Box Score

LACEY, Wash. – The Montana State Billings University volleyball team picked up a key four-set road conference win at Saint Martin's University Thursday.

The Yellowjackets (7-7, 4-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) reached the .500 mark after a 47-assist effort from Kyndal Williams. The freshman racked up a season-high assist total in the victory. She is currently fourth in the conference in assists per set averaging 10.03. The Helena, Mont., native completed the double-double adding 13 digs Thursday.

Erin Compton also reached a season-high for MSU Billings. The senior totaled a match-high 29 digs. She is second in the GNAC averaging 5.82 digs per set.

Monica Grimsrud and Chelsey Walter both finished with 13 kills, while Jody Lutz had 11. Morgan Moss and Adrienne Kelso chipped in 14 and 13 digs respectively. Lutz, Grimsrud, and Taylor Adams were all in on three blocks.

As a team, Montana State Billings outhit the Saints, .219 to .095, and held a slim 51-49 kill advantage. The Yellowjackets finished with 50 assists to SMU's 45. Defensively, MSUB had 91-75 dig advantage.

“We came out flat in the first set but came back strong in the second,” MSU Billings' volleyball head coach Lisa Axel said. “I thought we battled hard tonight in front of a big Saint Martin's crowd. We played better under pressure and had to fight for every point. It was another solid performance by our defense. Erin Compton has been playing very well this season, and Adrienne Kelso came in tonight and really did a great job for us in right back.”

Saint Martin's took an early 7-2 lead on one of Carrie Starbuck's seven kills in the first set. Leading at 16-13, the Saints scored four straight to make it 20-13. A kill by Shea-Linn White late in the set followed by a MSUB service ace gave Saint Martin's the first set win, 25-16.

The second set was back-and-forth early but it was the Yellowjackets that changed a 7-7 score into a 14-7 lead after a 7-0 run capped by an attack error by SMU. MSU Billings hit .348 in the second set en route to a 25-13 win.

In set three, the Yellowjackets took an early 8-3 lead, but the Saints rallied to take their first lead at 15-14, behind a block from Katy Ferguson and Kristyn Ross. Tied at 17, Jody Lutz took control for MSU Billings as she accounted for five of the Yellowjackets' last eight points and finished with seven kills in the set. MSUB won the set 25-19, after a Lutz kill.

The fourth set featured 12 ties and five lead changes. SMU led at 16-13, but following a MSUB timeout, the Yellowjackets scored five straight to take an 18-16 lead. The two teams continued to trade points until a 21-21 score changed to 25-21, as Montana State-Billings closed out the set with the final four unanswered points.

Ross finished with 14 kills and a team-high 19 digs. Starbuck added 13 kills and 14 digs. Cymbree Decosta also had a double-double with 17 assists and 12 digs. Halee Hernandez led the Saints (4-6, 2-3 GNAC) with 25 assists. Kristin Okamura contributed 13 digs.

Montana State Billings defeated Saint Martin's for the 10th time out of the 13 all-time meetings. The teams will meet again in Billings on Nov. 3, where the Yellowjackets are 6-0 all-time against SMU. Thursday's matchup was Black Out Night at Saint Martin's, as fans wore black to support the Saints.

MSU Billings travels to Monmouth, Ore., for its next opponent, Western Oregon University. The Wolves (10-4, 3-2) boast one of the better records in the conference, but are coming off back-to-back three-set losses, including Thursday's setback at home to Seattle Pacific. The battle for sole possession of fourth place in the conference standings begins Saturday at 7 p.m. Live video and stats will be available on MSUBSports.com.