Skylights face new and daunting schedule

Just one year removed from its best season in more than a decade, the Montana State University-Northern women's volleyball team took on its toughest schedule in more than a decade last fall.

And it wasn't easy for a rebuilding Skylights' team to play 11 teams ranked in the NAIA Top 25 last season, all before battling it out in the Frontier Conference. The result was a difficult 7-21 season, with a 3-11 mark in the Frontier Conference.

Now however, a new-look Northern squad will once again play a rigorous schedule that includes four long road trips against top competition to start the season.

As a result of Westminster College leaving the Frontier, each of the remaining Frontier schools was able to pick up an additional preseason tournament to compensate for the two lost matches against Westminster. So, head coach Bill Huebsch's squad will strike out on the road to start the season with the Eastern Oregon Tournament Aug. 21-22 in LaGrande, Oregon. There, MSU-N will play the first of its four matches it has in the preseason against teams that finished in the NAIA Top 25 to end 2014. Northern will face host Eastern Oregon, which finished last season ranked No. 8 in the NAIA, as well as playing three other matches on its opening weekend.

On Aug. 28-29, the Skylights will travel to Helena for the Big Sky Challenge, where they'll face a slew of quality opponents, including Vanguard University, which finished last season ranked No. 11. Matches against The Master's University and Dickinson State will also be tough in Helena.

And for the third season in a row, the Skylights will also trek to one of the toughest preseason tournaments in the NAIA. On Sept. 4-5, Northern will be in Bellevue, Nebraska, for a tournament that always features the best-of-the-best in the NAIA. Among Northern's four opponents in Bellevue is Evangel University, which finished No. 20 in last year's final poll. Host Bellevue will also be a big challenge for what will be a young Skylights' squad.

MSU-N wraps up non-conference play Sept. 11-12 in Jamestown, North Dakota, where it will play four more matches, including a tilt against Jamestown College, which finished No. 22 in the NAIA a season ago.

Finally, the Skylights will then open Frontier play at home with four straight matches. MSU-N's home opener will be Sept. 17 against Lewis-Clark State, and the Skylights will host defending Frontier champion Rocky Mountain College on Sept. 19. RMC finished fifth in last year's final poll. Northern also has home dates with Montana Tech and Carroll College Sept. 25-26, respectively.

Because of Westminster's departure, there are some scheduling oddities to the Frontier this season. The league decided to keep a balanced schedule in volleyball, unlike in basketball, but there are still some differences to previous years. Following the four straight home matches, Northern will play at UM-Western on Oct. 3, as the lone match that week. The Skylights also play Western again Oct. 24 as the only match they have that week. That slot was usually reserved for Northern's rivalry matches with UGF. Instead, MSU-N will play at UGF Oct. 17 after a trip to Billings to face RMC. And following their match with the Bulldogs Oct. 24 in Havre, the Skylights play three straight on the road, with matches at LC State and Carroll Oct. 29 and 31, respectively, as well as a trip to Montana Tech Nov. 5. Interestingly, Northern comes right back home to play UGF to close out the regular season Nov. 7 in the Armory Gymnasium.

The Frontier Conference Tournament will be held Nov. 12-14 in Helena. The Skylights are just a month away from opening training camp.

2015 Skylights Volleyball

Schedule

Aug. 21-22 at Eastern Oregon Tourney

vs Oregon Tech

vs Eastern Oregon

vs Northwest University (WA)

vs Corban University

Aug. 28-29 at Big Sky Challenge in Helena

vs Vanguard University

vs Master's University

vs Corban University

vs Dickinson State

Sept. 4-5 at Bellevue College Tourney in Bellevue, Nebraska

vs Evangel University

vs Culver-Stockton

vs Ashford University

vs Bellevue College

Sept. 11-12 at Jamestown/Valley City Tourney

vs Waldorf College

vs Jamestown

vs Mount Marty College

vs Valley City State

Sept. 17 vs Lewis-Clark State

Sept. 19 vs Rocky Mountain

Sept. 25 vs Montana Tech

Sept. 26 vs Carroll College

Oct. 3 at UM-Western

Oct. 15 at Rocky Mountain

Oct. 17 at Great Falls

Oct. 24 vs UM-Western

Oct. 29 at Lewis-Clark State

Oct. 31 at Carroll College

Nov. 5 at Montana Tech

Nov. 7 vs Great Falls

Nov. 12-14 Frontier Conference Tournament in Helena