Yes, they play volleyball in Montana.

No, they don’t ride horses to volleyball practice.

In fact, Raegan Steiner would like you to know that high school volleyball is very much alive and kicking in a state better known for rodeo, skiing and — until recently — basketball. Steiner should know: the 6-foot-0 opposite from Billings Senior High is the first Montanan ever selected to the AVCA Under Armor High School All-American team.

Everyone get up to bozo because it’s the last chance to support your undefeated broncs this year. The support is appreciated. #takin’names pic.twitter.com/OR2Az9vfk5

— BSH Volleyball (@bshvolleyball_) November 9, 2017

Steiner’s road to Kansas City — where the All-Americans will showcase their talents during the NCAA Final Four and AVCA Convention — has been longer and harder than you might imagine. Although volleyball is now wildly popular in the Big Sky State, it was once a pariah on the prairie. And therein lies a story.

A History Of Sport Discrimination

Like most states, Montana shut girls out of meaningful high school sports competition for most of the 20th century. The first state championship for football was held in 1900; the first boys basketball tournament was in 1911. Girls were finally allowed a statewide basketball competition in 1972, just one year before the federal law known as Title IX required all schools across America to offer equal sports opportunities for women.

A decade passed. Despite Title IX, Montana continued to offer fewer sports opportunities for high school girls than boys. One of those girls filed a landmark federal lawsuit, forcing the state to agree to a long list of changes. On the one hand, girls could finally play high school volleyball. On the other hand, they couldn’t get the gym when they wanted.

“Volleyball did not arrive in Montana in a natural progression,” former Billings Senior High School volleyball coach Jeff Carroll said.

Girls indoor volleyball is, of course, a fall sport. But in Montana, girls basketball — usually a winter sport — had already claimed the gyms in autumn. In a state filled with small, rural schools, a single coach often oversaw both girls and boys basketball. In addition, male and female athletes alike strongly preferred to play multiple sports. Montana’s solution was to offer girls basketball in fall, volleyball in winter, and softball or track and field in spring. 

As Montana girls fell in love with volleyball, they quickly realized their winter season was a burden. At most schools, boys basketball claimed winter’s best gym practice times and competition dates. The winter high school season conflicted with club volleyball. And without attendance at prestigious national club tournaments, college coaches rarely saw or recruited Montana players, especially from the sparsely-populated eastern half of the state.

And, so, volleyball players — led by three volleyball coaches — sued again. In the face of often-angry pushback from the basketball community, and despite years of delay and resistance from Montana’s high school sports association, volleyball finally prevailed. In 2002, girls basketball moved to winter, and volleyball became a fall sport at last.

“There were so many angry people when volleyball came in,” said Carroll, who was one of those coaches weathering angry blowback from basketball coaches and parents. “And they were furious again when the seasons finally got switched. You would have thought Armageddon hit. We had so much adversity along the way.”

The Vanguard

But the doors were finally open. Among many Montana volleyball pioneers, the Steiner family stands out. Raegan’s mom, Chantelle Steiner, played for Idaho State. Oldest sister Kiahna Vernon just finished four years as a hitter for Utah Valley University. Next oldest sister, Aubrie, completed two years at Salt Lake Community College. Youngest sister, Karli, is Raegan’s teammate on the Billings Senior High squad.

But Raegan is the only left-hander. 

“She’s the best left-hander to ever play the game in the state of Montana – by far,” said Carroll, who coached Steiner for two years in club and for her first three seasons on the Billings Senior High varsity.

She knocked her older sister down on the all-time list & @BSHBroncNation's Raegan Steiner career has been one for the Broncs' history book https://t.co/tx8lBNmZPx #mtscores pic.twitter.com/wcFUrlwa1E

— 406 Sports (@406mtsports) November 9, 2017

“At first, I was actually a setter,” Steiner said. “There was this tournament where coach Carroll said, 'We’re gonna throw you on the right side.'” 

Steiner admits she was initially reluctant, but soon discovered that few opposing teams had much experience blocking a lefty. 

“I fast fell in love with hitting,” she said.

Sue Dvorak, who played and coached in Minnesota and California, replaced Carroll as Steiner’s high school coach this season. 

“I’ve seen a lot of arms in my day,” Dvorak said, “but I’ve never seen a left arm as fast as hers. She can really hit the ball. Sometimes our libero would just walk away, saying ‘Nope. Not taking that one!’”

But even with all that talent, Steiner got very few inquiries from college coaches. 

“There are a lot of athletes here in Montana that college coaches don’t even think about because they’re multi-sport athletes,” Dvorak said. “They think, 'She’s not at [Colorado] Crossroads, she must not be a volleyball player.’”

Unlike most of her friends, Steiner decided to focus just on volleyball. 

“I like that when I’m not in-season I have more family time,” she said. “And I definitely think it helps with injuries. Way less injuries.”

Even so, she was determined to play in college. 

“My mom is a rockstar,” she said. “She films every match, so we sent coaches a lot of film.” 

In the end, she accepted an offer from Idaho State, her mom’s alma mater. 

“There was no pressure from my mom. She let me decide what to do.”

Welcome to the #Ambush Raegan Steiner! Go Bengals! pic.twitter.com/Z4xmjyMIeJ

— Idaho State VB (@IdahoStateVB) November 20, 2017

When Carroll first started coaching in 1983, only one girl showed up for open gym. These days, the National Federation of High Schools reports that volleyball is — by far — the most popular girls sport in Montana, with 21 percent more participants than second-place basketball.

“I think the game has come very far in Montana, even in the past five years,” Steiner said. “And I think it’s going to continue getting better.”

So, college coaches take note: maybe you’ll want to plan a recruiting visit to Montana this spring. And, if you do, remember, you don’t have to ride a horse to the gym.

By Jack Hamann