GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The #9 University of Providence will partake in their biggest home match of the season on Friday when they host #17 Montana Tech. The game, which will feature as a Pink Night, will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the McLaughlin Center.

"We're excited to be back at home," head coach Arunas Duda said. "It's been awhile since we've done that. Hopefully we'll have another big crowd. Everyone is excited to see the girls play at home again. With Pink Night going on, it should be an electric atmosphere with some good volleyball too."

The Argos (18-2, 5-0) are in the midst of an 11-game winning streak, notching win number 11 last Saturday in a road game against Rocky Mountain College. Since then, the team has used the full week of practice to get back on the same page after a two-week schedule that saw two games rescheduled due to COVID-19 protocols.

"It's been really nice to get back in the gym and start focusing on some of the little things we'd like to change," Duda said. "Now that we're seeing everybody for the second, maybe third time we have to evolve a little bit. There's just some little things here and there as we constantly try and get better."

They've also used the time to prepare for a stout Montana Tech team, who is currently ranked #17 in the NAIA National Poll. Though the Argos won in four sets in the previous matchup between the teams, they know things won't be so easy the second time around.

The Orediggers (17-7, 3-2) are known for their height, which has translated them into recording 204 blocks on the year, good for 10^th in the nation. They are led by hitters Maureen Jessop and Karina Mickelson, who combined for 31 kills between them in their last matchup against the Argos.

"They've got quite a few key players," Duda said. "They've got a lot of height, lot of big hitters. Karina Mickelson is always somebody that you have to game plan for. She's certainly someone that we've circled in their lineup. Maureen Jessop is also another player that is swinging really efficiently. She's been the Player of the Week a couple times. They got big, strong, powerful hitters all the way around and in every rotation"

The Argos, though, are no slouch themselves. Led by their three returning All-Americans in Cydney Finberg-Roberts, Sacha Legros and Sadie Lott, and with the emergence of their solid newcomers, including Frontier Conference Attacker of the Week Jenna Thorne, the Argos are well-deserving of their Top 10 ranking. The team will need that well-rounded effort Friday as they chase after their 12^th straight win.

"If you're not playing your best at this point, in this league, you can take an early exit," Duda said. "We want to position ourselves well and hopefully get a first-round bye in the conference tournament. We want to put ourselves in a situation where we're never hitting the pause button. We just want to continue to play well and continue to roll."