2011 Seniors

#13 Lauren Curtis, #1 Rachelle Allen, #17 Alex Penewell, #7 Chelsea Oemcke

“Another turning point; A fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist; Directs you where to go. So make the best of this test and don't ask why. It's not a question but a lesson learned in time. It's something unpredictable but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life. So take the photographs and still frames in your mind. Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time. Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial. For what it's worth, it was worth all the while. It's something unpredictable but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life.”

–“Time of Your Life” By Green Day

            The reality that volleyball is over is still not something that has really hit us, we still are in the locker room shaking our booties and sharing stories and laughs with our teammates. That’s the beauty of a team sport, you are never alone and you will always be a part of your team. Our group this past season has been tremendous. We are known around the athletic department as the loudest and best singing team MSU has to offer. We embrace that and are proud of our legacy. Our last two weekends will hopefully be the start of change that this program needed. We played as a unit and finally as the team we knew we could be all a season. As seniors looking back it is not the record we were striving for, but the personal growth and team mindset that we are leaving behind is a gratifying one.

However disappointing this season was for our wins and losses, only this team could have stayed as positive and left us seniors with so many unforgettable memories and smiles to fall back on. The freshmen were terrified of us, but they quickly learned that our sarcasm was endearing and our tormenting was nothing more than character building. And anyone that has seen our travel bags and wondered if a person could fit inside, the answer is yes; if the person in question is 5’4” Shayne. Our dear sophomores, Kellee, Spud, Sarah, and Baker; you four rival us in your ability to be obnoxious, we know that next year the team atmosphere of signing and joking will not be lost because you all will fill the void seamlessly. Barney, Macy, and Jenn the juniors and the ones who kept us grounded and focused, most of the time. When a joke went too far Macy was never too shy to let us know that we crossed that oh so thin line. Barney with her dance moves and Jenn with her too rare jokes provided the catalyst we needed to make it out to the most dreaded of practices. As seniors we hope to be remembered as the unpredictable quartet of unique laughter, unfiltered sarcasm, motherly love and limitless zest that we brought to every road trip, Shroyer practice, and home match.   

We all came to Montana State in different ways, and we will all leave it with different memories, but being a part of this program will keep us united forever. Wherever the four of us end up we will always be able to look up north and remember the amazing people and volleyball program we have given a little piece of ourselves to.  

Love always and forever,

Xoxo,

Alex, Chelsea, Rachelle, and Lauren

GO CATTSSS!!!!

#12 Sarah Horton

This past week we had our last two matches of the season. We worked hard in practice and came out with two wins. The whole week we had a sense that we were gonna do it for our seniors. AND WE DID!

I know they were very grateful and the rest of us were told that it was the best gift they could have been given to finish out each of their careers.

Chelsea, Lauren, Rachelle, and Alex: you will be greatly missed and I hope next year we can become a great team that you all can be proud of.

AND REMEMBER: Once a bobcat, always a bobcat!

#6 Nicole Baker

The season has come to a conclusion, and what a tumultuous, heartbreaking, exciting, and hilarious one it has been. This past weekend marked the final two games of our season, and I’m happy to say that it ended on a positive note. We beat both Weber State and Idaho State, and sent our seniors off in style. Speaking of the seniors, in order to commemorate their time here, I wrote a speech about them that I presented for the locker room before the game Saturday, and I will reiterate it for the pleasure of a wider audience.

Nicole’s Senior Night Speech

I really just want to share a couple of humorous tales about these seniors who I’ve been lucky enough to play with in order to honor their time here.

First up, Chelsea Oemecke. You’re probably the only person I’ve met in my life who might possibly be weirder than I am. Thank you for all those times my locker got too messy and you set a trashcan down in the middle of it to “subtly” hint at me to clean it up.

Rachelle: your candy craving will always be legendary. My favorite instance of this is on our spring bus trip when a snickers bar fell out of your bag, rolled all the way too front of the bus, and comes to rest at coach’s feet.  She immediately picks it up, and without asking an questions, yells “RACHELLE!!”

Lauren, you took my poor little terrified freshman self under your wing when I first got here, and we were friends ever since. You’re probably the only 6’2’’ college athlete in the world with a pillow pet called Darnelle. People have frequently asked me on trips when they see you holding it, talking to it, and snuggling with it, “She knows she’s in college right?”

Last but not least, my roommate Alex. Thank you for putting up with my antics, teaching me things around the kitchen that a 12 year old usually knows how to do, and pointing out to me when I make toast and run out of the house while leaving it sitting in the toaster.

The four of you are some of the best people and volleyball players I’ve ever had the pleasure to stand next to on the court, and I hope you all never forget all the weird, awkward, crazy, hilarious, and amazing times we’ve had on this team together, because I know I never will.

End of Speech

Perhaps the record this season doesn’t reflect our expected potential, but I know that the wonderful memories I’ve garnered from my time with the girls this season easily surpass the bad ones.

#13 Lauren Curtis

This past week was a short, productive two days of practice before we were off to California on Wednesday.  It was an exciting, but bittersweet last travel trip, especially for me and the other three seniors.   We came out strong against Sac State in the first set, but then things fell by the wayside.  We packed up and drove 2.5 hours to Frenso that night determined to make a change against Bakersfield.  Tired from the match and a night of travel we were all very grateful to have a home cooked meal at Sarah Horton’s house in the morning!  Everything her Mom, Aunt, and Grandma made was delicious!  We were all very excited to meet Sarah’s cat, George.  She talks about this cat all the time, and had even asked her Mom to allow her to bring him up to school with her.  She calls George “my pie.”  She definitely loves this cat!  I’m usually a dog person, but George was a very cute, white, fluffy, 10 year old cat!  After leaving Sarah’s house Scooter lead us to Bakersfield in just under two hours, woohoo!  We came out our first night against Bakersfield a little sloppy and unready to defend against their strong outside attack.  However, our second chance at them the next night, even with some of our players out with the flu, we were able to come together for a 3-0 win!!

The four seniors are all in Scooter’s van.  We had lot of fun this year, and are sad that it all is finally coming to an end!  This weekend we had many laughs and good times.  Scooter dancing to LMFAO, singing Adele, Rachelle’s hair falling out, Scoot impersonating the dog in the truck next to us, and so much more…all the #benifitsofdrivingwithscooter!  It’s all the little moments that I have learned to treasure.  In high school, near the end of my senior season my coach gave us all something to remind us of that.  It’s a laminated yellow sheet of paper with this quote: “To my mind, the idea that doing dishes is unpleasant can occur only when you aren’t doing them. Once you are standing in front of the sink with your sleeves rolled up and your hands in the warm water, it is really quite pleasant. I enjoy taking my time with each dish, being fully aware of the dish, the water, and each movement of my hands. I know that if I hurry in order to eat dessert sooner, the time of washing dishes will be unpleasant and not worth living. That would be a pity, for each minute, each second of life is a miracle. The dishes themselves and that fact that I am here washing them are miracles!” -Thich Nhat Hanh.  I have kept this quote near and dear to my heart ever since.

I am very excited for a great final week of practices before we finish our season with two home matches!  I am happy that my family will be here this weekend to help me celebrate this chapter of my life coming to a close.  Come out and see our final matches against Weber State and Idaho State Friday and Saturday nights!  It has been an amazing ride and I am very happy to have shared it with all of you!  Thank you!  Go CATS!

#4 Shayne Kybartas

Hello fellow Bobcat fans!

This past week was definitely one of the best practice weeks  for  Bobcat volleyball. We worked hard every minute of each and every 3 hour practice in preparation for our match against the Grizz on Friday. Teammates were aggressively going for every ball, there was great communication between all the players, and each drill was not only finished, but fulfilled in record time. We departed campus Friday morning pumped up for our match against Montana.

The match started off a little shaky for us, losing 18-25 against the Grizz, but we came back the 2^nd game winning 25-16. We won again the 3^rd game cutting it a little close at 25-22, but unfortunately couldn’t keep the streak going for the 4^th and 5^th game. This match was an extremely heart-wrenching loss not only because the Grizz is our biggest rival, but also because we know we are capable of so much more. Even though the result might not have been in our favor, Bobcat volleyball has learned so much from intense matches like this one and it is only making us stronger. We are growing as a team and learning to work with each other to get through the difficult points throughout this season.

I look at this weekend positively in that now we will know what we need to do in order to change for our  matches upcoming this weekend. The season is almost over and Bobcat volleyball is ready to prove that we really are a team with heart and pride. We will travel to California this weekend and play Sacramento State on Thursday, Bakersfield on Friday, and Bakersfield again on Saturday. Tune in to watch us play, you won’t be disappointed. GO BOBCATS!!!

#10 Jennifer Lundquist

After a good week of practice we were feeling good coming into this weekend against Portland State and Eastern Washington. On Friday, we faced off against the PSU Vikings. We played hard but we could not find a groove and couldn't seem to play as a cohesive unit. After a little inspirational speech from Derek (our previous academic advisor) we felt ready to have fun against Eastern Washington.

Flying to Cheney, everyone was in good spirits and had a yearning to win. That night, against Eastern Washington, we found our groove in the first set beating the Eagles. Unfortunately, as quickly as we found our groove, we lost it in the following sets. We rallied hard in the last set but couldn't pull out a victory. Overall, it was a tough weekend but we're not done fighting yet. We are prepared to work hard in practice and have fun this week preparing for the Griz match this weekend.

We are hoping to learn how to bring all of our skills together so that we can function best as a team. BTG!

#7 Chelsea Oemcke

We came off a good win from Seattle last Sunday and were hoping to carry that momentum into this weekend. We started off playing Northern Colorado, the top ranked team in the conference, on Friday night. We came out strong and confident from the start, which led to a win in the first set. Although we out hit them in the third set, we ended up falling short in the end to a good team.

Saturday night we came out with the same high energy as we did on Friday, which again gave us a win in the first set. Unfortunately, we did not adjust to their hitters quick enough for it to make a difference in the end. Even though the outcome of this weekend was not what we wanted, we proved that we increased our energy level and “scrappiness” than we have previously shown.

This week we will need to work on closing and eliminating our errors in the last five points of the match. This is the most critical time and we tend to freeze up our skills we had performed earlier throughout the match.  In practice, we will need to work on our whole defensive line, starting with the block and continuing to the back row. As well as remaining to be aggressive in every move we make. This will prepare us well for the upcoming matches on the road against Portland State and Eastern Washington.  LET’S GO CATS!!

#11 Ursula Kunhardt

Hello Cats fans! 

This past weekend we played Sac State and Seattle University.  To prepare for our match against Sacramento State on Saturday night we went to support our AMAZING football team as they took on Northern Arizona and walked away with yet another win. Unfortunately, we couldn't pull off a win that same night on the volleyball court. We fought hard against the Hornets, but their exceptional defense caught us at the wrong moments. After a rough loss, we all went home and got a good nights rest, visualized and brought our "A" game on Sunday against Seattle University, taking them down in just three sets! It was a great way to close out the first half of our season.

Now that the second half of our league begins next weekend, we are going to come out stronger than ever before. We have a fire in our hearts and we all know what it takes to be the best team in our conference. Coming up this weekend we take on Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado, for the second time this season. Come cheer us on as we put two more "W"'s on our record! LET'S GO CATS!!!!

"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." -Muhammad Ali

This is Bobcat Volleyball!!!!

Big Sky Confernece Highlights #1 Rachelle Allen

This week, the Big Sky Conference chose to highlight Montana State's own Rachelle Allen in an interview.  We are so proud of this recognition and all that our senior captain does for our team.  Below is the transcript of the interview.  If you would like to see the the actual page CLICK HERE.

Montana State senior Rachelle Allen, from Longmont, Colo., took the time out of her busy schedule of school and volleyball to answer a few questions with the Big Sky Conference. Allen talked about how she got started playing volleyball, her favorite places to eat in Bozeman and what she plans on doing after volleyball and school.

Allen was named to the Big Sky Conference Honorable Mention in 2010 and named to the 2010 All-Academic team. She sat out the 2008 season due to a shoulder injury.

So far this season, Allen has 151 kills with a .164 hitting percentage, 160 digs, 12 serving aces and 25 blocks. Allen helped the Bobcats to a couple of five-set road wins against Idaho State and Weber State. She had a double-double against ISU with a 10 kills and 13 digs, and had 21 kills with a .405 hitting percentage against Weber State.

Allen and the Bobcats have a 2-15 overall record and a 2-5 conference record. They will compete at home on Saturday against Sacramento State. The match begins at 7 p.m. MST and can be watched for free on Big Sky TV.

 

Q: How did you get started playing volleyball?

A: I played soccer my entire life and was looking to try something new and volleyball automatically caught my attention.

 

Q: When being recruited, what made you choose Montana State?

A: Bozeman is a community that is unlike anything I have ever been a part of. The support for the athletes, the amazing atmosphere we play in, is a great feeling. We are spoiled playing with the support of some of the best fans.

 

Q: What have been some of your favorite memories at Montana State?

A: My favorite memories have been playing in front of a packed house every home match, as well as, meeting some of the best friends I will keep for a lifetime.

 

Q: You missed the 2008 season with a shoulder injury. What did you do? And how was it coming back from an injury?

A: I was fortunate enough to still travel through that season and help support my team. It was a difficult task coming back from a surgery that kept me out for so long. Coming back and taking my first swing was a mental hurdle, but my shoulder is a lot better now.

 

Q: How much have your coaches and teammates helped you?

A: They have helped me tremendously inside and outside of volleyball. They are great and I am very thankful for having them in my life.

 

Q: What are your personal goals for this season?

A: To be the best leader and teammate I can be for this team.

 

Q: What are your team goals for this season?

A: To keep fighting throughout the entire season and playing to our best potential.

 

Q: You were named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team in 2010. How important is school to you?

A: School has always been extremely important to me. My education is a very important aspect of my future. I want to do well on my academics to give me plenty of options when the graduation time comes.

 

Q: Tell us something we wouldn’t know about you?

A: My brothers are my favorite people in the entire world.

 

Q: It is your senior season, what are your plans after volleyball and school?

A: I plan on getting my masters in Sports Management or Communications Entertainment. I may apply for a couple Grad Assistant positions to stay involved in volleyball.

 

Q: Who is the best dancer on the team and why?

A: Dancing may just be one of our team's favorite activities. Everyone is great at it and has a blast, but I would have to say Nicole Baker really has her goofy moves that take the cake.

 

Q: Where is your favorite place to eat in Bozeman?

A: The local places are where it’s at in Bozeman. I love La Parilla, a Mexican restaurant similar to my favorite Chipotle.

 

Q: What if your favorite road trip in the Big Sky and why?

A: My favorite trip is by far to Northern Colorado. It is an amazing trip getting to see my family and friends supporting us at the match. We also have a team dinner at my house every year; it is always nice getting to go home during the season.

 

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go and why?

A: I want to travel to Bali and Indonesia. It may sound random, but I have always wanted to travel to a place where the culture teaches us how to enjoy and cherish the life we have. It also helps that it is very warm and beautiful there which are two of my main travel requirements.

#9 Kellee Kackman

Came back with a vengeance this weekend! What a great weekend on the road. Not only did we win against Idaho State but against Weber too! That is the first time in Bobcat history that we have swept this weekend against those two teams. Also, it’s the first sweep of a weekend for the Bobcats since 2001! The team’s spirits are very high after this weekend and ready to do it again this weekend in Shroyer!

Some highlights of this weekend were, during our down time this weekend we got to relax and swim a bit before the hard work on the court. Our libero Baker led us all in a water aerobics, dance class at the hotel pool that got our spirits up I’m sure. After the games, it was refreshing to be the team in the locker screaming and cheering after a victory.

We are so lucky to have great supporting fans on the road too! At Weber I believe we had more fans than the home team did. The fight song after the game made it that much better! Thank you to all the fans that supported us this weekend!

This week it’s back to the books and back in the gym to prepare for Sacramento State (Saturday at 7pm) and Seattle (Sunday at 1pm) that comes this weekend! Lets keep this win streak going!!

GO CATS!!

Click here for Press Release on Idaho State Match
Click here for Press Release on Weber State Match

#3 Macy Page

There has been so much excitement this past week! Not only was it Homecoming, but we played the Griz in a "Shake Shroyer" match and got to enjoy time with some very fantastic recruits :)  Our match vs. the Griz didn't go so well..we lost in three, but we will be coming back with a vengeance this weekend at Idaho State and Weber State so be sure to watch online!

Saturday we had a wonderful breakfast together at our teammate Lauren Curtis' home. After that we made sure to show our recruits what MSU pride was all about at the football game. They were impresed by the new addition to the stadium and by all the screaming fans that filled it. It was a great time! But now we are excited to get back in the gym and fight for a win this weekend!

GO CATS!

#17 Alex Penewell

"Proper preparation prevents poor performance." -Charlie Batch

This is my mantra.

This past weekend was our home opener and we could not have been more excited. A vast majority of us had parents and friends coming to watch and that always helps to hype our energy level. We had been traveling for the last four weekends and were all looking forward to the reprieve of being in Bozeman for longer than four consecutive days. This was also our first full week of classes and for some of us that proved to be a challenge in and of itself. I am still trying to find my rhythm within my class schedule. Being a Literature major, I am constantly being taken to far and distant lands in the novels and other texts I am assigned. So this weekend was especially important to me because both of my parents would be coming to Bozeman! Their trips up to visit are always special to me because there is no better way to seek comfort amidst chaos  than from your very own mom and dad.

Every practice, every rep, every minute in the gym is preparing us for stepping out on the court Friday and Saturday night. One of our obstacles thus far has been performance. Being able to perform when the set is on the line and everyones best is not only needed but imperative to the win. The win is something that has been alluding us all preseason and unfortunately that has digressed into our four conference matches so far. We are still striving for the proper preparation that will prevent us from poorly performing.

For me this past weekend has included a lot of firsts. My contributions to the team have evolved, I was able to explore the wonders of the Museum of the Rockies, and I shared in the beauty of Hyalite Canyon with my parents. It was not the weekend I had planned for but I was prepared. Unfortunately slipping into nearly freezing water at Palisade Falls was just poor performance. 

Looking forward to a great week of preparation!! We have a VERY exciting match Friday night against the Griz!! Please come out and help us SHAKE SHROYER!!!! GOOOOO CATTTTSSSS!!!

#5 Kasey Schlatter

We just arrived back home to Bozeman from our very long road trip to Northern Arizona University and University of Northern Colorado. I’m glad to get this trip out of the way because it is one of the hardest traveling schedules. Unfortunately, the weekend did not turn out the way we had hoped.

We had a fairly relaxed week of practice working mostly on individual skills to help get good touches and reps on the ball. Going into the weekend I was feeling confident that our team could pull out a win. We have been working a lot on defense in hopes that it was the missing piece to the puzzle and all would fall together.

In our first match against NAU, our defense and serve receive was outstanding! Unfortunately we didn’t have the rest of the game to help back up all our passing. What we haven’t figured out quite yet is how to push through and finish a game. Against UNC we struggled a bit. We weren’t clicking as a team. From the start of pre-season to now, we’ve learned how to fight back after a decent point spread, push to get ahead, and now we have to figure out how to finish out a match. That is what we are focusing on in practice this week: putting ourselves in game like situations and forcing ourselves to focus and keep making the next play better than the previous one.

We have had a rough month of straight traveling and we are FINALLY HOME THIS WEEKEND! We will play Eastern Washington on Friday and Portland State on Saturday. We will have a great week of practice and be ready to get a WIN at HOME!

We’d love to see you there! GO CATS!!! :)

#2 Megan Spofford

 Hello Everyone!

This week has flashed before my eyes to be quite honest. We have been traveling a lot for our pre-season games. We got back from Chicago on Monday around four in the afternoon, and then practiced Tuesday and Wednesday. Then we left Thursday morning. I am finding myself missing Bozeman, and school. Luckily my professors are very understanding and assisting me as much as possible. It makes things a lot easier to keep up. The little time we have spent in Bozeman the weather has been wonderful, I do hope it stays for a while!

This week I feel like the team has been faced with a challenge. We have been fighting the mental side of the game. At points it did show on the court, with Jenn injured (but now feeling better) we went to Kansas City with Kasey Schlatter setting for her second tournament. She really stepped into one of the hardest positions on the court, and contributed greatly to our team especially for a freshman. But it was that mental game that every single one of us struggled with. By the end of the tournament we, as a team, came together but it was too late though. We left Kansas City 0-3. Kansas City was a amazing town we didn’t have that much time to spend around town, but the little driving around we did made it good enough to see the town. We did however have enough time to get our homework done while we were there.

I feel as a team we gained a lot of perspective in how hard each individual needs to work to push for the win, and how we need to as a team hold each other responsible for our actions. This week the team has come back to Bozeman with a fire of becoming better. This coming weekend we are getting ready to start conference; we are off to Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona. Everyone is determined to start our playing of on the right note. Hope to see everyone at one of our games.  Our match vs. NAU on Thursday will be televised so check your local listings.  

Wish us luck!

#8 Taylar Barney

This past week we went to Chicago to play UIC, Loyola and DePaul.  We lost all three matches, but got better with each match that we played. In our down time, we went on a boat to see downtown Chicago. It was really fun and we had a tour guide named mike with the mic. He was really funny and it was really fun getting out of the gym to see a city that most of us have never seen before.  I thought our team stepped up this weekend and is heading in the right direction on the court.  It is a little different playing in humidity because the floor was pretty much wet. Coach Schaub and Coach Jen were able to see their family. We are all excited to go to Missouri this next weekend to get that W!!!!!!!!!! We play at UMKC against Belmont, University of Tennessee Martin and University of Missouri Kansas City.  Go BOBCATS.

Rachelle Allen #1

August 29, 2011

The team just arrived back from our first tournament in Statesboro, Georgia where the humidity and heat was at its finest. We had a great time on our first trip playing some very talented teams. We had four matches this weekend that turned to all out battles and were very similar to what we are going to see this season in the Big Sky Conference. We played a tough first match against Jacksonville. They won the first two sets and we came back to win the next two, but unfortunately, lost the final set. The team fought hard and learned a lot on how much we can control a match with what we do on our side of the net.

The following matches were very similar battles against South Dakota State, Stephen F. Austin and Georgia Southern. Despite the win/loss stat we did learn a lot as a team and are ready to get back into the gym to fix the things that hurt us this past weekend. I am very proud of the team for sticking together through the very long weekend and the positiveness going into this week of practice.

We also got to enjoy some sight-seeing in Savannah, Georgia. We walked along the river walk getting to see the beautiful river and bridge that crosses it. There were many boats and lively people enjoying the summertime and extremely hot weather. There is also a lot of deep rooted American history there.  One of the teams favorite places was the honey shop we went to. They had many different kinds of homemade honey and honeycomb. It was delicious.

We are off to Chicago this weekend and very excited and driven to get some wins!

Rachelle Allen #1