Box Score
NAMPA, Idaho – For the first time this season, the Montana State Billings volleyball team swept an opponent as it downed Northwest Nazarene 3-0 (25-23, 26-24, 25-14) Saturday evening. With the win, the Yellowjackets improved to 3-17 overall and 3-8 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
“It was a very solid performance tonight,” MSUB head coach Steve Smith said. “I was really happy with how we played defense. Our servicing was really good as we only had one reception error all night. It wasn't so much about our offense, as it was what I have been preaching all year-defense and good servicing wins games and that was what happened tonight.”
MSUB senior Jennifer Boe led the way with 17 kills and 13 digs as she hit .222. Junior Brooke Tolman tallied 26 assists as the Yellowjackets hit .160 with 37 kills and 20 errors in 106 attempts. Defensively, the Jackets had four solo blocks and 10 block assists on the evening. Sophomore Kayla Neumiller also had 13 digs on the night.
NNU (5-12, 5-7 GNAC) was led by nine kills from Kailey Trautman, while Carly Dranginis added eight. Briana Claassen led the way with 15 assists and Haley Hevern tallied 11 digs. As a team the Crusaders hit just .070 with 30 kills and 22 errors on 114 attempts.
In the first set, the Yellowjackets jumped out to a 5-0 lead as NNU committed four attack errors and an ace to start the match. MSUB built an 18-10 lead, only to see the Crusaders go on a 7-2 run to close within 20-17. The Yellowjackets rebuilt the lead to 24-20, but NNU fought off three set points and the set ended on a block from junior Melissa Porter for a 1-0 lead.
The Crusaders jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the second set and led 16-10, but the Jackets didn't panic fighting back to 21-20, courtesy of a 10-5 run. From there, the teams tied three times including 24-24 before Boe got the go ahead kill and a Crusader miscue ended the set 26-24 in favor of the Jackets.
MSUB built a 15-10 lead in set three before a Crusader timeout, and went on for a 25-14 win in probably one of the best sets of the season.
“We struggled offensively in the first game, but we came alive in the third game with 14 kills and three errors as a team," Smith said. We hit .393 in the third game which is exciting. I think NNU is a really solid program as we have struggled against them the last two years. It was nice to come in here on their home court and get a win.”
The win was the first for MSUB in Nampa as NNU had won all four previous meetings. It also snapped a streak of six-straight wins for the Crusaders in the series.
MSUB returns home to host Western Oregon and Saint Martin's, Oct. 21 and Oct. 23, respectively, at 7 p.m. in Alterowitz Gymnasium.
