Matt Houk, Montana State’s head coach for the past two years, was cautiously optimistic about his team’s first appearance in front of a crowd this season. The annual scrimmage between Blue and Gold ended in a tie Wednesday night at Shroyer Gym, with both teams taking two sets from the other.
“I thought that was a really good practice game,” said Houk, who led the Bobcats to a 25-9 program record and an appearance in the NIVC Fab Four last fall. “We talked to the team about what the best version of us could look like tonight. We’re not trying to look like we’re going to look in November, so you have to set the standards based on your situation, and we’re at 10 days of practice.”
“There will be rough lows at times, but we have also challenged them to control the things we can control and set the tone for how we are going to play,” he added.
With nine key players, including five regular players and a libero, Lauren LindsethMSU’s strengths lie in its middle blockers, setters, counterattackers and Lindseth, its defensive dynamo.
The big question is who will follow in the footsteps of the MSU leader with the most career killers. Kira Thomsenwho concluded her final season last fall with a nomination to VolleyballMag.com’s All-America Honorable Mention team.
Redshirt freshman Karli Heidemann helped fill the void on Wednesday night. The Diller, Nebraska product finished the game with 22 kills and a .395 attack mark, his team’s best.
“Karli had a really good night and showed our fans that when you lose one (Thomsen), you lose the next one,” Houk said. “And that’s what good teams do. We have a good mix on the outside and can show a lot of different looks.”
In addition, double-digit kill figures were recorded in the sixth year compared to Jourdain Kampswho scored 15 kills and hit .297. Redshirt freshman Erika Gustafson He also saw action in the middle and on the outside, recording 14 kills, a .267 attack mark and four blocks. Senior Middle Jordan Radick finished the game with seven kills, a .500 attack mark and four blocks, while Setter Audrey Hofer And Nellie Stevenson gave 39 and 38 assists respectively.
“I thought there were some really nice volleyball moments,” Houk said. “And to be there this early in the season and get those things going a little bit – I thought that was great.”
On defense, Lindseth made 17 saves, the most of his team, while Senior Courtney Weatherby added 11.
“The more freedom we can give Lauren, the better off we will be overall,” Houk commented.
MSU will play an exhibition match against South Dakota Mines at Cody (Wyo.) High School on Saturday, August 24th, beginning at 5 p.m. Admission is free and the exhibition match is open to the public.
