Women's Volleyball August 14, 2025 Claire Gay

Montana Western Volleyball Opens 2025 Season at Palm Beach Juniors Classic

Dillon, Mont. – UMW Volleyball begins its 2025 campaign at the Palm Beach Juniors Classic, hosted by Keiser, Friday and Saturday (Aug. 15-16). The Bulldogs' four-game slate includes matches against IU East, Taylor, Saint Francis (Ind.), and Keiser

SCHEDULE
Friday, Aug. 15
Match 1 vs. IU East – 6 am MT/ 8 am ET | Watch Live | Live Stats
Match 2 vs. Taylor – 10 am MT/ 12 pm ET | Watch Live | Live Stats

Saturday, Aug. 16
Match 3 vs. Saint Francis – 12 pm MT/ 2 pm ET | Watch Live | Live Stats
Match 4 at Keiser – 2 pm MT/ 4 pm ET | Watch Live | Live Stats

BULLDOG BEAT
UMW enters 2025 ranked 11th nationally and is coming off its second straight 20-win season (25-10 in 2024, 22-8 in 2023). The Bulldogs ranked in the top 50 in a whopping 18 categories, including taking the top spot in both total attacks (5,657) and digs (2,734) while finishing second in block assists (574) and total blocks (343). They also ranked in the top 10 in the country for eight additional stats.

2024's biggest moment was deep in the post-season, when the Bulldogs knocked off top-rated Northwestern (Iowa) in four sets (25-19, 17-25, 25-19, 25-20) in the second round of the NAIA National Tournament.

Returners
13 players from last year's team are back in 2025, led by 2024 AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention Jordan Olson. Three of the 13 picked up All-Conference awards for their 2024 efforts: Olson was tabbed to the all-conference first team while Savana Warburton and Maxine Hoagland both earned a selection to the all-freshman team.

Newcomers
Montana Western added five true freshmen to its 2025 roster in Nora Dominick, Antonia Duncan, Kennedy Lingenfelter, Avery Look, and Jayda Ward.

2025 SEASON SNAPSHOT
In addition to the Palm Beach Juniors Classic, UMW will also take part in the Hells Canyon Grand Invitational (Aug. 29-30) to round out non-conference play. The Bulldogs will take on Walla Walla on Friday with matches against Arizona Christian and LC State following on Saturday.
In league competition, UMW will play 11 home and 11 on the road. Conference play begins with a three-game road trip before welcoming Dickinson State (Sept. 12) and Bismarck State (Sept. 13) for the first home contests of the season.

PRESEASON RANKINGS
The Bulldogs were picked fourth in the 2025 Frontier Conference Women's Volleyball Coaches' Preseason Poll. Two-ranked Bellevue was tabbed as the preseason favorite while Providence and Montana Tech also placed ahead of UMW.

Notably, seven Frontier Conference teams were named in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll. 2024 national runner-up Bellevue leads the charge, ranking second in the initial poll of the season while Providence (10th), UMW (11th), Montana Tech (17th), Dakota State (RV), Carroll (RV), and Valley City State (RV) round out the list.

THE OPPONENTS
IU East

Finished 27-10 in 2024, including 13-3 in RSC play.
Won the RSC Conference Championship.
Qualified for the NAIA National Championships for the ninth time in program history, but fell to Oklahoma Wesleyan in the opening round.
IU East was picked third in the River States Conference Preseason Women's Volleyball Coaches' Poll.
Ella Bickel and Aislyn Hogan were named to the 2025 RSC Women's Volleyball Players to Watch List.
Bickel led the Red Wolves in digs (576) while Hogan paced the team in both assists per set (6.54) and service aces (45).

Taylor

Received votes in the initial NAIA Preseason Top-25 poll of the season.
Went 11-20 last season, including 6-12 in conference play.
Had five players receive All-Crossroads League selections, with Lindsay Springer (first team), McKaylah Flagle (second team), and Daya Vestal (freshman team) all returning for the Trojans this season.
Springer averaged 10.6 assists per set in 2024, breaking 1,000 assists on the season.
Flagle led the tam in digs in 29 of 31 matches played.
Taylor has picked up at least five all-conference selections in seven straight seasons.

Saint Francis

Finished 11-19 in 2024, going 4-14 in Crossroads League play.
Four Cougars picked up all-conference awards last season, with Hannah Sweeney (honorable mention) and Teigen Fortkamp (freshman team, honorable mention) returning in 2025.
Sweeney led Saint Francis in digs (378) while adding 74 assists and 17 service aces.
Fortkamp paced the Cougars with 597 assists (5.74 per set).
The team boast 13 total returners and bolstered the roster with seven freshman and one transfer.

Keiser

Ended 2024 with an impressive 28-8 overall record, including 9-5 in league competitions.
Picked third in the 2025 Sun Preseason Women's Volleyball Coaches' Poll.
Head Coach Dan Bergren enters first season at the helm of the volleyball program.
The Seahawks are returning three of four all-conference honorees in 2025, Faith Marquis (first team), Emma Friese (second team), and Isabella Steffel (second team).
Marquis was also named an AVCA All-Southeast Region Honorable Mention while Friese picked up Sun Conference Freshman of the Year honors.
The Keiser roster took a hit with the loss of 2024 NAIA Second Team All-American Mackenzie Pryor. Pryor also earned AVCA All-Southeast Region First Team, Sun Conference First Team, and Sun Conference Player of the Year Honors.

For complete coverage of UMW Volleyball, be sure to follow us on social media at @umw_volleyball (Instagram), @UMW_Volleyball (X), and @Montana Western Athletics (Facebook) or visit our official website at UMWBulldogs.com.

#GOBULLDOGS!

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Players Mentioned

#10 Maxine Hoagland: Pin; 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore

#19 Jordan Olson: RS; 6' 1"; Senior

#2 Savana Warburton: OH; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#6 Jayda Ward: S; 5' 5"; Freshman

#11 Nora Dominick: MB; 6' 0"; Freshman

#12 Antonia Duncan: MB/Pin; 5' 11"; Freshman

#22 Kennedy Lingenfelter: MB; 6' 0"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#10 Maxine Hoagland
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Sophomore
: Pin

#19 Jordan Olson
: 6' 1"; Senior
: RS

#2 Savana Warburton
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: OH

#6 Jayda Ward
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: S

#11 Nora Dominick
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: MB

#12 Antonia Duncan
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: MB/Pin

#22 Kennedy Lingenfelter
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: MB