BILLINGS, Mont. – Coming up just short in a match that alternated set victories, Montana State University Billings fell to Simon Fraser 25-15, 22-25, 25-16, 14-25, 12-15 Thursday evening in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference match inside Alterowitz Gym.
 
The Yellowjackets fell to 8-5 with the loss, and are now 3-2 in GNAC play. Simon Fraser pulled its conference record to .500 with the victory at 2-2, and the Clan are 8-4 overall on the season.
 
On the match, MSUB senior Chelsey Walter had a match-best 15 kills, while Kyndal Williams topped all players in assists with 45. Four 'Jackets had double figures in digs, with freshman Haley Wells leading the way at 14.
 
For SFU, Kelsey Robinson tallied 13 kills while Mackenzie Dunham added 10. Brooklyn Gould-Bradbury had a team-best 31 assists, while Alison McKay was the Clan's top defender with 29 digs.
 
On the game, MSUB totaled 10 team blocks compared with seven by the Clan.
 
The Yellowjackets grabbed command of the first set early, establishing a comfortable 13-7 advantage. On what appeared to be a soft kill by the Clan, Williams entered a fully-extended slide and saved the ball by her fingertips. The effort helped the 'Jackets win the point, and MSUB continued to build its lead up to 17-8.
 
The Clan fought their way back, but MSUB's lead proved to be too great as the 'Jackets took the set 25-15.
 
The second set began much more evenly, with SFU keeping up with MSUB to the tune of 5-5. The Yellowjackets strung several points together and a big kill by Ashlynn Ward made the score 9-6 and forced the Clan to burn a timeout.
 
Keeping the game close, SFU fought its way back into the second set to tie the score at 13-13. Neither team established momentum through the middle of the second set, but SFU won three straight points to take a 23-20 advantage.
 
Ward had a kill to cut the deficit to 24-22 SFU, but a final put down by Gould-Bradbury gave the second set to the Clan.
 
SFU started off the third set with a bang, winning the first five points before a Ward kill snapped the streak. Walter and Williams combined for a block on the next point, and a kill by Siemion a few points later got the 'Jackets back into the game down 6-5.
 
Trading points through the middle of the set, MSUB gained a slight advantage and established a narrow 16-14 lead. A service ace by Wells on the next point forced SFU head coach Gina Schmidt to call a timeout as the 'Jackets took a 3-point lead.
 
Keeping its slim lead, MSUB moved ahead 19-16 thanks in large part to a big block from Walter and Krista Norris. The 'Jackets didn't stop there, winning the next six points to capture Set 3 25-16.
 
Jumping out to a quick lead in the fourth set, a block by Madison Power and Dunham extended SFU's margin to 9-2. The Clan kept the theme going, pushing ahead to a 15-6 advantage.
 
Another 6-3 run by SFU made the score 21-9, but the 'Jackets won the next four points to keep their hopes alive. The difference proved to be too great to overcome in the end, as the Clan captured the set 25-14.
 
Starting out as the tightest set of the night, the teams traded points in the fifth to a 5-5 deadlock. SFU pushed ahead by two 8-6, but a Clan error and a Siemion kill pulled the score even again at 8-8.
 
A combo block by Dunham and Madeline Hait ended a long rally with a point for SFU, and the Clan won the next to take command 11-9. Despite a strong effort by MSUB, the Clan finished the set strong for a 15-12 win and the match victory.

The loss was the first of the season for MSUB inside Alterowitz Gym, as the 'Jackets fell to 6-1 at home in 2014.
 
NEXT UP: MSUB is set to host Western Washington on Saturday evening in another GNAC matchup. First serve between the 'Jackets and Vikings is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Alterowitz Gym.