BILLINGS, Mont.- Rocky Volleyball will play their first two matches in the Fortin Education Center this season when they host No. 15 University of Providence and MSU-Northern this weekend. 

Last Time Out

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The Battlin' Bears dropped the first of two Rimrock Rivalry matches on Tuesday in Alterowitz Gym. Overall, Rocky struggled to find momentum offensively or defensively, totaling 23 attack errors and allowing a hitting percentage of .248 in the four-set loss.

Game Notes

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1-0 
The Battlin' Bears got their conference schedule off on the right foot with a four-set victory over Montana Tech. The win in Butte snapped a skid of seven straight losses to the Orediggers to give Rocky a 1-0 start in Frontier Conference play. 

Defender of the Week
Junior Gabriella Panzetta earned Erck Hotels/Frontier Conference Defender of the Week honors on Monday following an 11-block performance in the win over Montana Tech this past week. 

Block Party
The Battlin' Bears lead the Frontier Conference with 120 total blocks and are tied for second, averaging 2.49 blocks per set. The middle blocker combo of Gabriella Panzetta and Kaitlyn Wood has caused problems for opposing attacks, as both rank in the top 10 in the Frontier Conference in blocks per set. 

Scouting the Argos
University of Providence is off to an impressive start to the season with a record of 10-2. They currently rank as the #15 team in the NAIA and have not lost a set since August 30th. Junior Bella Thompson is the current NAIA leader in assists per set (11.33), redshirt sophomore Cabry Taylor is the conference leader in blocks per set (1.38), and senior Nina Janjic ranks second in the Frontier in kills per set (3.53).
 
Scouting the Skylights
MSU-Northern has begun their season 5-5, most recently dropping their conference opener to #13 Montana Western in four sets. After a 5-1 start to the 2024 season, the Skylights have dropped four straight entering their match with Montana Tech on Thursday. Senior Alana Graves has proven to be one of the top all-around players in the conference, ranking top-five individually in kills per set, total kills, hitting percentage, blocks per set, and total blocks this season.