Box Score
HONOLULU, Hawaii – The Montana State Billings volleyball team suffered its consecutive sixth setback this season at Hawaii Pacific Friday evening with a 3-1 loss to the Sea Warriors (12-25, 20-25, 25-22, 20-25). With the loss, the Yellowjackets fell to 0-6 on the year, while HPU improved to 6-0.
MSUB was led by 11 kill from Jennifer Boe and Melissa Porter. Brooke Tolman led the team with 29 assists and 10 digs, while Morgan Moss led the team with 25 digs and Boe chipped in 20 digs. Geneva Blunt had three solo blocks.
As a team, the Yellowjackets continued to struggle to hit as they hit just .085 for the match. MSUB had 36 kills with 24 errors, seven aces and three service errors.
Conversely, HPU was led by 12 kills from Natasha Bell and 10 from Kelly Balanay. Pihana Kea led the team with 42 assists, while Kyra Pelayo led four players in double figures with 25 digs. As a team, the Sea Warriors hit .233 with 53 kills to go along with 18 miscues. HPU tallied 14 aces and had seven service errors.
MSUB struggled hitting in the first set and hit in negative numbers for the first time this season (-.033). HPU evened the set at eight with a Tricia Yoshimura serve and a Balanay kill. From there, the Sea Warriors went on a 17-4 run to close the set. The Jackets had just five kills and six errors in the opening set. HPU hit its best in the first set (.310) as it tallied 12 kills to just three errors.
The offense picked up a bit for the Yellowjackets in the second set as they hit .086 with nine kills and six errors, while HPU was at a .195 clip with 14 kills and six errors. The set was even throughout as neither team garnered more than a five point lead.
HPU used a pair of key runs in the set to earn the 25-20 victory. Tied 10-10, the Sea Warriors rattled off a 6-1 run to take a 16-11 lead. MSUB continued to fight hard and clawed its way back, cutting the deficit to 20-17 on a kill from Blunt. The Jackets got within three again at 23-20 in a service error.
Tied 15-15 in the third set, the Sea Warriors scored the next two points on a kill and an ace as MSUB head coach Steve Smith called a timeout.
Out of the timeout, the Jackets again clawed their way back as an ace by Taylor Adams and a HPU miscue sparked a run of 7-1 for a 24-19 lead. HPU rattled off three straight points, but a Sea Warrior error gave the set to the Yellowjackets, 25-22.
Like in the third set, the fourth was close throughout as the teams basically traded points. The Sea Warriors took a 19-16 lead on a Balanay kill which was their largest lead of the set to that point. Out of a timeout by MSUB, the Jackets cut the deficit to 19-18, but would get no closer as HPU closed with a 6-2 run.
The Yellowjackets play their final two matches on the islands Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. Hawaii time with a neutral site matchup with Hawaii Hilo. MSUB faces Chaminade at 7:30 p.m. Hawaii time. The Jackets then return home to host Northwest Nazarene Thurs., Sept. 16 at 7 p.m., in Alterowitz Gymnasium in the first Great Northwest Athletic Conference match of the season.
