BOZEMAN — Montana State cross country runner Sam Ells and Bobcats volleyball player Nicolette Noble were honored as Big Sky Conference players of the week.
Ells received the league's men's cross country athlete of the week on Tuesday. Ells earned his second-straight race win to open the season with his victory at the Montana Invite at the University of Montana Golf Course on Friday night.
The fifth-year senior clocked a time of 24:16.1 on the hilly course to win the men's 8k by 4.8 seconds. He led the Bobcats to their second team title of the season, with Montana State tallying an impressive 19 points at the meet.
Noble earned the Big Sky volleyball defensive player of the week on Monday for the second straight week. Her defensive efforts helped Montana State to a pair of wins at the Mercer Invitational to conclude the non-conference season.
A libero, Noble logged a career-best 28 digs in Saturday's win over Georgia State, contributing to a tournament total 55, averaging 3.93 digs per set. Noble added six assists and a service ace for the Cats and finished with a .930 reception percentage.
