Week Two: Skylights face challenges in Butte

It's early, but the start of a new era in Montana State University-Northern volleyball couldn't have gone much better. Last week, the Skylights opened their season under new head coach Rose Obunaga with a pair of wins in Denver, Colorado, while also playing a pair of nationally ranked NAIA opponents.

Week two of Obunaga's first season at the helm at Northern will keep the Skylights in the state of Montana, but, the competition will be just as fierce.

Friday and Saturday, Northern will be in Butte for the Big Sky Challenge, hosted by Montana Tech. And in Butte, Northern (2-2) will get tested.

On Friday morning, the Skylights take on Bellevue University. The Bruins are starting their season in Butte, and are considered a true NAIA powerhouse. Bellevue is ranked No. 20 in the NAIA Preseason Coaches Poll. Northern will also play Evergreen State Friday afternoon. The Geoducks, picked to finish among the leaders in the Cascade Conference, are also opening their season this week in Montana.

Saturday morning, the Skylights will play another Cascade foe, and yet another nationally-ranked squad. Northern will face off against Eastern Oregon. The Mounties (2-2) are ranked No. 11 in the Preseason Coaches Poll and will be a very tough opponent for the Skylights. MSU-N finishes its four-match trip to Butte with a match against the University of California-Merced. The Bobcats are currently 0-1 on the season. They play in the Golden State Athletic Conference, another tough, NAIA league.

And while the Skylights will hope for good results in Butte, the name of the game is to keep gaining experience. They're under the direction of a new head coach, playing in a new system, so these early season matches will continue to help the Skylights gain momentum as Frontier Conference play is just three weeks away.

And veteran leadership will help the Skylights build that momentum. Northern got a big road trip from senior Cassie Krueger, as well as returning starters Haley Yoder and Timi Severson. Their play, along with the steady play of libero Hannah Amtmann and defensive specialist Kylie Pasieka, are certainly helping the transition for newcomers, like sophomore setter Hailey Warren among others.

Northern opens the Big Sky Challenge Friday at 10 a.m. against Bellevue. The Skylights take on Evergreen State at 3 p.m. Saturday, MSU-N plays EOU at 9 a.m. and Cal-Merced at 5 p.m. Next week, the Skylights have four more matches, when they travel to Menlo, California, for the Menlo College Tournament.