Welcome Home: Skylights make long-awaited Armory Debut

For the first three weekends of the 2018 season, the Montana State University-Northern volleyball team has been faced with challenging road trips and has played a host of NAIA Top 25 teams.

While the compeition doesn't get any easier, for the next two nights at least, the Skylights finally get to stay home.

Northern (1-11) opens its home schedule, and Frontier Conference play tonight against Lewis-Clark State. The Skylights remain in the Armory Gymnasium to face nationally ranked Montana Tech Saturday night.

"We're very excited to play at home," Northern senior Jessica Curl said. "Our fans are amazing, and we're really looking forward to playing in the Armory."

For many Skylights, tonight's match against the Warriors (9-2) will be their first home match of their careers. That's because the Skylights are not only young, they have a ton of new faces this season. Northern stalwarts Hannah Amtmann, Shania Neubauer, Ashley Ponce and Hailey Warren, as well as Katia Michelotti, have Armory and Frontier experience, but Curl, who also plays basketball at MSU-N, along with the likes of Jordan O'Connor, Abigail Ellison, Jada Subrack and Emily Guiterrez, have all had to step into big roles for Northern so far this season, a season that's seen the Skylights struggle to keep pace with NAIA powerhouses.

And right off the bat, MSU-N is facing two Frontier powerhouses.

The Warriors were picked to finish fourth in the Frontier, but they're off to a hot start this fall. The Warriors are again, talented, and it's showing in their preseason wins. Rachel Gregg (OH 6-0) has been outstanding offensively thus far, and she has help around her in the form of Aubrey King (RS 6-1) and Syndey Lawrence (MB 6-0). Lauren West (S 5-7) is an outstanding setter, and LCSC gets great blocking and defense from Alex Van Vleet (MH 6-0).

If tonight's match against LCSC wasn't hard enough, Saturday's could be even tougher as the Skylights welcome in defending Frontier champion Montana Tech (8-6). The Orediggers are ranked 23rd nationally, and bring a ton of talent and experience to Havre.

Tech was picked to win the Frontier title because of the return of the likes of Masha Korol (OH 6-2) and Karina Mickelson (OH 6-0), who already have over 400 kills between them this season. Kamaile Moody (DS 5-7) is also a top-notch DS, while the Orediggers have an imposing presence at the net, which includes Heather Thompson (OH 5-11), and defensively, they're anchored by star libero Sabrina Hopcroft (L 5-7) in the back row.

Yes, the young Skylights, who won their first match of 2018 last Saturday in Great Falls, are opening Frontier play against two of the best. But Curl, who knows all about playing sports in the Armory noted that her team will be fired up and ready to go.

"I love playing in the Armory. I've never experienced anything like it anywhere else I've been," Curl said. "The fans are so amazing, and the energy for games is awesome, and as a player, it really lifts you up and motivates you. It's just so fun and exciting to play at home here, and I'm really excited for Friday night. And I'm so blessed to be a part of this team, this campus and this community."

Tonight's match between Northern and LCSC tips at 7 in the Armory Gymnasium. Saturday's match with Montana Tech also starts at 7 p.m. The Skylights are also home Sept. 22 to host Carroll College.