Women's Volleyball | 10/14/2026 12:30:00 PM

MATCHES #17 & 18
Who | Utah Tech (13-3, 6-0 Big Sky) at Montana State (11-6, 4-2 Big Sky) | at Montana (5-12, 1-5 Big Sky)
When | Thursday, Oct. 15 - 7 p.m. | Saturday , Oct. 17 - 7 p.m.
Where | Shroyer Gym - Bozeman, Mont. | Dahlberg Arena - Missoula, Mont.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

OPENING SERVE
Utah Tech heads out on the road this week traveling to Montana to face Montana State in Bozeman on Thursday night and Montana in Missoula on Saturday night.

TRAILBLAZERS MATCH PROGRAM'S LONGEST WINNING STREAK IN THE NCAA ERA
The Trailblazers extended their winning streak to 10, tied for the program's longest in the NCAA era, last Saturday with a sweep over previously-unbeaten in Big Sky play Idaho State taking sets, 25-17, 25-10, 25-20.

Two days earlier on Thursday, the Trailblazers overcame dropping the opening set to Weber State, 23-25, to win the next three sets, 25-22, 25-12, 25-20.

The Trailblazers won 10 straight matches in both 2014 & 2016.

ALONE AT THE TOP OF THE BIG SKY
The Trailblazers sit alone at the top of the Big Sky after sweeping Idaho State last Saturday with a perfect 6-0 mark in conference.

It is Utah Tech's best start to conference play in the Division I era and their best conference start since starting 8-0 in PacWest play in 2016.

MOVING UP THE RPI
The Trailblazers moved up to No. 86 in the latest RPI rankings released on Monday (Oct. 12) as they were the highest ranked team in the Big Sky moving past Idaho State (95) after sweeping the Bengals last weekend.

All three opponents, Utah (25), LMU (38) and Hawaii (39), who have defeated the Trailblazers all rank in the top 40 in the RPI.

The Trailblazers have defeated five opponents, Weber State (150), Northern Arizona (161), Northern Colorado (164), Oregon State (167) & UC San Diego (199) in the top 200. Montana State, who the Trailblazers play on Thursday night, are No. 143.

KNUDSEN & FRIED MAKE RETURN TO THE COURT
A pair of fifth-year seniors, Kennedi Knudsen & Casidy Fried, will make their season debuts this weekend after being held out of the first 16 matches of the season.

Knudsen, the program's all-time leader in kills and two-time All-WAC selection, has played in 71 career matches & 262 sets in three seasons at Utah Tech.

Fried, a 2025 First Team All-WAC selection, has played in 54 matches and ranks third all-time in career blocks (279).

GLANCE AT THE MONTANA STATE BOBCATS
Montana State is 11-6 on the season and is tied for fourth in the Big Sky with Northern Arizona with a 4-2 record in conference play.

The Bobcats, who were picked sixth in the Big Sky preseason poll, are 3-1 at home and coming off a 13-15 overall record in 2025 and finished sixth in the conference with an 8-8 mark.

The Bobcats are third in the Big Sky in kills per set (12.72), fourth in assists per set (11.74), hitting percentage (.228), digs (976) & total attacks (2,355) and fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.200) & service aces (92).

Senior middle blocker Joelie Spelts leads the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.387) and sophomore setter Teagan Jaynes is second in the conference in assists (605) & assists per set (9.17).

GLANCE AT THE MONTANA GRIZZLIES
Montana is 5-12 overall on the season and 1-5 in Big Sky play with a sweep over Idaho on Oct. 3.

Picked to finish in a tie for third in the Big Sky preseason poll, the Grizzlies went 17-11 in 2025 and tied for fourth in the conference with a 9-7 mark.

The Grizzlies leads the Big Sky in service aces per set (1.68), rank second in the service aces (101), third in attacks per set (36.38) and fifth in digs per set (15.07).

Senior setter Gracie Cagle is second in service aces (26), third in the aces per set (0.43) and fourth in assists (488).

Sophomore defensive specialist Madeline Sanderson is second in digs per set (4.67) & fourth in digs (280).

SERIES HISTORY VS. MONTANA STATE & MONTANA
This will be the second meeting between the Trailblazers and Bobcats with Montana State leading the series, 1-0 after winning their lone meeting with a sweep on Aug. 27, 2021 at the Boise State Classic.

It will be the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Montana.

WHERE THE TRAILBLAZERS RANK IN BIG SKY/NCAA IN 2026
As a team, the Trailblazers lead the Big Sky in assists per set (12.37) & kills per set (13.61), rank second in attacks per set (37.68 - 10th in nation) & third in digs per set (15.95 - 25th in nation) & hitting percentage (.229).

Shaylee Dahle is second in the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.393) while Nana Asiata is seventh in the conference in kills per set (3.04).

Tessa Treanor is tied for first in the league in service aces per set (0.44), third in aces (25) & ninth in kills per set (2.86).

Mya Laufiso is sixth in the Big Sky in digs per set (4.04) and Annalyse Shimada (1.24) is eighth in blocks per set.

SWEEPS ON SWEEPS
After notching 13 sweeps last season, tying for the second-most sweeps in a season in the NCAA era, the Trailblazers talied seven sweeps this season, including five in a row from Sept. 11 through Sept. 24.