Portland State defeated Montana and then lost to Sacramento State in a five-set thriller last week. The Vikings have one of the league’s most efficient hitters in junior outside hitter Katy Wilson. So far this season, she is hitting .385, placing her fifth in Big Sky history for hitting percentage in a single season. The Viks will square off against Weber State and Idaho State this week.
Idaho (15-10, 10-4): The Vandals needed a pair of wins to better their chances of a North Division title and they got them over Northern Colorado and North Dakota this week. Junior outside hitter Sarah Sharp led the charge in the five-set victory over UND with a career-high 24 kills. Idaho became the fifth team to punch its ticket to the 2017 Big Sky Volleyball Championships this week. The Vandals will face Montana and Montana State this week.
Northern Arizona (12-13, 8-6): Northern Arizona lost a 3-2 contest to Weber State on Thursday, but swept through Idaho State on Saturday. The Lumberjacks punched their ticket to the Big Sky Volleyball Tournament and were the sixth team to clinch a spot so far this season. Northern Arizona had four hitters average a hitting percentage above .350 in Saturday’s win over the Bengals, hitting .445 as a team in that contest. The ‘Jacks will play on the road against North Dakota and at home against Southern Utah this week.
Idaho State (11-16), 8-6): The Bengals suffered defeat to both Southern Utah and Northern Arizona this week. Idaho State’s libero, Haylie Keck, ranks second in the league in total digs (480) and average digs per set (4.75/s) this season. The Bengals are back at it with matches against Sacramento State and Portland State this week.
Northern Colorado (13-14, 6-8): Northern Colorado took a couple of setbacks to Idaho and Eastern Washington last week. Junior outside hitter Kortney Lockey led the offensive efforts with 27 kills over two matches played. The Bears will face Southern Utah and North Dakota this week.
Montana State (9-14, 5-9): Montana State was downed by Sacramento State, but rose to occasion against in-state rival Montana to go 1-1 last week. In the match against Montana, Senior outside hitter Natalie Passeck logged 20 kills, while sophomore outside hitter Evi Wilson posted a career-high 17 kills to guide the Cats to victory. Montana State will take the court against Eastern Washington and Idaho at home this week.
Weber State (8-18, 6-8): The Wildcats recorded a pair of victories over Northern Arizona and Southern Utah last week. Junior outside hitter Andrea Hale fueled Weber State’s attack with 31 kills over two matches last week. Weber State will face Portland State and Sacramento State this week.
Eastern Washington (7-16, 4-10): The Eagles lost to North Dakota and picked up a win over Northern Colorado last week. Senior outside hitters Megan LaFond and Ashley Seiler showed up on senior night, logging a combined 38 kills against Northern Colorado. Eastern Washington will take on Montana State and Montana on the road this week.
Montana (7-20, 2-12): Montana fell to Portland State and in-state rival Montana State last week. Ashley Watkins continues to lead all Big Sky Sophomores in assists (925) and tallied 54 assists in the five-set loss to Montana State. Montana returns to the net against Idaho and Eastern Washington at home.
Southern Utah (7-19, 2-12): The T-Birds stunned the Idaho State in a 3-2 victory on Thursday and lost to Weber State on Saturday. Senior outside hitter Macky Fifita led the Thunderbirds over the Bengals with 25 kills in that match. SUU will play Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona on the road this week.