Volleyball atop Frontier after win over Great Falls
When the Carroll College volleyball team packs its bags for the final road trip of the regular season later this week, amidst the shorts and iPods it will also take with it a large load of confidence and momentum.
With senior Christina Smetana and junior Sammy Priddy dominating the net, the Saints took sole possession of the Frontier Conference lead with a 26-24, 25-18, 25-21 victory over the University of Great Falls on Saturday afternoon at the Carroll P.E. Center. Story
Volleyball: Carroll seniors turn out Lights
The Carroll College volleyball team was having so much fun during Senior Night that it decided to play a little longer.
After blowing out MSU-Northern in the first two games of their match Thursday night, the Saints (23-7 overall, 9-2 Frontier Conference) slipped in the third and had to play catchup to finally put away the Skylights 25-18, 25-15, 30-32, 25-20 in the Carroll P.E. Center. Story
Senior Night comes early for Saints spikers
Four seniors on the Carroll College volleyball team will get their moment in the spotlight tonight when the Saints host MSU-Northern for Senior Night in the Carroll P.E. Center.
Though usually taking place as the final home match of the regular season, the Saints (22-7 overall, 8-2 Frontier Conference) will celebrate it a few days early, when more of their peers will be available. Story
Volleyball back in first after beating Rocky Mountain
The Carroll College volleyball team was back on track Friday as it downed the University of Montana Western on the road 25-20, 25-18, 25-21.
The No. 23 Saints (22-7 overall, 8-2 Frontier Conference), who struggled after dropping their first two games against Montana Tech on Thursday before rallying for a five-game win, had little trouble with Western (4-13, 0-10), the worst team in the conference. Story
Smetana reaches 1,000th career kill
Christina Smetana didn't even realize she had accomplished the feat until days after.
As the Saints volleyball team gathered for practice on Tuesday, head coach Moe Boyle and assistants gathered the young women together to let them know the news.
Smetana, a senior middle hitter, had surpassed the 1,000 kill mark during the Hannibal-LaGrange Tournament in Columbia, Mo. Story
Tocci, Carroll spikers rally to beat Montana Tech
BUTTE - The Carroll College volleyball team couldn't have cut it much closer on Thursday night.
The No. 19 Saints dropped the first two games of their road match with Montana Tech before pulling out the victory 22-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 15-10.
"We started slow. I don't think we got off the bus ready to go," said Carroll assistant coach Cal Boyle. "In the beginning they were winning, they were playing and we were reacting." Story
Volleyball falls to Rocky in five games
The Carroll College volleyball team is no longer looking down on the rest of the Frontier Conference.
The No. 19 Saints slipped a little on Saturday, giving up their conference lead with a 21-25, 18-25, 25-12, 25-19, 17-15 loss to Rocky Mountain College in Billings.
"It's two good teams really going to battle," said Saints head coach Moe Boyle. "We came out at home and they came out on top at their place tonight." Story
Priddy, Smetana lead Volleyball to two wins
HANIBAL, Mo. - The Carroll College volleyball team got strong efforts from Sammy Priddy and Christina Smetana en route to a pair of victories at the Hannibal-La Grange Tournament on Saturday.
The Saints (20-6) defeated hot Hannibal-LaGrange 25-22, 25-17, 25-18 and Stephens College 25-14, 25-7, 25-15 on Saturday. Story
Saints spikers face tough test in Columbia
The Carroll College volleyball team will put its recently acquired top 25 ranking to the test as it faces No. 4 Columbia College (Mo.) today in its first match of the Hannnibal-LaGrange Tournament. The match will mark the first for the No. 19 Saints (15-5 overall, 6-1 Frontier Conference), who will play four matches in two days, beginning with the host Cougars (15-1, 7-0 America Midwest Conference).
The Saints defeated reigning Frontier champ Lewis-Clark State on Saturday to take the outright conference lead and swing them into the first top 25 ranking of head coach Moe Boyle's five-year tenure. Columbia, meanwhile, brings with it size and another new look. Story
Saints teams lead at midway mark
Two Carroll College squads are sitting pretty after reaching the midway point of their conference seasons. On Saturday, the second-ranked Saints football team and 19th-ranked volleyball squad both set themselves apart from the rest of the competition with wins over teams that were previously tied for the Frontier Conference lead.
The football team (6-0 overall, 5-0 conference) defeated Eastern Oregon University 37-17 while the volleyball team (15-5 overall, 6-1 conference) beat defending Frontier champ Lewis-Clark State in four sets.
Both Carroll teams now prepare to face all the same conference squads again when they head into the second half of the season. Story
Saints volleyball teams stands atop Frontier Conference after beating Lewis-Clark State
By TRENT MAKELA Independent Record
The Carroll College volleyball team adjusted to life without their usual conference height advantage just fine Saturday night, knocking off 11th-ranked Lewis-Clark State College in four tight sets at the Carroll P.E. Center to take sole possession of the Frontier Conference's best record.
The Saints (15-5, 6-1 Frontier) were able to find a slim advantage to close out three of the match's four tight sets with runs, winning 25-20, 17-25, 25-21, 25-21.
More often than not Saturday, that advantage was junior outside hitter Sammy Priddy.
"We've been pretty psyched about this match for about three weeks now," said Priddy, who finished with a team-high 17 kills on 40 attempts. "We knew it was going to be a big game and then we were playing for first, so that bumped the energy up a lot." STORY
Carroll Netters "Think Pink"
By JEFF WINDMUELLER
Independent Record
The Carroll College volleyball team will be playing for more than just homecourt pride when it hosts Westminster College Thursday at 7 p.m. The Saints (13-5, 4-1 Frontier Conference) will be participating in the "Think Pink" program, taking to the court at the Carroll P.E. Center in specially designed pink jerseys. The evening is a way to financially and emotionally support breast cancer victims as a part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. "I think it's a special night, and I think with as much cancer as there is in the world, everybody's been touched somehow," Saints head coach Moe Boyle said. Boyle knows first-hand the effects cancer can have. She was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma just after graduating college and went through 10 weeks of radiation therapy in 1993. She spent each day going through the treatments in Great Falls and teaching class at Capital High during the day. "It was nice to have been young, because it was kind of a phase to go through," she said. "You just go through it, and I think it's harder on the people around you. "They don't have that experience to know what to say or do." Boyle said she'll likely talk a little bit about her experience with her student-athletes during practice this week. "For us to be able to give back a little bit and helping whatever way we can, I think it makes it extra special," she said. While part of a nationwide movement, the Saints won't forget they are facing a tough opponent. Westminster is tied for third in the Frontier with a 3-2 conference record, 6-11 overall. The second-place Saints follow up with a match against reigning Frontier champs Lewis-Clark State on Saturday. The Warriors are 5-0, 12-4 overall and remain in the conference lead. "Westminster and LC haven't seen us play, and we haven't seen them play, so this is going to be a big, big week for us," Boyle said. Boyle said both teams run their offenses through the outside hitters, which is common among Frontier teams. Other than that, Carroll doesn't know much about its next two opponents. What the Saints can likely count on are big games from outside hitter Ericka Evans, who lead Westminster with 3.1 kills per game. LCSC, meanwhile, brings 2008 All-American Anile Clemente back. She's averaging 2.8 kills per game. Coming off a road loss to the University of Great Falls last weekend, the Saints are looking to rebound and prove they belong atop the standings. "We have four seniors on the team and they have goals this year that we want to win the Frontier Conference tournament to get to the national tournament,"Boyle said. "This is probably one of the biggest steps so far. "One of those seniors, Capital High graduate Christina Smetana, leads the Frontier in kills (3.5) and blocks (1.2) per game. Caitlin Tocci leads in aces (0.4 per game) and is a setter along with Katie St. John. Maureen Frauenholtz and Sammy Priddy lead the defense with 3.8 and 3.2 digs per game, respectively.
Saints tickled pink, beat Griffins
By TRENT MAKELA Independent Record
The Carroll College volleyball team moved into a tie with Lewis-Clark State for first place in the Frontier Conference standings with an intimidating four-set win over Westminster College at the P.E. Center Thursday night.
As intimidating as a win can be, that is, in pinker-than-Barbie's lipstick jerseys.
The Saints (5-1 conference, 14-5 overall) donned their new duds in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and dropped the visiting Griffins 25-17, 24-16, 25-9, 25-8.
LCSC, formerly undefeated in conference, fell in three sets at Rocky Mountain Thursday night. Carroll will host the Warriors on Saturday to break the tie for the top spot. STORY
