Skylights look to make strides in the second half of the season

The second half of the Frontier Conference volleyball season is about to begin. And the Montana State University-Northern Skylights are still in search of their first conference win.

But, if the Skylights (0-6, 1-17) are going to get that first league win this week, they'll have to do it on the road.

After the bye week, Northern resumes its four-match road trip tonight, with a visit to Montana Tech in Butte. The Skylights will then head west to battle Lewis-Clark State Saturday afternoon in Lewiston, Idaho.

And neither match will be easy for Northern, as the Skylights were swept by the Orediggers and Warriors at home last month.

The Orediggers (4-3, 12-13) were a national tournament team a year ago, and are heavy favorites to do it again this season. However, Tech struggled ahead of the bye week, and is no longer ranked in the NAIA Top 25. Still, the likes of Masha Korol (OH 6-2) and Karina Mickelson (OH 6-0) are tough, while Kamaile Moody (DS 5-7) is also a top-notch DS, and 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.

LCSC (3-3, 16-5) has also struggled in conference play at times this season. Like Tech, however, the Warriors are loaded with talent. 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).

Meanwhile, Northern is hoping to improve in several key areas in the second half of the season. The youthful Skylights are last in the Frontier in hitting percentage, kills and assists. Northern's attack has also produced just 62 aces this season, so the Skylights, of head coach Rose Obunaga, need to serve better as well.

"We need to be better in our serve-receive," Obunaga said before the bye week. "That's an area I think we need to improve on.

Defensively, MSU-N has been solid with its blocking at times this season. Jessica Curl and Jordan O'Connor are both in the Top 20 in the Frontier in total blocks, and Curl ranks 14th in blocks per set. In the back row, Hannah Amtmann has again been the anchor for the Skylights, as she ranks sixth in the league with 308 total digs.

Still, while MSU-N has show improvements on the defensive side of the net, the Skylights have yet to put a full match together. In fact, against fierce Frontier competition, Northern has yet to win a set in league play.

But Obunaga is hopeful that her team is turning the corner. Earlier this season, she said the Skylights are so young, that it was going to take time to gel and grow, both as a team and as individual players. Now, with six matches left in the season, she's hoping to see the Skylights take some of those strides.

Tonight's match between Northern and Tech starts at 7 in Butte. The Skylights play at LCSC Saturday at 2 p.m. Northern is finally back home next Wednesday when the Skylights host Providence in the Armory Gymnasium.