Skylights looking to start fresh at Frontier tournament

The regular season is over, and every volleyball team in the Frontier Conference gets a fresh start this weekend in Butte. That includes the Montana State University-Northern Skylights.

After finishing fourth in the Frontier's regular season, the Skylights get set to play their first-round match in the annual Frontier Conference Tournament, which runs Thursday and Friday in Butte.

In the opening round of the tourney the Skylights will face arch rival Providence Friday at 11 a.m. MSU-N split with the Argos during the regular season, with the Skylights winning in Havre back in September, but falling to UP last month in Great Falls.

Northern, led by hitters Jessa Chvilicek, Alana Graves and Alyssa Pretty Weasel, as well as setter Emily Feller and defensive specialist Katie Murdock, among others, have played really well for much of the season, but the Skylights lost their last three matches to end the regular season.

Still, MSU-N, led by longtime head coach Jerry Wagner, has the confidence to beat anybody in the tourney, and again, the postseason is a chance to start fresh.

The winner of Friday morning's match will then meet top seeded Montana Tech in a 5 p.m. semifinal Friday night. In the other quarterfinal Friday, third-seeded Carroll College battles sixth-seeded Montana Western, with the winner taking on No. 2 Rocky Mountain College in the other semifinal Friday night at 7 p.m. The championship match is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, with the winner advancing to the NAIA national tournament.

Friday's match between the Skylights and Argos will start at 11 a.m. in Butte.

Frontier Conference Tournament

Friday, Nov. 11

11 a.m. Quarterfinals

No. 4 MSU-Northern (3-7, 11-12) vs  No. 5 University of Providence (2-8, 9-19)

1 p.m. Quarterfinals

No. 3 Carroll College (6-4, 14-11) vs No. 6 Montana Western (2-8, 10-16)

5 p.m. Semifinals

No. 1 Montana Tech  (9-1, 21-7) vs Lowest Remaining Seed

7 p.m. Semifinals

No. 2 Rocky Mountain College (8-2, 18-14) vs Highest Remaining Seed

Saturday, Nov. 13,

Championship, 2 p.m.