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BILLINGS, Mont. – Freshman Monica Grimsrud was red-hot Saturday night, tallying 24 kills while hitting .262, to lift the Montana State University Billings volleyball team to a thrilling 3-2 victory in their Great Northwest Athletic Conference match against the visiting Nanooks of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Saturday night inside Alterowitz Gymnasium.
 
The win snapped a six-match losing skid for the Yellowjackets as they improved to 10-14 overall and 4-11 in league action while the Nanooks fell to 2-20 in 2011 and 2-12 in GNAC action.
 
“It wasn't pretty, but it was a win,” said head coach Steve Smith. “Monica hit really well, it was nice to see her producing tonight. We struggled at times but were able to rally there in the end and get a needed win at home.”
 
The Nanooks were able to capitalize on a slow start by the Yellowjackets to claim the first set 25-20, but MSUB came back strong in the second set, winning 25-11. Fairbanks scored their final point in the set at 19-11 before MSUB went on a tear to claim the last six points and even the match's score at 1-1.
 
After intermission, Fairbanks was able to gain some momentum and en route to claiming the third set 25-16 but the Yellowjackets were there to answer in the fourth set, evening the score back up at 2-2 with a 25-20 fourth-set win.
 
The fifth set barely favored the Nanooks early, but the Yellowjackets would not be denied as they rallied hard to win the deciding set 16-14 off a Taylor Adams kill.
 
Grimsrud led all attackers with her 24 terminations, just two shy of her career high she set earlier in the season. Senior Melissa Porter tallied eight kills, one ahead of Chelsey Walter with seven.
 
Senior setter Brooke Tolman recorded her 12^th double-double of the season with a match-high 45 assists and 13 digs to go along with four kills and a service ace. Erin Compton had a team-high 32 digs and one service ace in the win.
 
Keri Knight led the Nanooks with 15 kills, just two ahead of Simone Chavous with 13.
 
Fairbanks hit .068 overall in the match including a -.162 in the second set while MSUB was able to hit .172 in the match. The Yellowjackets owned the net as they tallied seven total blocks to the Nanooks' four.
 
MSUB will now hit the road for the final time in 2011, traveling to Canada on Thursday, Nov. 3 to challenge the Clan of Simon Fraser University before making the trek to Washington on Saturday, Nov. 5 to battle Western Washington. After the final road-trek of the year, the Yellowjackets will return home for their final match of the season against currently 24^th-ranked Seattle Pacific University on Saturday, Nov. 12. The game against the Falcons will serve as MSUB's “Senior Night.”