BOZEMAN, Mont. - In the final road slate of the 2025 season, Idaho Volleyball headed just east to the border for a matchup with Treasure State institutions Montana and Montana State. 

The week of action commenced with a rematch with Montana, whom the Vandals had hosted to open the Memorial Gym portion of Big Sky Conference play. The Griz had been on a surge in the second half of league matches and that continued in Dahlberg Arena in Missoula. That said, the 3-0 score in favor of the hosts did not reflect just how tight each set was. The first match against the Griz in Moscow was the first time this season that Idaho eclipsed 20 points in each set of a loss, and the same was the case on Thursday.

In three back-and-forth frames, the Brave and Bold were never out of it and took a lead multiple times in the Adams Center before Grizzly runs kept the momentum in the hands of the Maroon and Silver. Kiana Greer paced the offense with seven kills and, seeing some of her most extended action of the year, Zuzanna Whitman knocked down three of her own on .500 hitting. Koen Makaula and Sarah Sullivan each had a hand in four blocks to lead the defensive effort, but ultimately the Griz came out on top, eliminating Idaho's chance at a Big Sky Tournament berth. 

On Saturday, the Vandals headed over to Bozeman for the lone matchup with Montana State of the year. The Bobcats came into the day sitting at 7-6 and having secured a tournament bid, and shut down Idaho's offense nearly all day, holding them to .03 and .075 hitting in the second and third frames. 

Greer and White once again led the way for the visitors with 11 kills apiece, a game-high. Csenge Krakoczki continued pacing the Vandal offense with 28 assists, and Idaho, as a team, out-blocked their competitors, recording eight total to MSU's seven.

FINAL NOTES

• After Thursday's and Saturday's results, Idaho has officially been eliminated from Big Sky Tournament contention. Being two games ahead of Eastern Washington in the standings, as well as having secured the tiebreaker, the Vandals will finish ninth in the league polls at season's end. 

• Barring something massive, Kiana Greer will finish as the team's leader in kills. Currently sitting at 313 and nearly 50 ahead of second place, Greer is on pace to be the first freshman team leader in the category since Taryn Vrieling (270) in 2022. 

  • Greer is already the first Idaho player, regardless of class, to tally more than 300 kills in a season since 2019 (Kennedy Warren, 377). 

• Csenge Krakoczki has overtaken the team lead in total assists, sitting at 465 and just ahead of Aleina Manaois at 442.

UP NEXT
Idaho returns home for the final two matches of the season, hosting Portland State on Wednesday and Sacramento State on Friday. Friday's match will also serve as senior day for the Vandals, in which they will honor the decorated career of Madu Fontes and everything she has given to the universities. The team will also be recognizing two practice players who have put in the work day in and day out to help the program grow. 

FOLLOW THE VANDALS
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