Frontier-North Star Challenge highlights exciting MSU-N schedule

Summer has arrived and that means it won't be long until the fall sports season starts at Montana State University-Northern. And it's an especially short time until Skylight volleyball returns to the court.

When Northern does get back to action this fall, the Skylights will make their season debut Aug. 18 at Valley City State before playing a home match against Medicine Hat College Aug. 20.

The Northern schedule, which was recently released, also includes several preseason tournaments, starting with four matches at a tourney in Surprise, Arizona Aug. 26-28. The teams the Skylights will play has not been determined yet.

After the Arizona trip, Northern will return home to host a preseason tournament for the second straight year. This season, the Skylights will host the Frontier-North Star Conference Challenge Sept. 9-10 in the Armory Gymnasium. The Skylights and other Frontier squads will play Mayville State, Presentation, Valley City State and Dickinson State over the course of a busy two days in Havre.

MSU-N will then wrap up tourney season with the Preseason Frontier Tournament, an event Northern hosted last year. The 2022 version will be in Billings Sept. 16-17, where the Skylights will face Montana Tech, Carroll College, Western and Providence.

Following the tournament schedule, Northern begins Frontier Conference play with a road match at Rocky Mountain College Sept. 23 in Billings. Northern then makes its conference home debut against Providence Wednesday, Sept. 28.

The Skylights begin October with a road trip to Western Oct. 1, before playing three straight home matches. The stretch begins Oct. 7 against Carroll College, then Saturday Oct. 8 against Montana Tech. The Skylights finish the homestead Oct. 21 against Rocky. In between is the annual Frontier Conference bye week. The Skylights end October with a road match against Providence Oct. 26 and a home match against Western Oct. 29. The match against the Bulldogs will also be MSU-N's final home match of the season and will also be senior day.

The Skylights finish up the regular season with matches at Tech and Carroll, Nov. 4-5, respectively. The annual Frontier Conference Tournament will be held Nov. 11-12 in Butte.

Northern is coming off a strong 2021 campaign in which the Skylights went 15-13 overall and 4-6 in league play. Northern returns key starters this season including Alana Graves, Emily Feller and Marlee Bender.

The 2022 season kicks off with the annual MSU-N Volleyball Alumni Match Aug. 6 at 6 p.m. in the Armory Gymnasium.

2022 MSU-N Volleyball Schedule

Aug. 17 at Valley City State (Scrimmage)

Aug. 18 at Valley City State, 10 a.m.

Aug. 20 vs Medicine Hat College, TBD

Aug. 26-28 at OUAZ Tournament in Surprise, Arizona

Sept. 9-10 Frontier-North Star Challenge in Havre

Sept. 9 vs Mayville State, 12 p.m.

Sept. 9 vs Presentation, 6 p.m.

Sept. 10 vs Valley City State, 11 a.m.

Sept. 10 vs Dickinson State, 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 16-17 at Frontier Preseason in Butte

Sept. 16 vs Montana Tech, 9 a.m.

Sept. 16 vs Carroll College, 5 p.m.

Sept. 17 vs Western, 9 a.m.

Sept. 17 vs Providence, 1 p.m.

Sept. 23 at Rocky Mountain, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28 vs Providence, 7 p.m.

Oct. 1 at Western, 12 p.m.

Oct. 7 vs Carroll College, 7 p.m.

Oct. 8 vs Montana Tech, 6 p.m.

Oct. 21 vs Rocky Mountain, 7 p.m.

Oct. 26 at Providence, 7 p.m.

Oct. 29 vs Western, 2 p.m.

Nov. 4 at Montana Tech, 7 p.m.

Nov. 5 at Carroll College, 2 p.m.

Nov. 11-12 Frontier Conference Tournament