BILLINGS, Mont.- Rocky Volleyball continues its homestand this weekend, hosting Dakota State and No. 19-ranked Bellevue University on Friday and Saturday at the Fortin Education Center.

Weekend Schedule

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Friday, September 11th
Rocky Mountain College (2-5, 0-3 conf.) vs Dakota State (5-3, 2-0 conf.)
6:00 pm 
Fortin Education Center

Saturday, September 12th
Rocky Mountain College (2-5, 0-3 conf.) vs #19 Bellevue University (6-2, 2-0 conf.)
2:00 pm 
Fortin Education Center

Preview - Rocky

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Despite coming out on the wrong end of their matches last weekend, the Battlin' Bears held true to their moniker, putting together competitive sets throughout the weekend. Libero Zoey Albert earned Frontier Conference Defender of the Week honors after recording a career-high 37 digs in a five-set battle against MSU-Northern. Albert ranks second in the conference with 6.08 digs per set through three league games.

Junior Sadie Meier also delivered an impressive statistical weekend, setting a career-high 13 kills on Friday before topping it the following day with 15 kills against Providence. Her team-leading 2.90 kills per set in conference play ranks tied for sixth in the Frontier Conference.

Defensively, Rocky remains a formidable unit. The Battlin' Bears rank third in the conference with 20.08 digs per set and fourth with 1.67 blocks per set during conference action, holding opponents to a .181 hitting percentage.

Preview - Opponents

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Rocky opens the weekend against Dakota State University on Friday evening. The Trojans enter at 5-3 overall after starting conference play 2-0 with a sweep of Dickinson State and a five-set victory over Bismarck State. Both Rocky and Dakota State share a common opponent this season, having each fallen to Dakota Wesleyan.

Dakota State finished the 2025 season 16-13, earning the No. 4 seed in the Frontier Conference Tournament before falling to Montana Tech in the quarterfinals. The Trojans return two 2025 Second Team All-Conference honorees: junior right-side Tristyn Maras and senior middle hitter Macey Wathen. Sophomore middle Lauryn Kloth has emerged as a key contributor, averaging 1.03 blocks and 2.20 kills per set while attacking at a .336 clip. Dakota State holds a 2-1 all-time record against Rocky, having won both conference meetings last season.

The Battlin' Bears conclude the homestand against No. 19 Bellevue University, who enters the weekend with an overall record of 6-2. The Bruins are coming off a banner 2025 campaign, posting a 29-5 record and reaching the NAIA National Tournament Quarterfinals. After entering the preseason ranked No. 8 in the NAIA, Bellevue fell 11 spots following early three-set losses to No. 14 Taylor and Benedictine (Kan.). The Bruins responded by opening Frontier Conference play 2-0, securing wins over Bismarck State in five sets and Dickinson State in four.

Bellevue graduated all three of its 2025 First Team All-Conference selections, but returns Second Team All-Conference honorees Mila Aiwohi (setter) and Chloe Cloud (middle blocker). Sophomore libero Zoie Roghair has anchored the defense, earning back-to-back Frontier Conference Defender of the Week honors earlier in the season while averaging 4.90 digs per set overall. 

Both home matches will stream live on the Urban Edge Network, available online or via the mobile app on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.