BILLINGS, Mont. – Rocky volleyball seeks a conference breakthrough this weekend as the Battlin' Bears hit the road for two Frontier Conference showdowns against Mayville State and Valley City State.
Week schedule
Thursday, September 17
Rocky Mountain College (2-7, 0-5 conf.) vs. Mayville State (0-10, 0-5 conf.)
3 p.m. (JV) / 5 p.m. (varsity; both times in MT)
Mayville, N.D.
Friday, September 18
Rocky Mountain College (2-7, 0-5 conf.) vs. Valley City State University (3-9, 1-4 conf.)
4 p.m. (MT)
Valley City, N.D.
Preview – Rocky
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Rocky volleyball continues to show promising flashes in a grueling Frontier Conference. In Saturday's four-set defeat against No. 16-ranked Bellevue, Rocky's dominant 25-12 second-set victory marked the program's largest margin of victory in a set since August 2024, as the Bears registered a season-high .444 hitting percentage during that set. Junior Sadie Meier has continued to spearhead Rocky's offense during league play, recording double-digit kills in three of her past four matches while averaging 2.82 kills per set. After a season-low .111 clip against Dakota State, Rocky's offense found its rhythm against Bellevue, rebounding to .184 for its third-highest mark of the season.
Defensively, the Battlin' Bear back line remains a strength, as Rocky ranks second in the Frontier Conference with 20.26 digs per set, anchored by libero Zoey Albert, whose 5.89 digs per set ranks second in league play. Freshman Iris Arlint has provided a major boost in the back row, tallying double-digit digs in three of her last four outings, including a career-high 20 digs against MSU-Northern.
Preview – Opponents
Mayville State enters Thursday searching for its first victory of the season. Despite the record, the Comets have proven to be dangerous, pushing both Montana Western and MSU-Northern to five-set battles. Senior defensive specialist Tori Richter leads the back row with 4.76 digs per set (fourth in the Frontier), while senior middle blocker Andrea Majchrzak powers the front row, ranking fifth in the conference with 0.93 blocks per set while pacing Mayville's attack at 2.19 kills per set. As a unit, the Comets rank sixth in service aces (1.52 per set) and fifth in digs (16.27 per set). Rocky has won four of the last five meetings against Mayville State since 2017.
The Battlin' Bears wrap up the trip on Friday against Valley City State. The Vikings (3-9, 1-4 conf.) opened league play with a win over Mayville State before dropping four straight matches. Freshman middle Mady Geist powers the VCSU offense, averaging 2.98 kills per set on a team-leading .270 hitting percentage, while sophomore DS Annika Pulju anchors the defense with 3.61 digs per set. The all-time series between Rocky and Valley City State is tied at 2-2, with the Vikings earning a sweep in 2025.
