February 16, 2010
Raguse selected for prestigious NCAA postgraduate scholarship
Allison Raguse, a three-time Big Sky All-Conference volleyball selection and two-time Big Sky All-Academic team selection, has been awarded one of just 13 NCAA-sponsored Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarships for Careers in Athletics. She is the first Bears student-athlete to receive an NCAA postgraduate scholarship since football star Reed Doughty did in 2006.

January 29, 2010
Bears Have 31 Named To Big Sky Fall Academic
The Big Sky Conference has announced the members of the 2009 Fall All-Academic teams for men's and women's cross country, football and women's soccer and volleyball. Northern Colorado had 31 student-athletes named to the team.

December 22, 2009
Volleyball invites all to its year-end banquet
Northern Colorado volleyball just completed arguably its best season in school history, and the coaches and players want to share in that excitement with all of their fans. Head coach Lyndsey Benson announced today plans for the Bears' year-end banquet at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13, in the Northern Colorado Panorama Room.

December 3, 2009
Peers tab Benson Big Sky Conference's best in 2009
Northern Colorado head coach Lyndsey Benson has been named the 2009 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Bears to their first-ever conference title last Saturday with a 3-1 victory against Portland State. The honor is the first for Benson, who was selected in a vote by her fellow conference coaches, and the first for any Northern Colorado coach since it joined the Big Sky Conference in 2006.

December 3, 2009
Volleyball doesn't just settle for 'icing' in NCAA loss to Huskies
The Bears gave sixth-ranked Washington all it wanted Thursday during the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Championship. Making its first apperance in the Division I tournament after winning this year's Big Sky Conference tournament, Northern Colorado borrowed a bit of Colorado State's homecourt advantage at Moby Arena and took the first game off the Huskies before falling a bit short in a 3-1 loss.

December 2, 2009
Volleyball ready for its first dance
Northern Colorado, winners of this year's Big Sky Conference Championship, will taste NCAA Division I postseason play for the first time Thursday, Dec. 3, when it faces #6 Washington in the first round of this years NCAA Volleyball Championships. A victory there would be historic and give Northern Colorado a chance at revenge against Colorado State or a first meeting with Middle Tennessee State

November 29, 2009
Volleyball will dance with Huskies
Northern Colorado, which advanced to the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship last night with a 3-1 victory against Portland State in the Big Sky Conference championship game, will face the sixth-seeded Washington Huskies (Pac-10) at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, just down the road in Fort Collins, Colo. Colorado State's Moby Arena has been selected as a site for first- and second-round matches of the national tournament, and the Rams (Mountain West) will play host to the Bears, Huskies and Middle Tennessee State (Sun Belt).

November 28, 2009
Big Sky's best volleyball team resides at Northern Colorado
Northern Colorado, in just its fourth year of NCAA Division I play, turned in a performance for the ages Saturday night and knocked off regular-season champion Portland State with an efficient and dominating 3-1 victory in the championship match of the 2009 Big Sky Conference tournament. The Bears got a career-high 28 kills from senior Kenzie Shreeve in the 25-17, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19 victory that came exactly two weeks after they fell 3-0 at Portland State.

November 27, 2009
Volleyball finally defeats Eagles, moves step closer to Big Sky crown
They say it's tough to defeat a team three times in one season. That held true for Northern Colorado volleyball Friday night at the Big Sky Conference Championships, where the Bears defeated Eastern Washington 3-2 for the first time this season -- on the Eagles home court, no less -- and moved on to Saturday's conference-championship game against Portland State.

November 26, 2009
Raguse slams home Bears' second straight Big Sky First-Team honor
The senior middle blocker didn’t lead the Bears in any important category this season, but, as she’s done for most of her Northern Colorado career, she did a little bit of everything really, really well. And for that, she was tabbed today a 2009 Big Sky First Team All-Conference player. She is joined on the postseason honor teams by teammates Kenzie Shreeve, Marissa Hughes and Taylor Smith.

November 25, 2009
Volleyball heads back to Cheney with eye on Big Sky title
Northern Colorado has been working hard all season, and its moment will arrive at 8 p.m. (MT) Friday when it faces off against host Eastern Washington in the 2009 Big Sky Conference Championships at Reese Court. A Bears victory there moves them into Saturday night's 8 p.m. (MT) final against either Portland State or Montana.

November 21, 2009
Volleyball seniors ensure Senior Night party in dominant win against NAU
Allison Raguse, Taylor Smith, Kenzie Shreeve and Breanna VanDerMost all contribute in signature ways in leading Northern Colorado to a 3-1 victory over Northern Arizona in front of 985 Saturday night inside Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion.

November 19, 2009
Volleyball has chance to send seniors out on top
The Bears will take on Northern Arizona on Saturday night, Nov. 21, with a chance to solidify their hold on the No. 2 seed in next week's Big Sky Conference tournament. It's also Senior Night, meaning Allison Raguse, Kenzie Shreeve, Taylor Smith and Breanna VanDerMost will being playing their final home match. The four have been pivotal in the Bears’ emergence as a Division I program.

November 14, 2009
Volleyball's big weekend ends in frustration in Portland
The Bears hit just .101 as a team against Portland State and allowed the Vikings to hit .311 in falling 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-8) at the Stott Center in their final regular-season road match of the season. It was the second straight night Northern Colorado fell in three games, as the Bears fell 3-0 to Eastern Washington on Friday night in Cheney, Wash., too.

November 13, 2009
Volleyball Falters At Eastern Washington
Despite 13 kills from senior Allison Raguse, the Bears could not overcome the Eastern Washington block, losing in straight sets on Friday evening.

November 11, 2009
Benson Signs Three
Volleyball Head Coach Lyndsey Benson announced the signing of three players to National Letters of Intent for the 2010 season.

November 10, 2009
Volleyball ready for Eagle tangle before Viking showdown
Northern Colorado heads west this weekend for a pair of Big Sky Conference heavyweight showdowns. The Bears will play Eastern Washington on Friday night in Cheney, Wash., before traveling Saturday afternoon to take on Portland State later in the evening in Portland. With just two weeks remaining in the conference season, all three teams are in a fight for the title.

November 9, 2009
Smith shares Big Sky weekly volleyball honors
Northern Colorado's Taylor Smith and Portland State's Whitney Phillips have earned Big Sky Co-Player of the Week honors for matches played the week of Nov. 2-9, the league office announced Monday. This is the second POTW honor this season for Smith, who earned one previously for her work at the North Texas Mean Green Volleyball Classic during the season's first week.

November 8, 2009
Volleyball sends message, clinches tourney berth with dominating victory
The Bears clearly didn't look past Montana State on Saturday night, putting the pedal to the metal early and not letting up until the final point fell in their favor for a 3-0 sweep (25-14, 25-15, 25-16). The victory, Northern Colorado's NCAA Division I-record 18th, moved the Bears into sole possession of first place in the Big Sky Conference standings and clinched Northern Colorado's fourth-straight conference-tournament appearance.

November 5, 2009
Volleyball faces grand opportunity in hosting Montana, Montana State
Northern Colorado has a chance this weekend to solidify its first-place spot in the Big Sky title chase or move into the league's pole position all by itself since early October. The Bears will host Montana on Thursday night before turning around Saturday night and welcoming in Montana State.

November 5, 2009
Volleyball wins fifth straight and moves into first place in the Sky
Senior Kenzie Shreeve had one of the best matches of her season Thursday night, getting a match-high 16 kills with just one error to help Northern Colorado move past Montana with a 3-1 victory inside Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. The Griz ended the match with more digs, more blocks, more kills and more assists than Northern Colorado, but the Bears made the necessary plays to win five straight for just the fourth time in head coach Lyndsey Benson's five seasons in Greeley.

October 31, 2009
Volleyball rises from the dead in Halloween thriller
Northern Colorado volleyball couldn't have been closer to disappointment Saturday night against Weber State. But after earning an unbelievable 3-2 comeback win over the Wildcats, the Bears couldn't be happier. Northern Colorado's seniors continued to etch their name into Bears history with the win, and true-freshman Kelley Arnold established a career high in kills for the second straight night.

October 30, 2009
Arnold's career night helps volleyball keep pace in Big Sky title chase
True-freshman Kelley Arnold continued her torrid stretch of late Friday night with a career-high 19 kills, six digs and a pair of huge blocks in helping Northern Colorado sneak out of Pocatello, Idaho, with a 3-2 victory against Idaho State.

October 29, 2009
Volleyball looks to take care of business on the road
Northern Colorado (14-9, 7-2 Big Sky) has date Friday night with Idaho State before Halloween-night showdown with Weber State. The Bears have never lost to the Bengals in seven previous conference matches but are just 3-6 against the Wildcats in the Sky.

October 24, 2009
Volleyball uses strength in numbers in keeping streak alive vs. Hornets
Northern Colorado has five players finish with double-digit kills and four with double-digit digs Saturday night in convincing 3-1 victory against Sacramento State. The Bears have defeated the Hornets six straight times, and they are now a program-best seven victories above the .500 mark in Big Sky matches.

October 21, 2009
Volleyball hits highest percentage since August in another victory against Air Force
Northern Colorado has five players hit .500 or better as it cruise to its fifth straight victory against the Falcons.

October 21, 2009
Volleyball looks to keep streaks alive against Air Force, Sacramento State
Northern Colorado has chance this week to win fifth straight match against Air Force (Wednesday, Oct. 21) and six straight against Sacramento State (Saturday, Oct. 24). The Bears haven't lost to the Falcons since 1995 and their run against the Hornets is the best among all Big Sky teams.

October 17, 2009
Volleyball falls back into tie for first after loss to Eagles
Northern Colorado won its first game against Eastern Washington on Saturday night and looked poised to finish its initial run through the Big Sky Conference schedule with an emphatic victory against last year's regular-season league champion. The Eagles, though, quickly proved why they finished atop the heap a year ago by scratching out victories in games two and three and then slamming the door shut in the fourth for a 3-1 road victory (23-25, 25-22, 26-24, 25-18).

October 15, 2009
Volleyball digs and blocks way back to first
Northern Colorado uses standout defensive effort to earn dominant 3-1 victory against Portland State on Thursday night, in battle of first-place teams. Senior Kenzie Shreeve had 17 kills and two blocks, junior Ashley Lichtenberg continued her amazingly strong season with 10 kills and a career-tying best seven blocks, and senior Breanna VanDerMost played one of the best defensive matches of her season with 22 digs, including a few crowd-frenzying stretch moves.

October 13, 2009
SHOWDOWN: Volleyball welcomes in Portland St., Eastern Washington
Northern Colorado is set to finish its first run through the 2009 Big Sky Conference schedule with a pair of heavyweight matchups in the Vikings and Eagles. All three teams enter this weeks action tied atop the Big Sky Conference standings, and the Eagles could enter their Saturday match with the Bears with a 6-1 mark.

October 10, 2009
Volleyball suffers defensive lapse in losing again in Montana
Northern Colorado gets down big early in its first game against Montana on Saturday night and was never quite able to rebound in a 3-1 (18-25, 23-25, 25-23, 20-25) loss. The Bears fell into a 7-1 hole almost before they could blink inside the Griz's West Auxilary Gym en route to losing in Missoula for the fourth time in four tries since joining the Big Sky Conference.

October 9, 2009
First-place Bears get pushed before roaring back in Bozeman
Northern Colorado gets match-high 14 kills from senior Kenzie Shreeve and 11 apiece from junior Ashley Lichtenberg and freshman Kelley Arnold on Friday night in muscling out a 3-2 victory against Montana State inside Shroyer Gym. The Bears (11-7, 5-0 Big Sky) were down two matches to one following the third game (19-25, 25-23, 18-25) before digging in and dominating games four and five (25-15, 15-6).

October 3, 2009
Volleyball stays perfect in conference with impressive road win
Northern Colorado got superb performances across the board Saturday night in downing Northern Arizona 3-1 and moving to 4-0 in Big Sky competition for the first time in its four seasons in the league.

September 30, 2009
Volleyball again loses to Rams, but the gap is closing
Northern Colorado volleyball didn't win its match against Colorado State on Wednesday night inside Moby Arena. No, the Rams were just a bit too tough and athletic and earned a 3-2 victory. What Northern Colorado did do, though, in standing toe-to-toe with one of the preeminent volleyball programs in the country, is prove a point to their powerhouse rivals, to the Colorado volleyball community, and maybe even to themselves.

September 29, 2009
Volleyball ready for another shot at the Rams, 'Jacks
Northern Colorado, fresh off earning its first 3-0 start in Big Sky Conference play, will renew its instate rivalry with Colorado State on Wednesday night in Ft. Collins. The Bears will then finish the week on Saturday night in Flagstaff, Ariz., with a conference match against Northern Arizona.

September 26, 2009
Volleyball swats Hornets, gets off to best Big Sky start
Seven Northern Colorado players finish hitting .250 or better in its 3-0 win against Sacramento State, and five hit .300 or higher as the Bears (9-6 overall) start 3-0 in Big Sky play for the first time since joining the league in 2006.

September 23, 2009
Déjà vu all over again for women's volleyball
Northern Colorado loses five-set match to Denver Pioneers for second year in a row, in a scene eerily reminiscent of a match in Denver almost exactly one year ago.

September 21, 2009
Volleyball ready for rivalry renewal before heading back to Cali
Northern Colorado will face Denver on Tuesday night in the 32nd meeting between the two programs. The Bears will then resume Big Sky Conference play Friday night against Sacramento State, who they have defeated in four-straight matches.

September 20, 2009
Volleyball stays perfect in more ways than one
Northern Colorado gets 3-1 victory against Idaho State on Saturday night, moving into sole possession of first place after the Big Sky's opening weekend and running its conference record against the Bengals to 7-0.

September 19, 2009
13 Named To Monfort Dean's Citation
The Dean of the Monfort College of Business at the University of Northern Colorado recently issued the Dean’s Citation for Academic Excellence to business majors who completed at least 12 credit hours during the prior spring semester and 13 student-athletes were honored on the list.

September 18, 2009
Volleyball cruises past Weber State in Big Sky opener
Senior Kenzie Shreeve led NC's charge with 15 kills, six digs and a service ace, and sophomore Breanna Williams joined her in double figures with 10 kills, eight digs and an ace as the Bears cruised to a 25-17, 25-22, 25-12 victory.

September 17, 2009
CAT FIGHT! Bears start Big Sky play vs. Wildcats, Bengals
First-place Northern Colorado will welcome Weber State into Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion on Thursday before rolling out the welcome mats for Idaho State on Saturday night.

September 12, 2009
Volleyball knocks off another power-conference foe
Northern Colorado gets team-high 13 kills from senior Taylor Smith, 11 more from sophomore Breanna Williams and a team-high 16 digs from sophomore libero Amanda Arterburn in earning a 3-1 triumph against the Big 10's Iowa Hawkeyes.

September 11, 2009
Volleyball stubs toe in Hawkeye Challenge opener
Bears can't make 2-0 lead stand up in 3-2 defeat to Drake. And the road doesn't get any easier for Northern Colorado, who's scheduleto face the host Hawkeyes tomorrow before taking on 11th-ranked Iowa State.

September 10, 2009
Volleyball's third week features Midwest 'Challenge'
Northern Colorado travels east this weekend to take part in the 2009 University of Iowa Hawkeye Challenge in Iowa City, Iowa. The Bears will face Drake on Friday, the host Hawkeyes on Saturday followed by #11 Iowa State later Saturday. The event is somewhat of a homecoming for junior Ashley Lichtenberg, who hails from nearby Bettendorf, Iowa.

September 5, 2009
Volleyball splits on final day of Northern Colorado Classic
Bears have little trouble with Eastern Michigan in 3-0 victory before falling short in three two-points losses to ACC-power Miami (Fla.). Seniors Kenzie Shreeve and Allison Raguse earn all-tournament honors.

September 5, 2009
Volleyball drops marathon match to old rival North Dakota State
Northern Colorado struggles to keep momentum going following Tuesday's victory against instate rival Colorado. The Bears the Bison contributed for 17 ties and six lead changes Friday night in a five-set match that saw the Bison come out on top 3-2.

September 4, 2009
Volleyball welcomes exciting field for 2009 Northern Colorado Classic
North Dakota State, Eastern Michigan and Miami (Fla.) will all be in action this weekend at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion as the Bears host their Northern Colorado Classic for the second time in three seasons.

September 2, 2009
CU LATER! Volleyball breaks out brooms vs. Buffaloes
Northern Colorado on Tuesday night inside a packed-to-the-gills Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion sent the first wave of what could be a huge shift in the landscape of Colorado collegiate volleyball. The Bears outplayed, outhustled and outhit the Colorado Buffaloes and sent their instate rivals packing with a thoroughly convincing 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-16) victory in front of a record crowd of 2,013.

August 31, 2009
Smith earns share of Big Sky's first POTW award
It would be tough to get off to a better start to a season than Northern Colorado senior Taylor Smith has early on in her senior year. She earned all-tournament honors last weekend at the season-opening North Texas Mean Green Classic (in her hometown of Denton, Texas) and now she's earned her first conference weekly honor.

August 29, 2009
Loss to Aggies leaves volleyball with day-two Mean Green split
Northern Colorado volleyball found itself in an 0-2 hole on Saturday afternoon for the second straight day at the North Texas Mean Green Volleyball Classic. The Bears this time, though, weren't able to climb all the way out in a 3-1 loss to New Mexico State, which received 28 votes in this year's AVCA Top 25 Preseason Poll. The Bears (3-1) started the day with a resounding 3-0 win against Texas-San Antonio, setting the stage for their tournament-heavyweight showdown. The Aggies were just too tough.

August 28, 2009
Volleyball smoking out of the gate
The Bears started slow but finished hot in a season-opening 3-2 win against SMU on Friday morning during the first day of the 2009 North Texas Mean Green Volleyball Classic. Northern Colorado then continued its momentum Friday night with a slightly easier 3-0 victory over the host Mean Green to start 2-0 for the second straight season. The Bears will continue their quest for a first Mean Green Classic title Saturday, when they face Texas-San Antonio at 9 a.m. and New Mexico State, a preseason top-30 team, at 1 a.m. Both times are mountain.

August 27, 2009
Volleyball begins promising season 'Texas Style'
Northern Colorado, the third pick in this year's 2009 Big Sky Conference preseason poll, will open 2009 on Friday morning against the SMU Mustangs at the North Texas Mean Green Volleyball Classic in Denton, Texas -- the hometown of Bears' senior Taylor Smith. Northern Colorado will also face the host Mean Green, the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners and New Mexico State Aggies while in the Lone Star State.

August 26, 2009
Big Sky Conference teams up with B2 Network for all new Big Sky TV
The Big Sky Conference has signed a multiyear contract with B2 Networks to serve as the new distributor of Big Sky TV, the league and B2 announced in a joint statement on Wednesday.

August 23, 2009
Volleyball takes care of business in alumni match
Northern Colorado's 2009 volleyball team stormed out the gates Saturday night with a 25-9 first-set victory in its annual Alumni Match and looked for all the world like the team head coach Lyndsey Benson has been so excited to unveil to supporters of her program. The Bears cooled off from there but still cruised to a 3-1 (25-9, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21) victory.

August 21, 2009
Watch The Coaches Preview Their Seasons
Watch soccer Head Coach Tim Barrera and volleyball Head Coach Lyndsey Benson preview their 2009 seasons on Bears Vision.

August 20, 2009
Volleyball to start season of hope with match from the past
The Bears, who enter 2009 with unprecedented expectations and hopes, will host their annual Alumni Match on Saturday night, Aug. 22, inside Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. A group of nine former Blue and Gold greats is set to clash with this year's installment of Northern Colorado volleyball, and admission is free to the public.

August 11, 2009
Volleyball Bears tabbed third in Big Sky preseason poll
Northern Colorado receives 47 total points in a poll among the league's nine coaches, with each coach being prohibited from voting for their own team. The third-place nod is the highest predicted conference finish for Lyndsey Benson's program since it began play in NCAA Division I in 2005 and joined the Big Sky Conference in 2006.

July 28, 2009
Four Named To NSCA All-American Team
Patrick Berg, Cristian Sarmento, Jamie Schroeder and Taylor Smith were all named to the 2009 National Strength & Conditioning Association All-American Team.

July 28, 2009
Action Increases Around Campus
With fall sports reporting to campus in less than one week, there has been a significant increase in action around the athletic facilities at Northern Colorado.

July 9, 2009
Prospects are high for Benson's Bears volleyball program
Lyndsey Benson's program little more than a month away from starting 2009 season.

May 30, 2009
Volleyball raises bar with 2009 schedule
Two trips home for a pair of seniors, a home tournament featuring an Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouse and matches against every NCAA Division I team in the state highlight the Bears' slate, which was released Saturday morning by head coach Lyndsey Benson.