(EDITOR'S NOTE: MONTANA STATE PRESS RELEASE)
BOZEMAN—Four Montana State volleyball standouts garnered second-team All-Big Sky Conference accolades, the league office announced on Tuesday morning. Named to the all-conference squad are Hannah Scott, Emma Pence, Kira Thomsen, and Jordan Radick.
“I am really happy for Hannah, Emma, Kira and Jordan for their individual recognition,” said MSU head coach Daniel Jones. “It’s always a huge honor to be acknowledged by your peers.
“Having spoken to each of them, they are happy yet not satisfied,” Jones added. “The individual awards are a nice stepping-stone on the path to team achievement. They’re all focused on what’s ahead of them this week.”
Scott, a 5-10 senior outside hitter, went over the 1,000-kill mark with her fourth kill against Portland on Sept. 3. The Hawthorne, Calif, product became the 16th member of MSU's prestigious 1000-kill club. Her 1,236 career kills rank fifth on Montana State's all-time kills' chart.
On the season, she is averaging 3.02 kills per set. Scott's best performance came against #7 Washington on Sept. 16 with 17 kills, while hitting .400 (17-3-35) from the floor. In addition, Scott added nine digs, five blocks and an ace as the Bobcats almost pulled the upset over the Huskies. Scott was named to the Boise State All-Tournament team in August. She has been in double-figure kills in 16-of-25 matches. Scott is currently first on the squad with 330 points. During the spring season, Scott had a breakout campaign which culminated in being named to the All-Big Sky First-Team as she averaged 2.89 kills, while hitting .232 from the floor.
Pence, a 6-2 middle blocker, currently ranks first in the Big Sky in blocks per set (1.37 bps), which ranks 12th in the nation. Her 141 total blocks also tops the league and ranks second in the country. The Carson City, Nevada product has been in double-figure kills five times, matching a season-best 11 against Weber State on Sept. 30.
Pence has matched a season-high nine blocks on three occasions this season, coming against Montana, Idaho State and Boise State. As one of two players in the league that garnered #BigSkyVB Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week accolades during the spring, she earned #BigSkyVB Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 4. Last spring, she garnered first-team All-Big Sky Conference honors for her efforts.
Thomsen is in her third season with the Bobcats and has established herself as an offensive and defensive stalwart. On the season, she has been in double-figure kills on 18 occasions and has produced ten double-doubles. She matched a season-best 18 kills in MSU's 3-1 win over Sacramento State on Oct. 14. Thomsen currently ranks first on the team in digs with 263 (2.50 dps) and service aces (29). She is second on the squad with 307 kills (2.92 kps).
On Sept. 30 against Weber State, Thomsen notched a season-high 24 digs. Her 353 points is second on the team. Thomsen earned tournament MVP honors at the Boise State Invitational to open the season. Last spring, Thomsen earned All-Big Sky First-Team honors.
Radick, a true-freshman from Bozeman, leads the Bobcats with a .284 attack percentage, while averaging 1.76 kills and .98 blocks per set. Her .328 attack mark in Big Sky Conference play ranks sixth overall. Radick recorded a season-high 11 kills against Portland State and a season-high 12 blocks versus Arkansas. She has tallied seven matches hitting .400 or better and has 14 matches with four blocks or more. Radick's best offensive performance came at Southern Utah, where the 6-2 middle blocker registered eight kills, a .700 (8-1-10) attack mark and four blocks in a three-set match.
MSU opens play at the Big Sky Conference Tournament, Thursday, when it faces Northern Arizona at 4 p.m. in Ogden, Utah.
