Skylights working hard in camp

While the Montana State University-Northern football team didn't start practice until today, the Skylights volleyball team has already been busy preparing for the 2017 season.

Northern first took the floor for fall camp a couple of weeks ago under the direction of new head coach Rose Obunga, who has been preparing her team for the scrimmage tonight at 6. So far, she said fall camp has gone well.

"So far it looks OK," Obunga said. "I am taking my time to see who can play where and what they can do at each position. You know when you are getting a new team, they know each other, but I don't. So I am just taking my time to see what I have. We will also have two junior college transfers coming in, so we will need to work them into the system, as well."

While Northern waits for the new transfers, Obunga has had to step in and play a little bit. Without her, the Skylights, who have just 11 players as of right now, would be unable to scrimmage 6-on-6.

"It makes it more difficult to evaluate them, but it's the only way we can get 6-on-6," Obunga said. "But we will be getting those others players soon and that will give us 13."

Transitioning to a new coaching staff can sometimes be difficult, but Cassie Krueger, one of the Skylights' top returning players, said so far, things have gone well.

"It's been really smooth," Krueger. "Coach has been really awesome. She has a good sense of humor, but she is also very disciplined, so it's been very good as far as fall camp is concerned."

Krueger, who is getting ready to embark on her senior season at MSU-N, looks to be one of the Skylights top players once again in 2017. She earned First Team All-Frontier honors a year ago and should be one of the top hitters in the conference again this season.

Throughout camp, the Skylights have ramped up their live scrimmaging and last week, playing five sets during practice after doing a round of fundamental drills to get things going. Northern's other First Team All-Frontier performer, Timi Severson, also looks poised for a strong season, while Hannah Amtmann, a sophomore, who made the Frontier All-Freshman team in 2016, has also had a strong start to camp.

"Everything has been going awesome," Krueger said. "We have a lot of returning players and some younger girls that are really going to step and a contribute for us. We also have some other incoming players that are going to be huge for us, too."

Northern, which will hold its annual Maroon and Gold scrimmage tonight at 6 inside the Armory Gymnasium, will be playing games that count very soon. The Skylights are headed to Denver for four non-conference games starting Thursday and running through Sunday.

MSU-N will take on Embry-Riddle Thursday, Hastings College Friday, Johnson and Wales Saturday and Mayville State Sunday. Northern will be on the road for much of August and September. The Skylights won't play at home in the regular season until Sept. 16.