Pocatello, ID - Idaho State Volleyball has been riding high for most of the year.
After a pair of road wins in which they only lost one set of the seven played, the Bengals are sitting at sole possession of second place in the Big Sky standings with a 7-2 record. The only team ahead of them at the moment, Northern Colorado, has only had one conference loss so far, which happens to be to Idaho State from a five-set thriller in Greeley.
The conference season has gone well for ISU, and it is set to continue with a road trip north to the Treasure State for rematches with the Montana Grizzlies and Montana State Bobcats.
First, the Bengals will hit the road, true northbound for the luscious mountains and natural beauty surrounding Missoula, Montana, crossing over the Clark Fork River for their second matchup with the Griz on Thursday. Idaho State earned a tough 3-1 victory over the maroon and silver in a slugfest in Reed Gym earlier this month. This time, however, the Orange and Black will have to play their best volleyball in the confines of Dahlberg Arena, where Montana has earned three of their six wins on the year.
Historically, Idaho State leads the series with the Griz 21-17 since 2002. The Bengals' early October win over UM was the first since 2021. If the visitors come away with the win in Missoula, it will be their first two-game sweep over Montana in one season since 2013.
After that, the Bengals will head east, feeling the temperatures drop and the prices rise as they cross over to Bozeman for a Saturday night rematch with the 'Cats. MSU is responsible for one of the two conference losses on the Bengals' record so far, a barnburner in Reed Gym where the hosts went down 0-2 in sets before rallying in the third and fourth to force a fifth, ultimately falling short of the reverse sweep.
Sitting at sixth in the conference, the Bobcats' 7–13 overall record does not accurately represent the threat that they pose to the rest of the Big Sky, as they faced off with national powerhouses Nebraska, Arizona State, and Washington to begin the season. Since then, they have recorded a 5-4 record in conference play and are humming with momentum after a 3-0 road victory over rival Montana.
Re-Scouting the Griz
First Serve: Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024 // 7:00 PM
2024 Record: 6-14 (1-8 BSC - 9th Place)
Last Matchup: vs. Montana State (L, 0-3)
Last Matchup vs. ISU: Oct. 5, 2024 (ISU W, 3-1)
Notable Players: Despite the 3-1 Bengals victory on the scoresheet, senior hitter Paige Clark had the most kills for either team with 15 in the last matchup with ISU. Maddie Kremer and Maddie Pyles each recorded 11 of their own, and Brenley Hansen tied for the match-high in blocks with 8.
Re-Scouting the 'Cats
First Serve: Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 // 7:00 PM
2024 Record: 7-13 (5-4 BSC - 6th Place)
Last Matchup: @ Montana (W, 3-0)
Last Matchup vs. ISU: Oct. 3, 2024 (MSU W, 3-2)
Notable Players: The Bobcats have been one of the few opponents to record more blocks than the Bengals in a match. They were bolstered by Jordan Radick and Camryn Greenwald recording eight apiece and Joelie Spelts getting seven of her own. Offensively, Jourdain Kamps was an offensive weapon in Reed Gym, finishing with a team-high 20 kills, topped only by Jamie Streit having a career night with 27.
Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN+; links can be found below.
Bengals @ Griz (10/31/24) - ESPN+ Broadcast // LiveStats
Bengals @ 'Cats (11/2/24) - ESPN+ Broadcast // LiveStats
