Skylights aim for a happy homecoming

The road has been a long one for the Montana State University-Northern volleyball team. Finally though, and on MSU-N's homecoming week, the Skylights are home.

Tonight in the Armory Gymnasium, Northern (0-2, 6-9) makes its Frontier Conference home debut when the Skylights battle nationally ranked arch rival, the University of Providence. The match tips at 7 and is Northern's first home match since an Aug. 15 win over Medicine Hate College.

"We're looking forward to it," Northern head coach Jerry Wagner said of tonight's match. "It's been tough to be on the road as long as we have so it's going to be exciting. We're going to enjoy this. I think we need it. It's going to be really nice to finally play at home."

Wagner and the Skylights will indeed be excited for tonight's homecoming showdown, but, it won't come without a big challenge.

The Argos (1-1, 12-2) come to Havre ranked 16th in the NAIA Coaches Poll, and with a mere two losses through the first full month of the 2019 season. Providence, under longtime head coach Arunas Duda, don't just bring an impressive record to Havre either, they bring an impressive team.

Kelsey Shaver leads the Frontier in kills thus far with 180, and averages four kills per set. As a team, UP is .170, which is only fifth in the Frontier, but, the firepower the Argos possess suggest they are very dangerous offensively.

Ember Schwindt and Tyna William are two more top hitters for the Argos, while Cydney Finberg-Roberts and Renae Davis are both dynamic setters. On defense, UP has 91 blocks this season, while Averi Dyer is a top back row defender, who leads the team in digs.

So, there's no doubt that the Argos are going to be a big hurdle for the Skylights tonight.

"This league is tough and we know that," Wagner said. "It has really good teams, and good coaches, and Providence is the next really tough team we play."

However, Northern is a good team too, and the Skylights will do everything they can to make Providence play at a high level and earn it in the Armory tonight.

"Absolutely, that's a goal," Wagner said. "We want to play our best, and that makes them have to respect us and come in here and earn it against us."

The Skylights will be hungry after back-to-back road losses last weekend to open Frontier play, and with top hitters Rylee Burmester (127 kills) and Elissa Lind (124 kills) leading the way, Northern is looking to get its attack started early against the Argos. Setters Hailey Warren and Shania Neubauer will also be doing their part, but, a big key for Northern will be its serve game.

The Skylights are among the league leaders in aces thus far, Bumester, Abi Ellison, Lind and Neubauer all in double figures so far this season.

Northern will also have to be strong defensively. Freshman libero Katie Murdock will be big in the back row for the Skylights, but they also need to get their hands on balls at the net, and that job falls to veterans Katia Michelotti and Tammy Maddock tonight.

If the Skylights can play good defense, and be efficient serving and hitting the ball, then they'll certainly give the Argos plenty of fits, especially with an amped-up Northern crowd behind them.

And while tonight's match will be a big one for Northern, it will be a short-lived homecoming.

This weekend, the Skylights head right back out on the road, traveling to Helena Saturday to take on Carroll College (1-1, 6-6). The Fighting Saints are off to somewhat of a slow start this season, but they'll still be a tough Frontier opponent, as always, especially on their home floor.

Carroll has a host of veterans to lean on this season, including Ayla Carpenter, top hitter Lexi Mikkelsen and former NAIA All-American basketball player Hannah Dean. After finishing her basketball eligibility, Dean is putting her talents to good use by playing this fall with the Carroll volleyball team, and she's having an immediate impact.

Carroll will be a tough road opponent, just as Providence will be at home tonight. But whatever happens, Wagner said his team's goals haven't changed and won't continue to change.

"It's a process," Wagner said. "We're still growing as a team. Our chemistry is great, our team spirit is really high, and now we just need to continue to grow on the court, continue to put ourselves in positions to win one set, and go from there. That's the approach. I really like this team, I really believe in this group. They're doing great."

The match between the Skylights and Saints will start at 2 p.m. Saturday in Helena.

Tonight's match between Northern and Providence will begin at 7 inside the Armory, and it kicks off a big homecoming week at MSU-N.