BILLINGS, Mont. – Rocky volleyball rounds out the first rotation of conference play this week, hosting Montana Western on Wednesday and No. 24 Montana Tech on Saturday inside the Fortin Education Center.
Week schedule
Wednesday, September 30
Rocky Mountain College (3-10, 1-8 conf.) vs. Montana Western (5-11, 4-5 conf.)
6 p.m. (MT)
Fortin Education Center
Saturday, October 3
Rocky Mountain College (3-10, 1-8 conf.) vs. No. 24 Montana Tech (12-3, 7-2 conf.)
6 p.m. (MT)
Fortin Education Center
Preview – Rocky
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Rocky volleyball looks to bounce back after dropping two road matches last weekend against Dickinson State and Bismarck State. Senior Josie West posted a career-high 14 kills in a four-set battle against Bismarck State, marking her first double-digit kill performance of the season. Libero Zoey Albert remains one of the Frontier Conference's premier back-line defenders, ranking second in the league with 4.90 digs per set while recording at least 20 digs in five of her last nine matches. As a team, the Battlin' Bears rank third in the Frontier with 17.65 digs per set.
Preview – Opponents
Montana Western enters the matchup with a 5-11 overall record and a 4-5 conference mark. Following a challenging nonconference slate, the Bulldogs opened Frontier play with back-to-back wins, but now look to snap a stretch in which they have dropped four of their last five matches. Western's strength lies at the net, where the Bulldogs rank third in the conference with 118 total blocks, led by sophomore Jaiden Perez (0.90 blocks per set). Offensively, sophomore outside hitter Averi Look paces the squad with 2.70 kills per set while hitting .219, while senior libero Madisyn Frazier anchors the defense with 4.00 digs per set.
The Battlin' Bears wrap up the week on Saturday evening against No. 24-ranked Montana Tech. After dropping their season opener, the Orediggers reeled off a 10-match winning streak that included wins in their first five conference contests. Tech comes into the weekend having split its last two series, falling only to nationally ranked opponents Bellevue and Providence. The Orediggers boast a formidable attack, ranking first in the conference in hitting percentage (.257) and second in kills per set (12.88). Junior middle hitter Madison Biery leads the Frontier with a .450 hitting percentage, while fellow middle Halle Moomaw ranks third in kills per set (3.12). Setter Rhys Layton leads the league with 514 total assists, and defensive specialists Brooklynn Hayes (32) and Austin Long (28) rank first and second in service aces.
