BOZEMAN — Nellie Stevenson’s family won’t be in Bozeman as Montana State welcomes hundreds of loved ones to campus for Parent/Family Weekend beginning Thursday night when the Bobcat volleyball team takes on Eastern Washington in Shroyer Gym.
And that’s OK.
Stevenson, a product of San Leandro, Calif., and a senior setter on the Montana State volleyball team, saw her family two weeks ago when the Bobcats played at Sacramento State.
Her father, Pule, mother, Maggie, and brothers Antonio and Tyler, along with other extended family filled a section in The Nest.
“My family always comes big when we’re at Sac,” Stevenson grinned. “And my teammates think it’s so cool to see. It’s a huge blessing for me to have that support system. I’m very lucky that my teammates are interested to know me and my family,” she added.
Bobcats second-year head coach Matt Houk also realizes how fortunate the program is to have Stevenson on the squad as she brings more than just an athletic skillset to the team.
“Nellie has a really close relationship to her family,” Houk said. “Familial things are extremely important in Samoan culture. The moments when Nellie gets to see her family are unique and special. She has a really tight bond with her brothers, and that sibling bond holds pretty true. It’s really genuine and palatable and you can really see it.
“And I think the way that shows up with her teammates, having lived a life like that, is that she’s very trustworthy with her teammates, and she shows care and concern for them, and she knows how important it is to be authentic with the people that are around her.”
Stevenson’s journey to Montana State started over 25 years ago when Pule and Maggie moved from Samoa to the United States to raise their family, build a life, and give their kids every opportunity to succeed.
Pule also brought his seven brothers to the U.S. The Stevenson family includes nine sisters, as well. Maggie has four sisters and three brothers on her side.
“Family is a really big thing in our culture,” Nellie commented. “My parents taught me and my brothers to always put family first, have each other’s backs, and right or wrong, be there for them, and hold them close to your heart.
“When we get together there are so many of us,” she said. “My dad and my mom grew up in big families, and every family reunion I meet so many cousins, uncles, and aunties.”
Stevenson’s father grew up playing volleyball and rugby in Samoa, and he introduced his daughter to the sport at a young age — setting up a net in the back yard and playing games. Nellie played both basketball and volleyball during the middle school years and leaned toward her love of basketball.
But she also gave volleyball a chance, and once she started playing organized club volleyball her freshman year, and taking the sport more seriously, switched her allegiance.
As an all-conference performer and member of the UC Elite club program, she took her game to Feather River College after graduation and garnered All-America honors after leading the Golden Eagles to the California Community College Athletic Association state title in her second season.
Then she had a decision to make.
“I was talking with a bunch of schools and then it came down to March and (Assistant Coach) Taylor (Els) reached out to my junior college coach and asked about me,” Stevenson said. “My coach had been sending out video to a bunch of Division I and Division II schools, to see who would reach out. We scheduled a phone call, and then it all went from there.
“I did some research, but I had never really heard of Montana State,” she noted. “I checked out their competition, their program, their culture, their social media and thought this would be a good fit for me. I came for a visit and committed right on the spot.”
For Stevenson, easing into the Bobcat program was challenging.
“When I first met the team, they were really loving and welcoming,” Stevenson stated. “The first year I was kind of holding back, getting to know them and spending some quality time with them. But this year I’ve really gotten to know them, especially during the summer and I’m really comfortable and have brought my true self out.”
Stevenson connected early with Bobcat junior libero Lauren Lindseth and former MSU standout Emma Pence.
“Lauren was the one that always would text me to come hang out, and to do this and that,” Stevenson said. “Pence was also one of those people who reached out and got a chance to know me.”
Both Stevenson and Lindseth bring a calm, consistent presence to the squad. Stevenson is reliant on Lindseth’s serve-receive game to setup her hitters. The duo has the Bobcats hitting at a .206 clip in Big Sky play.
“Lauren and Nellie have a good relationship, and they have some similarities,” Houk commented. “They are both highly trustworthy individuals. They operate in similar ways and it’s a really good friendship.”
It’s that assurance in her teammates that helped MSU to its best season in school history last fall. The Bobcats posted a program best 24-9 overall record and a 12-4 Big Sky slate. They also made Montana State’s first ever postseason appearance which culminated in a National Invitational Volleyball Championship Fab Four match at Wichita State.
Stevenson’s complete trust and confidence in her team has the Bobcats off to a 3-1 start in league play this season, after riding out a daunting non-conference schedule that included matches against three teams ranked in the AVCA Division I Top 25 poll.
Samoan culture is rich and diverse, but at the heart of it all is faith. Stevenson is steadfast in her faith, and it defines who she is both on and off the court.
“We’re big on faith and I grew up religiously, keeping my faith in God, and putting him first in everything I do,” Stevenson said. “My family has this thing when everybody is home at the same time, we do a prayer meeting and mention things we want to pray about- the thanks, the forgiveness, the needs. It’s really cool that I grew up on that because I think it’s what got me to where I am today.
“People think Polynesians are intimidating and that their just big, but I would want people to know we are very loving, we treat everybody as our own and we’re very family-oriented,” she added. “Wherever we go, we look for family. We’re loyal people.”
Family and loyalty are also pillars within the Bobcat program.
“The majority of our day is spent together and when we’re together we’re so connected,” Stevenson smiled. “One of my favorite things about the team is that we stay together, we don’t break. Good times, good laughs. Our end goal is to win conference and punch a ticket.”
