MISSOULA — Expectations entering the season for the Montana Grizzlies volleyball program were high. The team was picked tied for third in the Big Sky Conference preseason poll.
It comes after a season in which UM won 17 games, the second time that has happened since 2022, and as Montana returned 13 players from last year's squad with chemistry already strong.
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"I think having so many girls coming back, it just feels like it's easier to have the newer girls come into our system," senior outside hitter Olivia Liermann said. "It's easier for them to be incorporated with so many returners and it's just been super easy with them. They're just mixing in perfectly and they're challenging all of us, whether they're younger or older."
Along with preseason excitement, UM saw junior outside hitter Delaney Russell and senior setter Gracie Cagle be recognized on the preseason all-conference squad.
For them, the accolades were nice, but proving it is the name of the game.
"I think it's really sweet to get a lot of recognition for all the work that we've put in over the last years and I think that's kind of it at that point," Russell said. "It's definitely a motivator, but that's pretty much it and something that we can definitely strive to just keep working day by day, but that's kind of all it is."
Five games into the season, the Griz are 3-2 in non-conference, with sweeps over Central Michigan and Seattle and a five-set thriller over Cal Baptist, while UM has dropped four-set contests to Oregon State and Washington State of the new-look Pac-12.
So that start has shown the Grizzlies have picked up where they left off after a strong 2025.
"We've just been put in so many different scenarios and had to kind of work our way out of a lot of different problems," UM coach Allison Lawrence said. "And so it's been great for our roster. I just think we've learned a lot about ourselves. We've been tested in a lot of different ways. That's going to continue for the next two weekends, but I think we've gotten the most out of these last two weekends and seen some really good things. I'm excited."
They've been road warriors to begin the season with Montana traveling the first four weekends for tournaments, before their home-opener against Montana State on Sept. 22.
This week it's a trip to Michigan, followed by a journey to Spokane next week, as they aim to keep the momentum rolling.
"I think everyone has led from their position and we have so much depth on our team," junior middle blocker Josie Blazina said. "And I feel like in those games that we've kind of dominated, everyone has been able to come in and do their part immediately, like straight off the bat. And I have full faith in everyone next to me and it's been very fun to just like get so comfortable playing with anyone on the team next to me."
