Skylights look to perform well in Frontier Conference this fall

First it will be camps, then training camp, then, the season. Yes, the Montana State University-Northern volleyball season is now just a month away.

The Skylights, under longtime head coach Jerry Wagner, will open 2023 with the annual Alumni Game Aug. 4 at the Armory Gymnasium, and, their entire schedule for the fall is taking shape.

Northern will play a pair of tournaments in Montana, starting with the Big Sky Challenge, which pits the Frontier Conference and the Cascade Conference together. MSU-N is set to play Evergreen State, College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon Aug. 17-19 in Butte to open the 2024 season. Those teams will all be top powers in the west this season.

The second week of the season sees the Skylights travel to Arizona for matches against Park-Gilbert, Ottawa, LC State and Arizona Christian Aug. 25-26. Several of those teams are also expected to be top NAIA teams this season.

The non-conference continues with the Frontier-North Star Challenge, which will be played in Valley City, North Dakota, Sept. 8-9, before Northern goes to Dillon for the third-annual Frontier Conference Preseason Tournament Sept. 15-16. MSU-N will battle Carroll College, Montana Tech, Providence and Rocky Mountain College to wrap-up the preseason.

The Skylights, who went 11-13 a year ago, open conference play Sept. 22 at home against Montana Western. The Frontier slate is again just a 10-game schedule with matches Wednesday’s as well. Northern’s home schedule includes UP Sept. 27, Carroll Oct. 4, Montana Tech Oct. 26 and Rocky Nov. 4.

The annual Frontier Tournament will be held Nov. 10-11 in Great Falls.

Northern’s season kicks off with the Alumni Match Aug. 4 in Havre.