Skylights aim to stay perfect at home

The Montana State University-Northern Skylights found the magic they were looking for on the road when they beat the nationally ranked Lewis-Clark State Warriors last Saturday in Lewiston, Idaho.

That win earned Northern a crucial road split, and now, with four of their last six matches of the Frontier Conference's regular season to be played at home, the Skylights are looking to double down.

MSU-N (3-3, 4-11), looks to keep the momentum it built last Saturday going when the Skylights host the UM-Western Bulldogs (3-2, 8-9) Saturday inside the Armory Gymnasium.

Coming into Saturday's match with Western, the Skylights are a perfect 2-0 at home, and haven't dropped a set. And after winning at LCSC, head coach Bill Huebsch said his team is excited to be back in the Armory.

"We're already at the halfway point in the season," Huebsch said. "And we have four of our last six matches at home. So we have an opportunity to really build something. But at the same time, what's most important is, that we just keep on improving. I feel we have been getting better week-to-week, and we want to keep doing that because the goal is to be playing our best volleyball in November."

The Skylights have been getting better, with every match really. And it certainly showed in their dominant win at LC State, which was just the second for the Skylights in Lewiston in the last decade. The win also vaulted Northern into the top half of the Frontier standings, and they are just a half game behind the Bulldogs for second place.

And a big reason why Northern is playing so well is the mix of veteran leadership and growing production from MSU-N's youth movement. Junior Cassie Krueger is having a great season with 175 kills, but freshman Timi Severson is alongside her, as she is second in the Frontier in hitting percentage at .311 with 137 kills. Another newcomer, Jillian Nickens is also on the rise offensively, as she has averaged three kills per set in her last three matches, while veteran setter Emily Russell has 479 assists.

Defensively, Northern is also improving every week. In the back row, freshman Hannah Amtmann has played well, while senior Jacy Vining has been an anchor. At the net, Northern has been blocking much better this season, and the likes of Haley Yoder and Mikayla Virostek have been a big reason why, while serving has also been a key element, and veteran Cydney Auzenne is serving as tough as anybody in the conference right now.

"We had a lot of talent and a lot of leadership coming back on this team," Huebsch said. "And that group has continued to lead us. But, I think what's been big for us is the growth and maturing of our younger players. Those kids are just getting better and better, and it's allowed us to be a much deeper team."

The Skylights will need that depth Saturday. Even though Northern is unbeaten at home, the Bulldogs come to Havre as the surprise team of the Frontier. Western has finished last in the league in each of the past seven seasons, but this year is different, and the Bulldogs already own a three-set sweep over the Skylights, which came last month in Dillon.

Western returns a host of veteran players for first-year head coach Brian Lewis, led by senior middle blocker Brittany Erickson (5-11), a returning All-Conference performer. Outside hitter Bailey Wilson (5-11) and senior setter Callie Hanson (5-7) give the Bulldogs a solid nucleus to work with, and a bunch of newcomers have really helped to make the Bulldogs a formidable foe.

"Western is very good," Huebsch said. "We saw that for ourselves when we played them in Dillon. They have a lot of talent and they play fast, so we have to be ready to counter that."

Still, as good as the Bulldogs are, the Skylights will be ready for them when they come to Havre. Northern is a team that has all the makings for a great run through the remainder of the Frontier season, and into the postseason, and, with last Saturday's win at LCSC, the Skylights also have some momentum. And they're not about to let that momentum go by the wayside.

"The girls will be fired up to be back at home," Huebsch said. "It will be a tough match with Western, but, I just think we are continuing to improve. We are finding more consistency, and if we can keep doing that, the sky is the limit for this team."

Saturday's match between the Skylights and Bulldogs will start at 2 p.m. inside the Armory Gymnasium. Northern then has a week off before returning to action with a visit to Rocky Mountain College Oct. 21.