FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Montana State Billings volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (20-25, 23-25, 25-16, 18-25) Great Northwest Athletic Conference match at Alaska Fairbanks Saturday afternoon.  With the loss, the Yellowjackets fell to 4-20 overall and 4-11 in conference play.  The Nanooks improved to 6-14 overall and 4-10 in conference play.

MSUB senior Jennifer Boe led the team with 12 kills and 17 digs.  Sophomore Hannah Johnson added 12 kills, while junior Brooke Tolman led the team with 35 assists.  Freshman Adrienne Kelso added 14 digs and junior Melissa Porter had two solo blocks.

The Nanooks were led by 15 kills from Simone Chavous, while Erica Gage and Tereza Bendlova each chipped in 11.  Bendlova led the team with 15 digs and Mandy Grierson had 35 assists.

As a team, the Yellowjackets tallied 41 kills and 22 errors for a .162 average.  MSUB tallied 39 assists with 48 digs, two solo blocks and eight total blocks.  Conversely, the Nanooks hit .209 with 53 kills and 25 errors.  They had 49 assists and 47 digs with five total blocks.

A 5-1 run by UAF broke open an 11-11 game and helped give the Nanooks some breathing room, but the Yellowjackets came roaring back to close within 18-16.  UAF had the answer as it swelled the lead to 23-17 and settled for a 25-20 win in the first set.

The Nanooks led the majority of the second set and held a 20-13 lead.  The pesky Jackets hung around in the set as they went on a 7-1 run to close within 21-20.  Tolman had seven consecutive serves during the run.  Johnson earned a kill after a Yellowjacket service error to stave off one set point down 24-23, but Chavous tallied the set-winning kill moments later for a 25-23 win.

After the intermission, the Yellowjackets came out and broke open a tight set midway through. After a 13-13 tie, the Jackets closed the set with a 12-3 run and six Nanook miscues helped the cause.  MSUB regained some momentum heading into the fourth set with a 25-16 win in set three.

In the third set, the Jackets hit a match-high .316 with 10 kills and just four errors. 

Set four was reverse of the previous set as UAF had the big run midway through to take command.  Blocks from Johnson and Porter tied the score at 10, but a 10-3 run by UAF gave the Nanooks some breathing room and a 25-18 win.