MSU-N seniors take home court one last time

In four years, the senior class of the Montana State University-Northern volleyball team has been through as much as any group would likely encounter during a collegiate athletic career.

The Skylight seniors, who will play their final two home matches of their career Friday and Saturday at the MSU-Northern Fieldhouse have endured three different head coaches and some difficult season's on the court.

And while ups and downs have dotted the years this senior class has had at Northern, because of their love of the sport of volleyball, for MSU-Northern and because of the type of student-athletes they all are, they've persevered, and are now making the most of their final days in a Skylight uniform.

On Saturday afternoon, before Northern plays its home finale against Carroll College, MSU-N will honor seniors Kaylee Bossert, Brittany Baker, Jordan Merrill, Jenna Frankino, Sheena McInnes and Liz Richards. Richards played for MSU-N for three seasons but is serving as a student-assistant coach this season.

"When you talk about this group of seniors, the first word that comes to mind is resiliency," MSU-N head coach Bill Huebsch said. "They have faced a lot of different challenges in their careers. Different coaches, different styles, a lot of change. But one thing that hasn't changed is their love for the sport and their ability to stay together as a group, and that's something myself and this program is very appreciative of. And I can't say enough about how much I respect this group of kids."

And the group's dedication to staying together through change, through tough times and tough matches and even difficulties in life is certainly paying off. Thanks in large part to the senior class, MSU-N is enjoying its best season on the court since 2004, and it's no coincidence it's happening as this senior class has come of age.

Bossert (Calgary, Alberta), Baker (Cochrane, Alberta) and Merrill (Stanford, MT) have all been starting and contributing for four years, and all three are having all-conference type seasons. Frankino (Helena, MT) has also been on the court since her freshman season and has been consistently good at a number of different spots in the back row, while McInnes (Assiniboia, Sask.) also played a ton of minutes early in her career and has been a mainstay in the program through thick and thin.

And together, as a group, they've helped the Northern program rebound through dedication, hard work and most importantly, through staying together.

"They've come a long way,." Huebsch said. "To people outside the program, sometimes it may not look like it when you look at the wins and losses, but this group of seniors have really started to make things happen and the success they are having now is a credit to how dedicated this group is and the fact they've been able to overcome so much really speaks to their character. They are all great kids and they've meant a great deal to this program."

And this senior class, which has endured so much over the years will certainly be missed. Fans, teammates and coaches have grown accustomed to seeing this group, not only because of how good of volleyball players they all are, but because they've been on the court, in a Skylight uniform for four years. They group has been through the high and lows of a rigorous college sport and the Northern program is in a better place because of them.

"This group has been through a lot of hard times," Huebsch said. "And I just hope, at least in my time here, they will be able to take some great memories away from this experience. They've given a tremendous amount to this program and we will certainly miss all of them."

The Skylights host Rocky Mountain College Friday at 7 p.m. Northern will honor its six seniors before Saturday's match against Carroll which starts at 2 p.m. at the MSU-Northern Fieldhouse.