University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Thursday, September 23
Greeley, Colo.
6 p.m. MT
University of Northern Colorado
vs
Montana
Photo by: Jam David
Volleyball opens Big Sky slate with Griz and Bobcats
9/22/2021 10:14:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado Volleyball's quest to reach a third-straight Big Sky Championship match begins on Thursday as the Bears host Montana and Montana State over the weekend at the Bank of Colorado Arena.
Who: vs Montana (5-5, 0-0) | vs Montana State, (4-7, 0-0)
When: Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. MT | Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. MT
Where: Greeley, Colo. | Bank of Colorado Arena
How To Follow: LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS | UNCBearsVB
Quick Sets
Northern Colorado will be looking to prove it deserves a little more respect than its preseason No. 3 ranking. Despite playing in the conference championship match each of the last two seasons, UNC was picked behind both Weber State and Northern Arizona.
Senior setter Daisy Schultz has been showing why she was the 2019 conference MVP. Directing the Bears' offense, Schultz ranks first in the Big Sky in assists per set at 9.32 and leads an offense that ranks second in the conference in kills per set at 12.47.
Over the weekend, senior defensive specialist and three-time Big Sky Player of the week Kyndall Feather surpassed 100 career aces. The Sterling, Colorado native is just the fourth player in program history to reach the century mark and is 11 behind Taylor Muff for the Division I record.
Senior outside hitter Kailey Jo Ince has been all over the court in the early parts of 2021. With 172.5 points, the Hesston, Kansas native is second in the Big Sky and top-75 in the country.
UNC's defense has been vital this fall. The Bears are a perfect 4-0 when leading in digs.
Last time out
Northern Colorado finished 2-1 in the CEFCU Bradley Invitational with wins over Saint Louis and former Big Sky foe North Dakota. Kailey Jo Ince and Rachel Hickman were both selected on the All-Tournament Team.
Freshman Annette Baker posted a career-high 15 kills on .462 hitting to help the Bears sweep the Fighting Hawks.
Scouting Montana
Montana is off to a 5-5 start this season under fifth-year head coach Allison Lawrence. The Griz have posted solid wins against Seattle, Green Bay, Drake and also swept North Dakota.
Montana enters Big Sky play as one of the most efficient hitting teams in the conference. As a squad, its .239 hitting percentage ranks first in the Big Sky and 85th in the nation. Sophomore middle blocker Ellie Scherffius has been a major part of that production, hitting a blistering .415. Scherffius is tops in the conference and 28th in the nation in the category.
History against the Griz
Since its first matchup in 2004, the Bears have enjoyed most of the spoils. All-time, UNC is 22-9 against Montana, including 12 of the last 13 matches.
Scouting Montana State
Head coach Daniel Jones has brought his squad to the forefront of the Big Sky Conference in each of the five years he's been at the helm of the Montana State program. This season, the Bobcats are 4-7 entering conference play with a big win over Boise State. Jones' Bobcats also pushed No. 7 Washington to five sets.
Montana State has been bolstered by a dynamic duo of underclassmen. Sophomore Emma Pence and freshman Jordan Radick are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in blocking at 1.21 and 1.10 per set. MSU ranks second in the Big Sky at 2.28 blocks per set as a team.
History against the Bobcats
The Bobcats shocked the Bears at the beginning of the 2021 Spring season, sweeping UNC to kick off the year. Northern Colorado responded with a sweep of its own a day later. All-time, it's the Bears who've had the upper hand, owning a 24-9 record against the Bobcats.
Looking Ahead.
Northern Colorado will stay at home in the Bank of Colorado Arena with matches against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona next week. Tickets for the matches are available at UNCBears.com/Tickets.
To stay up to date on all things UNC volleyball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Who: vs Montana (5-5, 0-0) | vs Montana State, (4-7, 0-0)
When: Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. MT | Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. MT
Where: Greeley, Colo. | Bank of Colorado Arena
How To Follow: LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS | UNCBearsVB
Quick Sets
Northern Colorado will be looking to prove it deserves a little more respect than its preseason No. 3 ranking. Despite playing in the conference championship match each of the last two seasons, UNC was picked behind both Weber State and Northern Arizona.
Senior setter Daisy Schultz has been showing why she was the 2019 conference MVP. Directing the Bears' offense, Schultz ranks first in the Big Sky in assists per set at 9.32 and leads an offense that ranks second in the conference in kills per set at 12.47.
Over the weekend, senior defensive specialist and three-time Big Sky Player of the week Kyndall Feather surpassed 100 career aces. The Sterling, Colorado native is just the fourth player in program history to reach the century mark and is 11 behind Taylor Muff for the Division I record.
Senior outside hitter Kailey Jo Ince has been all over the court in the early parts of 2021. With 172.5 points, the Hesston, Kansas native is second in the Big Sky and top-75 in the country.
UNC's defense has been vital this fall. The Bears are a perfect 4-0 when leading in digs.
Last time out
Northern Colorado finished 2-1 in the CEFCU Bradley Invitational with wins over Saint Louis and former Big Sky foe North Dakota. Kailey Jo Ince and Rachel Hickman were both selected on the All-Tournament Team.
Freshman Annette Baker posted a career-high 15 kills on .462 hitting to help the Bears sweep the Fighting Hawks.
Scouting Montana
Montana is off to a 5-5 start this season under fifth-year head coach Allison Lawrence. The Griz have posted solid wins against Seattle, Green Bay, Drake and also swept North Dakota.
Montana enters Big Sky play as one of the most efficient hitting teams in the conference. As a squad, its .239 hitting percentage ranks first in the Big Sky and 85th in the nation. Sophomore middle blocker Ellie Scherffius has been a major part of that production, hitting a blistering .415. Scherffius is tops in the conference and 28th in the nation in the category.
History against the Griz
Since its first matchup in 2004, the Bears have enjoyed most of the spoils. All-time, UNC is 22-9 against Montana, including 12 of the last 13 matches.
Scouting Montana State
Head coach Daniel Jones has brought his squad to the forefront of the Big Sky Conference in each of the five years he's been at the helm of the Montana State program. This season, the Bobcats are 4-7 entering conference play with a big win over Boise State. Jones' Bobcats also pushed No. 7 Washington to five sets.
Montana State has been bolstered by a dynamic duo of underclassmen. Sophomore Emma Pence and freshman Jordan Radick are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in blocking at 1.21 and 1.10 per set. MSU ranks second in the Big Sky at 2.28 blocks per set as a team.
History against the Bobcats
The Bobcats shocked the Bears at the beginning of the 2021 Spring season, sweeping UNC to kick off the year. Northern Colorado responded with a sweep of its own a day later. All-time, it's the Bears who've had the upper hand, owning a 24-9 record against the Bobcats.
Looking Ahead.
Northern Colorado will stay at home in the Bank of Colorado Arena with matches against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona next week. Tickets for the matches are available at UNCBears.com/Tickets.
To stay up to date on all things UNC volleyball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Players Mentioned
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