Northern's Krueger earns Frontier honor

The 2017 season ended on a difficult note for the Montana State University-Northern volleyball team as the Skylights were ousted by Carroll College in the first round of the Frontier Conference Tournament.

However, the weekend also had its positives, too, as, for the third straight year, Northern's Cassie Krueger was named Frontier All-Conference.

Krueger was named 2017 First-Team All-Conference Saturday. The former Kalispell standout finished her brilliant Northern career by leading the Frontier in total kills this season. Krueger was also named First Team as a junior and Second Team as a sophomore. Krueger was the only Skylight to garner All-Conference honors this season, and she was also Northern's Frontier NAIA Champions of Character recipient as well.

As for the end of the Skylights' season, that was tough as Friday night's loss to the Fighting Saints was MSU-N's sixth straight defeat. Carroll defeated Northern by scores of 25-16, 25-14 and 25-19.

Timi Severson had a strong match for the Skylights with 11 kills and three blocks, while Krueger finished with eight kills and Hannah Amtmann added 17 digs.

The Skylights finish the season with a 9-16 overall record. Montana Tech went on to defeat Rocky Mountain College for the Frontier championship Saturday night.

Carroll def. MSU-Northern

25-16, 25-14, 25-19

MSU-N - (kills-aces-blocks) Kylie Pasieka 3-1-0; Mikayla Virostek 1-0-0; Cassie Krueger 8-0-0; Hannah Amtmann 0-0-0; Timi Severson 11-0-3; Katia Michelotti 3-0-0; Ashley Ponce 0-0-0; Shania Neubauer 0-0-1. Totals 26-1-3.0

CC - (kills-aces-blocks) Catherine Sloan 0-2-0; Holly Morehouse 5-0-5; Mallory Arbizzani 9-0-3; Brielle Bumgarner 8-0-4; Casey Berry 0-0-0; Rayna Pilgeram 7-3-1; Madi Quick 0-0-0; Ayla Carpenter 1-1-0; Casey McInerney 7-0-1; Taelyr Krantz 10-0-1; Laurel Kassa 0-0-0. Totals 47-6-8.0.

2017 Frontier All-Conference Volleyball Team

First Team

Brielle Bumgarner, Carroll College, Jr., MH, Kalispell, Mont.; Holly Morehouse, Carroll College, Sr., RS, Anchorage, Alaska; Rayna Pilgeram, Carroll College, Sr., S, Helena, Mont.; Rachel Gregg, Lewis-Clark State, Jr., OH, Eagle River, Alaska; Cassie Krueger, MSU-Northern, Sr., OH, Kalispell, Mont.; Haley Druyvestein, Montana Tech, Sr., MB, Missoula, Mont.; Masha Korol, Montana Tech, Jr., OH, Ukrainka, Ukraine; Angela Molesworth, Montana Tech, Jr., OH, Gilbert, Ariz.; Hailey Copinga, Rocky Mountain College, RS, Jr., Billings, Mont.; Holland Fergurson, Rocky Mountain College, Sr., L, Montgomery, Texas; Sydney Matheny, Rocky Mountain College, Sr., MB, Gillette, Wyo.; Sydney Anderson, University of Providence, Fr., OH, Placentia, Calif.

Second Team

Justine Cota-Culp, Lewis-Clark State, Sr., MH, Yreka, Calif.; Maya Williamson, Lewis-Clark State, Sr., L, Auburn, Wash.; Sabrina Hopcroft, Montana Tech, So., L, Florence, Mont.; Dylan Fowler, Montana Western, Jr., L, Belgrade, Mont.; Natalie Hilderman, Rocky Mountain College, Fr., S, Gillette, Wyo.; Mariah Diaz, University of Providence, Sr., OH, Arbuckle, Calif.

Player of the Year - Masha Korol, Montana Tech (Newcomer of the Year)

Setter of the Year - Rayna Pilgeram, Carroll College

Libero of the Year - Holland Ferguson, Rocky Mountain

Freshman of the Year - Natalie Hilderman, Rocky Mountain

Coach of the Year - Brian Solomon, Montana Tech.