GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence volleyball team hasn't done much celebrating after
their weekend sweep of Carroll College last week.That's because they know what's in front of them.
The
#20th ranked Argos (10-2, 10-2) will travel to Billings, Mont. this weekend for a double-header against #17 Rocky Mountain College (12-1, 11-1). The teams have played each other twice so far this season. Both games went to five sets - the Argos
got the better of the Battlin' Bears in the teams' first matchup on Feb. 5, before
falling to them the next day.
"I'm excited for when we all step on the court," head coach
Arunas Duda said. "We're going to see a good product."
The Battlin' Bear are a game ahead of the Argos in the
Frontier Conference standings. Though there's still four weeks left in the season, a weekend sweep for either team would increase their chances of winning the regular season.
"As you look towards the end of the season, a split is good for both of us but a sweep could be the end of the story for first-place in the conference," Duda said. "There's a lot of season to go left but if someone can sweep the weekend it certainly puts them in a good position."
The game will likely have some long rallies, as both teams are some of the top defensive teams not only in the conference, but in the nation. The Battlin' Bears are ranked 2
nd in the nation in digs per game (23.8), one spot ahead of the Argos, who are ranked 3
rd (23.7).
Sacha Legros is second in the nation in digs per game (7.5), one spot behind Ayla Embry of Rocky Mountain (7.6).
"If we can have a balanced attack again and pass the ball well, that's going to help us out a ton," Duda said. "If we're hitting against two blockers and trying to score on their defense all night one on two and trying to get past that defense it's going to be tough. If we can pass the ball to some seams, get some actions I think we'll be able to do some things and combat their strength."
The two teams will face off on Friday at 7 p.m. followed by a rematch on Saturday at 6 p.m.
