Women's Volleyball August 13, 2026 Claire Gay, UMW Sports Information

UMW Volleyball Opens 2026 Season at Saints Invitational

GAME NOTES (PDF)

DILLON, Mont. – The Montana Western volleyball team begins the 2026 season in San Antonia, Texas, for the Saints Invitational hosted by Our Lady of the Lake University. The Bulldogs will face off against OLLU, #18 Dakota Wesleyan, Campbellsville, and Saint Francis (Ind.).

SCHEDULE
Friday, Aug. 14
@ OLLU – 12:00 p.m. MT | Watch Live
vs #18 Dakota Wesleyan – 4:00 p.m. MT | Watch Live

Saturday, Aug. 15
vs Campbellsville – 10:30 a.m. MT | Watch Live
vs Saint Francis – 1:00 p.m. MT | Watch Live

2025 SEASON IN REVIEW
Montana Western finished 13-17 overall in 2025, including 11-11 in Frontier play. The mark earned the Red and Black the eight-seed in the 2025 FC Volleyball tournament. They were held off by the regular season and eventual tournament champion Argos in the first round.

UMW averaged 12.0 kills. 11.3 assists, 1.3 aces, 17.3 digs, and 2.1 blocks per set in 2025.

BULLDOG BEAT
The Bulldogs are returning 14 from the 2025 squad after losing four seniors.

2025 Second Team All-Conference member Kennedy Lingenfelter is back for her sophomore season. The middle blocker led the team in kills (247), hitting percentage (.270), and blocks (102.0) in her initial campaign with UMW.

Also returning is senior middle blocker Jaiden Perez, who was sidelined for the second half of 2025 due to injury.

Dani Brown, Madisyn Frazier, Morgyn Harrison, and Sophie Worden are all back for their senior season. Brown averaged 2.08 kills per set and posted 32.0 blocks in '25. Frazier (3.07) and Harrison (3.06) ranked second and third on the team in digs per set, respectively. Worden posted 3.74 assists per set.

Taylor Ketchum (team-high 4.47 digs per set), Savana Warburton (2.57 d/s), Olivia Rosborough (1.61 k/s), and Maxine Hoagland (1.38 k/s) are set to start their junior campaign.

Joining Lingenfelter for their sophomore season are Averi Look (2.11 k/s), Antonia Duncan (1.34 k/s), Nora Dominick (1.03 k/s), and Jayda Ward (third on the team in service aces (20).

The Bulldogs bolstered their 2026 squad with four freshman, Clea Rapson (L/DS), Jaynie Jespersen (L/DS), Maggie Schneiter (S/DS), and Lilia Kahalepo (OH).

COACHES CORNER
Head Coach Katie Lovett returns for her eighth year at the helm. She is joined by assistant coaches Madison Richtmyer (fourth season), Payton Spoja (first season), and Jazi Smith (first season).

Lovett guided the team to the NAIA national tournament in 2024 and 2024. In '24 the Bulldogs upset #1 Northwestern College in the Round of 16 to earn a bid to the national quarterfinals.

Richtmyer (2016-19) and Smith (2021-24) are both Bulldog Volleyball alumni who played at under Lovett.

Richtmyer began her coaching career at Whitehall HS in Whitehall, Mont., before returning to UMW in 2023. In her final playing season with the Bulldogs, she led the team in sets played, matches played, assists, assists per set, and service aces.

Smith wrapped up her collegiate playing career at Boise State in 2025 and is back with the Red and Black in her first coaching role. She holds the UMW volleyball records for single-match kills, single-season kills, single-season kills per set, career kills, and career kills per set.

Spoja came to Dillon in January 2026 after two seasons as an assistant coach at NCAA DII member Concordia Irvine. As a player, she led CSI to the 2028 NJCAA national championship.

SETTERS STEPPING UP
2025 saw two Bulldog setters graduate the program. Senior Sophie Worden, sophomore Jayda Ward, and freshman Maggie Schneiter will run the court for UMW this season.

LOOKOUT FOR THE LIBEROS
The Red and Black are deep in the libero/defensive specialist position. Three veterans, Madisyn Frazier, Morgyn Harrison, and Taylor Ketchum, as well as two rookies, Clea Rapson and Jaynie Jespersen, will lock down the back row for the Bulldogs.

OUTSIDE IMPACT
Four outside hitters are ready to bring the heat for Western this season: senior Dani Brown, junior Savana Warburton, sophomore Averi Look, and freshman Lilia Kahalepo.

QUITE THE OPPOSITE(S)
Junior Maxine Hoagland and sophomores Nora Dominick and Antonia Duncan will cause trouble on the opposite side for UMW in 2026.

MIDDLES MEAN BUSINESS
Making a stand at the net for the Bulldogs this season are senior Jaiden Perez, junior Olivia Rosborough, and sophomore Kennedy Lingenfelter.

SCOUTING REPORT
OLLU

The Saints finished 12-10 overall and 9-2 in the RRAC in 2025.
Fell to Texas A&M Texarkana in the conference tournament championship.
OLLU averaged 12.64 kills, 11.54 assists, 1.97 aces, 13.99 digs, and 1.74 blocks per set.
Nine returners from the 2025 squad
Four of top five players in kills per set are back: Anaise Velzaquez Figueroa (2.94), Clarissa Rodriguez (2.35), Bailey Scott (1.89), and Nicole Bir (1.27).
The four also ranked in the top five in hitting percentage.
Bir also paced the team with 67 blocks on the year.

#18 Dakota Wesleyan

The Tigers went 20-12 overall and 10-6 in GPAC play in 2025.
Finished the season in the NAIA National Tournament pool play.
Averaged 11.89 kills. 11.19 assists, 0.98 aces, 20.05 digs, and 1.93 blocks per set.
17 returners from 2025.
Three players who ranked in the top five in kills per set are back: Evy Knoblock (3.24), Karly VanDerWerff (2.69), and Madisyn Grimsrud (1.02).
VanDerWerff also led the team in blocks with 97.
Elizabeth Tyler (5.77) and Abigail Zegar (2.88) ranked first and second in digs, respectively.

Campbellsville

The Tigers were 23-14 overall and 6-4 in the MSC last season.
Fell to University of the Cumberlands in the MSC Tournament Championship.
Averaged 12.9 kills, 12.0 assists, 2.1 aces, 15.0 digs, and 1.9 blocks per set.
Nine returners from 2025 squad.
Brooke Hager (2.74), Elif Akcivi (2.53), Libby Erwin (2.22), and Riley Thorne (1.93) ranked second through fourth in kills per set.
Hager also led the team in hitting percentage (.426).
Kati Vest paced CU with 9.26 assists per set.

Saint Francis

The Cougars finished 4-26 in 2025 and 0-18 in the Cross Roads League.
They averaged 9.79 kills, 9.13 assists, 1.33 services aces. 13.11 digs, and 1.31 blocks per set.
11 returners from 2025.
Annabelle Sweigert (2.11), and Kayla Gumbel (2.00) ranked second and third in kills per set, respectively.
Sweigert also led the team in hitting percentage (.248).
Teigen Fortkamp paced the Cougars with 7.69 assists per set.
Fortkamp also led the team with 34 service aces.

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the first-ever meeting between UMW and OLLU as well as UMW and Campbellsville.

Montana Western is 2-3 all-time against Dakota Wesleyan and 4-0 all-time against Saint Francis.

ON THE HORIZON
Following the Saints Invitational, the Bulldogs will return home to host an intersquad "Black vs Red" scrimmage Aug. 20. The match is set for 6:30 p.m. MT in the Straugh Gymnasium.

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

#9 Dani Brown: OH; 6' 0"; Senior

#11 Nora Dominick: MB/OPP; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#12 Antonia Duncan: OH/OPP; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#4 Madisyn Frazier: L/DS; 5' 5"; Senior

#20 Morgyn Harrison: L/DS; 5' 6"; Redshirt Senior

#10 Maxine Hoagland: OPP/MB; 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior

#7 Taylor Ketchum: L/DS; 5' 4"; Junior

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

#17 Averi Look: OH; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#13 Jaiden Perez: MB; 6' 0"; Senior

#16 Olivia Rosborough: MB; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior

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

Players Mentioned

#9 Dani Brown
: 6' 0"; Senior
: OH

#11 Nora Dominick
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: MB/OPP

#12 Antonia Duncan
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: OH/OPP

#4 Madisyn Frazier
: 5' 5"; Senior
: L/DS

#20 Morgyn Harrison
: 5' 6"; Redshirt Senior
: L/DS

#10 Maxine Hoagland
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior
: OPP/MB

#7 Taylor Ketchum
: 5' 4"; Junior
: L/DS

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

#17 Averi Look
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: OH

#13 Jaiden Perez
: 6' 0"; Senior
: MB

#16 Olivia Rosborough
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior
: MB

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