November 18, 2024

HELENA, Mont. – Providence Bella Thompson (Player of the Year and Setter of the Year), Ava Saiers (Newcomer of the Year), Arunas Duda (Coach of the Year, and Sacha Simmons (Assistant Coach of the Year joined Carroll Julia Carr (Defensive Player of the Year) as individuals recognized to highlight the 2024 All-Frontier Conference women’s volleyball honors.

The awards were selected by the league’s head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own institution.

Thompson led the Argos to the Frontier regular season and postseason titles with a conference-leading 11.6 set assists per set.  In addition, she ranks second in the NAIA in assists per set.  She racked up a total of 1,247 assists this season after the conference tournament.  She was named to Frontier Setter of the Week nine times this season.  She was named to the 2022 All-Conference Freshman Team.

Her teammate Saiers was named the Newcomer of the Year.  She averaged 5.7 digs per set this season for Providence, ranking her third best in the conference.  She is fifth in the Frontier conference with 613 total digs.

Carr earned the Defensive Player of the Year award after leading the NAIA and Frontier conference in both digs per set and total digs for the Saints.  She averaged 7.0 digs per set and racked up 840 digs.  Carr was a four-time Frontier All-Conference First Team selection.

Duda, along with his assistant Simmons, led Providence to a 25-6 overall record and 12-3 league record.  The Argos won both the regular season and postseason title (defeated Montana Western in a thrilling five set in Havre, Mont., on Nov. 16). 

Providence, Montana Tech, and Montana Western will be playing in the 2024 NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Tournament Opening Round on Saturday.

Below is the complete list of the 2024 Frontier All-Conference teams, postseason awards, and All-Freshman Team:

2024 FRONTIER CONFERENCE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL AWARDS:
Player of the Year:  Bella Thompson, Providence, Junior, Setter
Setter of the Year:  Bella Thompson, Providence, Junior, Setter
Defensive Player of the Year:  Julia Carr, Senior, Libero
Newcomer of the Year:  Ava Saiers, Senior, Defensive Specialist/Libero
Freshman of the Year:  Piper Jette, Freshman, Outside Hitter
Coach of the Year:  Arunas Duda, Providence
Assistant Coach of the Year:   Sacha Simmons, Providence

First Team All-Conference

First Name, Last Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Class	Hometown
Julia Carr	Carroll	L	5-7	Sr	Portland, Ore.
Olivia LaBeau	Montana Tech	MB	6-1	Sr	Billings, Mont.
Kinnidi Willmore	Montana Tech	OH	5-10	Jr	Claremont, Calif.
Jazi Smith	Montana Western	OH	5-11	Sr	Mossyrock, Wash.
Jordan Olson	Montana Western	OPP	6-1	Jr	Billings, Mont.
Danyel Martin	Montana Western	MB	6-2	Sr	McAllister, Mont.
Alana Graves	MSU-Northern	MB	5-11	Sr	Ballantine, Mont.
Bella Thompson	Providence	S	5-7	Jr	Kapahulu, Hawaii
Nina Janjic	Providence	OPP	6-0	Sr	Novi Sad, Serbia
Sadie Giles	Providence	OH	5-9	Jr	Idaho Falls, Idaho
Cabry Taylor	Providence	MB	6-2	So	White Sulphur Springs, Mont.
Makenna Bushman	Rocky Mountain	OH	5-11	Sr	Joliet, Mont.

Second Team All-Conference
 

First Name, Last Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Class	Hometown
Elizabeth Heuiser	Carroll	MB	6-1	R-Jr	Helena, Mont.
Rhys Layton	Montana Tech	S	6-2	So	Eagle, Idaho
Peyton Vogl	Montana Western	MB	6-0	Sr	Townsend, Mont.
Macee Murphy	MSU-Northern	S/RS	5-6	Jr	Ballantine, Mont.
Brooke Ark	Rocky Mountain	L	5-5	Sr	Helena, Mont.
Blythe Sealey	Rocky Mountain	S	5-8	Sr	Roundup, Mont.

All-Freshman Team

First Name, Last Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Hometown
Emily Bird	MSU-Northern	S	5-4	Townsend, Mont.
Savana Warburton	Montana Western	OH	5-10	Joliet, Mont.
Maxine Hoagland	Montana Western	OPP	5-11	Whitehall, Mont.
Piper Jette	Montana Tech	OH	5-11	Billings, Mont.
Brooklynn Hayes	Montana Tech	DS	5-5	Tumwater, Wash.
Austin Long	Montana Tech	DS	5-6	Billings, Mont.