GREAT FALLS — Over this last weekend, the University of Providence Argos volleyball team had the best start to their season that they could, beating two Top 10 teams in the NAIA. The first one they beat was No. 8 Grandview, sweeping them in three sets while following it up with an exciting win over No. 6 Eastern Oregon in five sets.
“It was just a great feeling and it just feels good to be like okay we’re starting the season so strong and we just came out of there more confident than we were,” senior libero Sacha Legros said.
After starting the year with the best preseason ranking in school history, the Argos made even bigger history with the new polls placing them at No. 10 in the country, the highest ranking the Argos have ever received.
“You know when the polls opened this morning, I kept checking every half hour just to see when they’d come out because we probably knew we’d be taking a step up and just really pleased with where we’re at,” head coach Arunas Duda mentioned. “Top 10 in the country, that’s not something everyone can say so I know it’s early in the season but it’s a big accomplishment for us, a milestone for us and we couldn’t be happier about it.”
All-American redshirt junior Cydney Finberg-Roberts and reigning Frontier Conference Freshman of the Year Sadie Lott took Frontier Conference Players of the Week after a dominant weekend, but the true success was how well the old mixed with the new on the court.
Players like sophomores Zoe Naugle and Jenna Thorne each played a crucial role in Butte that complimented the likes of Legros, Lott and Finberg-Roberts.
“Yeah I just think it’s really exciting early to see how well we gel and mesh with each other,” Finberg-Roberts said. "You know this last weekend we didn’t what was expected and just to see everyone step up both upperclassmen and lower classmen and for all of us to play so well, it’s really exciting.”
The Argos tough schedule continues in two weeks in Omaha, Nebraska where they play No. 7 Concordia (Nebraska).
