University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Wednesday, November 27
Sacramento State
2:00 p.m.
University of Northern Colorado
vs
Montana State
Top Seed Bears Set for Big Sky Championship
11/26/2024 7:32:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado (23-6, 14-2) won its seventh Big Sky Conference regular season title and sets its ninth tournament title.
The Bears won the regular season title and the top seed in this weeks tournament in Sacramento, California, hosted by Sacramento State.
UNC faces the eight seeded Bobcats from Montana State at 2 p.m. MT in the second quarterfinal of day one. The Bears swept the Bobcats Oct. 17 at Bank of Colorado Arena in the lone meeting of the campaign between the two squads.
MATCH INFORMATION
No. 1 UNC (23-6, 14-2 Big Sky) vs. No.8 Montana State (9-18, 7-9 Big Sky)
UNC leads the all-time series 24-6
Last 10 Matches: UNC leads 7-3
Last Five Matches: 3-2
UNC Current Streak: Won 2
Watch: ESPN+
Follow: Live Stats
2024 Big Sky Volleyball Championship
Nov. 27-29 | Sacramento, CA
Wednesday, Nov. 27
10:00 a.m. PT: #4 Weber State vs # 5 Eastern Washington // Live Stats
1:00 p.m. PT: #1 Northern Colorado vs #8 Montana State // Live Stats
4:00 p.m. PT: #2 Idaho State vs #7 Northern Arizona // Live Stats
7:00 p.m. PT: #3 Sacramento State vs #6 Portland State // Live Stats
Thursday, Nov. 28
4:00 p.m. PT: Winner of Match 1, vs. Winner of Match 2 // Live Stats
7:00 p.m. PT: Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4 // Live Stats
Friday, Nov. 29
7:00 p.m. PT: Winner of Match 5 vs Winner of Match 6 // Live Stats
All matches streamed on ESPN+
Regular Season Dominance: Northern Colorado went 44-10 in games played during Big Sky Conference action, winning 11 matches in three sets. The Bears posted a 12-2 mark against the other seven tournament participants, with their only setbacks against No. 2 Idaho State and No. 3 Sacramento State. UNC defeated every team in the league at least once.
Collecting Hardware: UNC paced the Big Sky Conference with half of the individual honors and five members of the All-Big Sky Conference team selections collected by the Bears, league officials announced Tuesday.
Chosen fourth in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, UNC won the regular season with a mark of 14-2, three wins better than second place. Oates guided the Bears to the program's 15th Big Sky Championship (seven regular season and eight tournament titles), garnering the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, her fifth in 18 years as a league member.
Syd Cole quarterbacked the Bears to the highest hitting percentage, kills per set, and kills in the league, earning the Big Sky Most Valuable Player and Setter of the Year honors and a spot on the All-Big Sky Conference First Team. Cole earned her second Big Sky Setter of the Year honor, the only player to win the award since its inception last season. She collected her second MVP award and third straight All-Conference First Team selection.
Her 10.27 assists per set rank 36 in the nation, while her 1,099 are 33rd. She leads the league in both categories.
Gabi Placide, the 2023 Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year, joined Cole on the All-Conference First team. She posted 369 kills, 126 more than last season and hit .250, 27 points better than her rookie campaign. Her 3.47 kills per set place her fourth on the Big Sky leaderboard, while her 442.5 points and 4.14 points per set rank third and fourth, respectively.
Isabel Bennett, Maddie Davies and Sam Steele collected All-Conference Second Team accolades.
Bennett earned a spot with a .366 hitting percentage, which is tops in the Big Sky Conference and 55th in the nation. Her 2.05 kills per set ranked fifth on the Bears and 26th in the league.
Davies trailed only Bennett in hitting percentage with a .348, while her 2.58 kills per set placed her 15th in the league.
Steele collected 400 digs in her only campaign in Greeley, the fourth-highest mark in the Big Sky.
The Bears won the regular season title and the top seed in this weeks tournament in Sacramento, California, hosted by Sacramento State.
UNC faces the eight seeded Bobcats from Montana State at 2 p.m. MT in the second quarterfinal of day one. The Bears swept the Bobcats Oct. 17 at Bank of Colorado Arena in the lone meeting of the campaign between the two squads.
MATCH INFORMATION
No. 1 UNC (23-6, 14-2 Big Sky) vs. No.8 Montana State (9-18, 7-9 Big Sky)
UNC leads the all-time series 24-6
Last 10 Matches: UNC leads 7-3
Last Five Matches: 3-2
UNC Current Streak: Won 2
Watch: ESPN+
Follow: Live Stats
2024 Big Sky Volleyball Championship
Nov. 27-29 | Sacramento, CA
Wednesday, Nov. 27
10:00 a.m. PT: #4 Weber State vs # 5 Eastern Washington // Live Stats
1:00 p.m. PT: #1 Northern Colorado vs #8 Montana State // Live Stats
4:00 p.m. PT: #2 Idaho State vs #7 Northern Arizona // Live Stats
7:00 p.m. PT: #3 Sacramento State vs #6 Portland State // Live Stats
Thursday, Nov. 28
4:00 p.m. PT: Winner of Match 1, vs. Winner of Match 2 // Live Stats
7:00 p.m. PT: Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4 // Live Stats
Friday, Nov. 29
7:00 p.m. PT: Winner of Match 5 vs Winner of Match 6 // Live Stats
All matches streamed on ESPN+
Regular Season Dominance: Northern Colorado went 44-10 in games played during Big Sky Conference action, winning 11 matches in three sets. The Bears posted a 12-2 mark against the other seven tournament participants, with their only setbacks against No. 2 Idaho State and No. 3 Sacramento State. UNC defeated every team in the league at least once.
Collecting Hardware: UNC paced the Big Sky Conference with half of the individual honors and five members of the All-Big Sky Conference team selections collected by the Bears, league officials announced Tuesday.
Chosen fourth in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, UNC won the regular season with a mark of 14-2, three wins better than second place. Oates guided the Bears to the program's 15th Big Sky Championship (seven regular season and eight tournament titles), garnering the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, her fifth in 18 years as a league member.
Syd Cole quarterbacked the Bears to the highest hitting percentage, kills per set, and kills in the league, earning the Big Sky Most Valuable Player and Setter of the Year honors and a spot on the All-Big Sky Conference First Team. Cole earned her second Big Sky Setter of the Year honor, the only player to win the award since its inception last season. She collected her second MVP award and third straight All-Conference First Team selection.
Her 10.27 assists per set rank 36 in the nation, while her 1,099 are 33rd. She leads the league in both categories.
Gabi Placide, the 2023 Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year, joined Cole on the All-Conference First team. She posted 369 kills, 126 more than last season and hit .250, 27 points better than her rookie campaign. Her 3.47 kills per set place her fourth on the Big Sky leaderboard, while her 442.5 points and 4.14 points per set rank third and fourth, respectively.
Isabel Bennett, Maddie Davies and Sam Steele collected All-Conference Second Team accolades.
Bennett earned a spot with a .366 hitting percentage, which is tops in the Big Sky Conference and 55th in the nation. Her 2.05 kills per set ranked fifth on the Bears and 26th in the league.
Davies trailed only Bennett in hitting percentage with a .348, while her 2.58 kills per set placed her 15th in the league.
Steele collected 400 digs in her only campaign in Greeley, the fourth-highest mark in the Big Sky.
Players Mentioned
MH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
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