Bulldog Volleyball Earns Five All-Conference Awards

Frontier Conference Commissioner Kent Paulson announced the 2022 Frontier Conference All-Conference volleyball team, the All-Freshman team, individual award winners as well as each team's NAIA Champions of Character recipient. Five Bulldogs earned All-Conference honors.

Jazi Smith, a 5'11 sophomore outside hitter from Mossyrock, Wash. earned First Team All-Conference honors. Smith played in all 29 games this season and was third in the conference for kills per set after she averaged 2.88. Smith totaled 305 kills in the season and had a season hitting percentage of .115. She also averaged 2.79 digs per set for the Bulldogs, with a season high of 29 against Carroll College in the Frontier Conference Tournament.

"Jazi really stepped into her own this season. Not only was she a clear go-to on offense, she really dug into being a relentless defender. Jazi is getting better every practice and I cannot wait to see what levels she gets to in the future." Head Coach Katie Lovett said.

Kelsey Goddard, a 5'7 sophomore libero from Las Vegas, Nev. earned Second Team All-Conference accolades after she appeared in all but one match this season. Goddard picked up 535 total digs this season (fourth in the conference), surpassing 1,000 career digs during the Frontier Conference Tournament at just a sophomore. Goddard averaged 5.65 digs per set (placing her at No. 20 nationally) and had seven aces this season. She had a season high of 38 digs against Rocky Mountain on Oct. 7.

"Kelsey is the athlete every coach wants to have on their team. Not only is she extremely talented, but she is a great leader. She continued to expand her range on defense and is a true competitor." Lovett stated.

Danyel Martin, a 6'2 redshirt sophomore middle hitter and right-side hitter from McAllister, Mont. earned Second Team All-Conference honors. Martin played in 26 matches this season and had 190 kills total. She had an impressive .245 hitting percentage on the season and 2.09 kills per set. She also totaled 82 blocks, 26 of which were unassisted. Martin had a season high of seven blocks against Montana Tech on Sept. 16 earlier in the year. Martin ranks fourth in the conference for blocks per set with 0.95.

"Danyel worked really hard this season on being more consistent on offense and defense. She is a great athlete who was a consistent go-to for us this year." Lovett says.

Jordan Olson, a 6'1 right-side hitter from Billings, Mont. earned her spot on the All-Conference Freshman Team after playing in 24 matches this season. Olson had 111 kills and 1.19 kills per set. She also had 46 total blocks and 33 digs on the season. She had a season high of 12 kills against Providence on Sept. 15 earlier in the season. She also had five total blocks against Montana Tech in the Frontier Conference Tournament semifinal match.

"Jordan did great this year stepping into a starting role right away. She has a ton of potential and we cannot wait to see what she accomplishes in the next few years." Lovett says.

Morgan Stenger, a senior from Columbia Falls, Mont., is Montana Western's NAIA Champions of Character recipient. NAIA Champions of Character embody five core values—integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership—in order to promote a positive sports culture, both on and off the court or field. Morgan appeared in 17 matches this season. She recorded 65 kills, 1.51 kills per set, 22 blocks, and 16 digs.

"I am incredible proud of all of these athletes. They are very deserving of these accolades and I am happy they are being recognized for the hard work they put in." Lovett said.