Sept. 7, 2005
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. –
LOBOS VENTURE TO MONTANA FOR TOURNAMENT
The Lobos travel to Missoula, Mont. for the University of Montana Invitational. The Lobos will face UC Davis on Friday, Sept. 9 at 4:30 p.m. followed by Gonzaga and Montana on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., respectively. It is the second consecutive week the Lobos will participate in a tournament. Live stats will be available at www.MontanaGrizzlies.com for both games on Saturday.
HISTORY LESSON New Mexico leads the all-time series against Montana (5-0) and Gonzaga (2-0). It is UNM’s the first meeting with UC Davis.
The Lobos have never played the Grizzlies on Montana’s home court. Three of the five matches played were in Albuquerque.
UNM has met with Gonzaga twice, both on neutral floors. The first time these two met was in 1986 and the last was 1992.
Head coach Kelley McKee holds a 15-7 record against Montana. She has never coached a team taking on UC Davis or Gonzaga.
COMCAST INVITATIONAL RECAP
New Mexico started the tournament with a 3-0 shutout of Northern Arizona on Friday night. Senior Nicole Ryan led the Lobos with 13 kills and 21 attempts, hitting .524 on the evening. Junior Jennifer Heasty added 10 kills on 16 attempts, hitting .500. Sophomore Samie Weber posted a team-high .583 hitting percentage (7K-0E-12TA). Freshman Sarah Kwasigroch dished out 40 of the team’s 43 assists while sophomore Kim Cox recorded 11 digs. The win ended the Lobos’ two-game losing streak to the Lumberjacks. The last UNM win dates back to Sept. 9, 1989, when they also won 3-0.
The Lobos downed Lamar, 3-1, in the second session of the Comcast Lobo Invitational, improving to 2-0 in the tournament. Ryan put down a team-high 18 kills. Junior Kelly Therkelsen and senior Chelsea Sondrup tied for the Lobos’ highest hitting percentage (.333). Sondrup, Therkelsen, Ryan and Weber all recorded five blocks. Kwasigroch had 46 assists while Ryan had 19 digs.
Senior Nicole Ryan was a key figure on the court at the Comcast Lobo Invitational, earning all-tournament honors.
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In the final session, which turned out to be the championship match of the tournament, Villanova bested New Mexico, 3-0. Sondrup recorded two blocks, tying the all-time UNM record of 326 set by Linda Archuleta in 1984. Sondrup hit a team-high .400 and tied with Ryan for the most kills (11). Kwasigroch dished out 34 of UNM’s 35 assists while Cox recorded nine digs.
New Mexico placed Ryan, Weber and freshman Gayle Tripp on the all-tournament team. Erica Brown and Buchi Okoh respresented Lamar and Villanova’s Alona Cherkez completed the team. Adrian Semrau of Villanova was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Villanova was a perfect 4-0 in tournament play, followed by UNM (3-1), Lamar (1-3) and Northern Arizona (0-4).
LOBO SCOUTING REPORT
UC Davis Aggies
The Aggies are 2-3 with a two-match win streak in tact. They started the season with a three-match losing streak, falling to San Jose State, California and Toledo. UC Davis beat Idaho State (3-0) and Washington State (3-2) at home last weekend.
Freshman outside hitter Chantal Paschetta is averaging 4.00 kills per game, sophomore setter Katelyn Astruc is averaging 0.78 assists per game, freshman libero Nichole Brown is averaging 5.44 digs per game and junior middle blocker Katie Wilson is averaging 1.29 blocks per game.
UC Davis went 3-21 in 2004 and return three starters. The Aggies are coached by Stephanie Hawbecker, who is 61-88 in her sixth year.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
The Zags are 5-2, riding a five-match win streak into Montana. The Bulldogs have won their last four matchs in 3-0 sweeps. All four of those matches were at the Over the Mountain Invite in Boiling Springs, N.C. Gonzaga beat Florida International, Morehead State, Birmingham Southern and Gardner-Webb.
Senior Chelsea Sondrup tied the UNM career blocking record of 326 on Saturday.
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Sophomore outside hitter Becky Jones is averaging 4.00 kills and 2.78 digs per game, sophomore setter Heather Dunn averages 10.17 assists per game and sophomore middle blocker Briawa Mueller is averaging 1.13 blocks per game.
The Bulldogs returned five starters from last year’s team that went 4-25 and was winless in the West Coast Conference (0-14). They are coached by Kip Yoshimura, who is 17-77 in his fourth year.
Montana Grizzlies
Montana is 5-2 overall as it prepares to open its home season with the Montana Invitational. The Grizzlies started the season with a four-match win streak, downing Fairfield, Rhode Island and Maine, 3-1, and Drake, 3-0. They also have a 3-1 win over South Dakota State. The two UM losses came at Iowa State (3-1) and vs. Stephen F. Austin (3-1).
Junior outside hitter Claudia Houle leads the Grizzlies in kills (5.19) and digs (4.67) per game. Senior middle blocker Audrey Jensen has a team-best .241 hitting percentage while junior middle blocker EvaLyn Whitehead averages 1.00 blocks per game. Senior setter Diana Thompson is averaging 11.93 assists per game and sophomore libero Jackie White averages 3.89 digs per game.
The Grizzlies return all six starters and the libero from 2004’s team, which went 8-17 overall and 4-10 in the Big Sky Conference. Head coach Nikki Best is 43-84 in her five years at Montana.