Montana State University Volleyball

Matt Houk was named the 12th head coach in program history on Jan. 13, 2023 and enters his fourth season with the Bobcats. He has accumulated an overall record of 143-128 across nine seasons as a head coach. He is 46-43 at MSU, which includes a 27-21 mark in Big Sky Conference action. The most recent Bobcat campaign produced an even 8-8 conference record in 2025. Combining seven returners and seven newcomers, Houk led MSU to a 13-15 record featuring the leadership of libero Lauren Lindseth who was named to the All-Big Sky Second Team. Academics continue to be a priority under Houk, with 12 Big Sky All-Academic honorees and three CSC Academic All-District selections. Houk’s sophomore season produced a pair of Second-Team All-Big Sky honorees in Jordan Radick and Lauren Lindseth. MSU went 9-19 and 7-9 in league play as the season was highlighted by a sweep of its in-state rival Montana, which included a dominating 25-17, 25-21, 25-23 win over the Grizzlies in front of 3,567 fans in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. In 2023, Houk made his first season at Montana State a memorable one as he led the Bobcats to a 24-9 overall mark and a 12-4 Big Sky Conference ledger. Both marks are the best in Bobcat volleyball history. MSU finished second in the league standings, its highest showing ever. The Bobcats entered the Big Sky Conference Tournament as the No. 3 seed and dispatched Montana in straight sets for its second consecutive win over its rival. MSU downed Eastern Washington 3-1 in se

Cassidy Schumacher enters her fourth season as director of volleyball operations and technical coordinator for Montana State after she joined the program in 2023. She is responsible for the Bobcats' team travel, managing student manager(s) and practice players, maintaining practice and match statistics with the use of Volleystation, maintaining and tracking CARA hours for student-athletes, handling MSU study hall hours on the road, managing the Bobcat volleyball social media platforms, and serving as assistant director for Montana State summer volleyball camps. The Hope College graduate served as interim assistant coach for Montana State in 2023 and helped the Bobcats reach the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament. Prior to MSU, Schumacher was a volunteer assistant at Grand Valley State in Grand Rapids, Mich. She also served as junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant at Grand Rapids Christian High School. From the summer of 2021 to March 2022, Schumacher was an assistant coach and administrative assistant with the Stand Tall Volleyball Academy in Minneapolis, Minn., under the direction of three-time All-American and former Golden Gopher Regan Pittman. Schumacher’s other stops include Black River Public Schools, varsity assistant; Hope College, director of lacrosse operations; and Michigan Volleyball Academy, head coach and lead practice coach. Schumacher, who received her undergrad degree in sports and business administration in 2021, recently earned her Ma

Gretta Lawson, who finished her career as Bobcat volleyball student-athlete in December of 2025, begins her first season on the Montana State coaching staff as a graduate assistant. Lawson spent three seasons as a Bobcat, playing in five matches during her senior season. Originally from San Diego, she lettered three seasons at Scripps Ranch High School, earning Second Team All-CIF honors, playing with WAVE Volleyball Club and with the USAV National Championship team. She finished her prep career at Ferris High School in Spokane, earning Second Team All-GSL honors.

Associate head coach Jen Houk kicks off her fourth season with the Bobcats, looking to improve upon a 46-43 record through three seasons at Montana State. Houk serves as MSU’s offensive coordinator. Last season, she coached the Bobcats to their eighth consecutive appearance in the Big Sky Conference tournament. She helped senior Camryn Greenwald accumulate the eighth best hitting percentage in the Big Sky, going .344 with 217 kills on the season. Houk also led Bobcat returner Karli Heidemann to 323 kills on the year, a mark which she looks to improve upon in 2026. In 2024, the Bobcats finished among the top five in the Big Sky Conference in kills, points, and assists under Houk’s guidance. MSU finished the season averaging 16.88 points per set, up from the previous campaign. Individually, Houk helped Jordan Radick to all-conference honors. The Bozeman native finished seventh in the league in hitting with a .318 attack mark, while graduate student Jourdain Kamps finished eighth in points averaging 3.60 per contest. In 2023, Houk oversaw the Bobcats’ offensive side of the net, leading the team to a .223 overall attack mark, the highest efficiency rating for MSU since the 2002 season. In addition, the Bobcats averaged 16.78 points per set, which ranked among the top three in the Big Sky Conference. Houk also saw senior Kira Thomsen lead the Big Sky averaging 4.20 kills and 4.78 points per set. Thomsen culminated her final year being named VolleyballMag.com All-America Honorable

Jennifer Chiu joined Montana State Athletics as an Assistant Athletic Trainer in August, 2017. Chiu provides athletic training services for MSU student-athletes. She primarily works with the volleyball program and men's and women's tennis teams. Prior to her arrival in Bozeman, Chiu served as a graduate assistant at Eastern Kentucky University. She completed a master's degree in physical education with a concentration in exercise and wellness while working with the Colonels. Chiu earned her bachelor's degree in athletic training at Missouri State in 2014.

Ryan Hartsell began his tenure at MSU in August 2019 as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. Hartsell graduated from Appalachian State in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science with a concentration in strength and condition. He also attended Northern Illinois and worked as a graduate assistant for the Huskies. Prior to his arrival in Bozeman, Hartsell worked at Eastern Kentucky as an associate director of sports performance.