Billings West’s two-sport star Sydney Pierce heads to Montana for volleyball | Montana Grizzlies
BILLS – decisions, decisions.
Sydney Pierce of Billings West knew for some time that she had some important things to do in relation to her college goals and the sport she would play even before she started her senior year at the school where she was a two-year-old Sports All-state seasons graduated while there.
basketball or volleyball? Are you staying local or looking elsewhere? And which of Montana’s two NCAA Division I programs lured her more—bobcats or grizzlies?
In the end, Pierce chose the volleyball net, stayed in the state, and, as of 2024, wore Montana’s maroon and silver varsity uniform.
Billings West’s Sydney Pierce, right, high fives with Billings senior players after a semifinal game against the Broncs at the MHSA Volleyball State Tournament at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman November 11, 2022.
Pierce confirmed to The Billings Gazette and 406mtsports.com on Saturday afternoon that she had verbally committed to the Griz volleyball team she will play on after completing her upcoming senior year at West in Missoula.
The 6-foot-4 center blocker, who helped the Golden Bears to a second place finish in the AA class last season, was also offered by Montana State and Fresno State, with the Cats and Griz being their top two options, Pierce noted. However, the decision to ultimately choose UM depended on her relationship with the coaching staff and the enticing atmosphere in Missoula, she said.
“When the schools were officially able to speak to me, at 8 a.m. they were one of the first to text me and tell me to schedule a call,” Pierce said of Griz’s coaching staff. “I knew from the start they wanted me and it was a lot of fun to think about playing for my home state. I think that’s what attracted me the most… saying I’m from Montana. , plays for the University of Montana.
Billings West’s Sydney Pierce brings the ball to the basket during the MHSA Class AA Girls Basketball State Championship game against Kalispell Flathead March 11 in Butte.
Pierce, also a veteran basketball player who received a nationwide acceptance for West’s AA title-winning team earlier this year, said she also drew interest from the Lady Griz Hoops team and that the decision to go down the volleyball route, which ” “The hardest decision I’ve ever had to make,” she said, but the belief that volleyball would make her happier and lead to more success influenced her decision, she said.
Montana will begin his seventh season under coach Allison Lawrence this fall after enjoying the best year of his tenure so far in 2022, when the Griz went 17-12, 10-6 in Big Sky Conference play. UM finished fourth in the league when Lawrence won the Big Sky Coach of the Year award.
Pierce will be joining a Griz roster that currently has few native talents as Missoula Sentinel grad Sierra Dennison and Helena Capital graduate Sarah Ashley are the only Montanan on the team at the time of this writing.
But now that her recruitment is complete and settled and she no longer has to worry about impressing college coaches, Pierce is more than happy to add another name to this list soon.
“As soon as I signed up, I felt the load lift off my shoulders,” Pierce said. “I remember worrying about what coaches the coaches were going to watch, what movie I needed, just basic recruiting stuff like that. And so I’m thinking now, just going through senior year and knowing where I’m going and all that stuff, it’s just going.” to take some of that pressure off, which is nice.
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