Skylights return to the road with Rocky doubleheader

It's back to the road for the Montana State University-Northern Skylights. After just two home matches in their last six, the Skylights will now play four in a row on the road.

That tough Frontier Conference stretch starts with a doubleheader at Rocky Mountain College this weekend. The Battlin' Bears are in first place in the Frontier, while the Skylights come in tied at the bottom, having lost seven straight after starting the season with a win over Montana Western. That streak includes a pair of losses at home against Providence last weekend, where the Skylights just did not hit the ball well enough.

Of course, head coach Jerry Wagner's team certainly has the firepower to turn its hitting woes around however. Offensive, the tandem of Rylee Burmester and Elissa Lind give Northern two premier hitters. Burmester is also having a big all-around season for the Skylights, as she has 93 kills, three aces and 74 digs.

Defense will also be key for the Skylights going forward. In the back row, Shania Neubauer is handling libero duties as she continues to show she can literally play anywhere. Meanwhile Katie Murdock and Alana Graves both have been outstanding, while Graves is playing a big role for Northern as a true freshman with 64 kills and 74 digs. Graves has also been good up front, while Tammy Maddock and Marlee Bender have presented a good back for Northern.

Still, turning things around at Rocky certainly won't be easy. The Battlin' Bears (7-1) are, as usual, really good. They are hitting .154 on the season, and average 10 kills per set. They get big-time production from Monique Rodriguez and Morgan Allen on offense, while libero Ayla Embry is leading the Frontier in digs.

And playing the Bears twice is just a start to Northern's tough road trip. The Skylights will then turn around and begin the second half of this special spring season with a pair of rematches at Western next weekend. The good news to all that, though, is the Skylights will play four in a row at home and six of their last eight matches inside the Armory Gymnasium. So, there's plenty of time for the Skylights to build momentum toward the playoffs.

Northern and Rocky will meet tonight at 7 and again Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Fortin Center in Billings.