Box Score
MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon University volleyball team took a four-set win over Montana State University Billings behind a double-double performance by Samantha Ward Saturday.
Ward led the Wolves (11-4, 4-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) with 15 kills and 15 digs. WOU, which hit .305 in the match, also received help from LesLyne Satele's 23 assists. Krissi Kemper and Danielle Reese added 14 and 11 kills respectively. Jordin Ramos finished with 19 assists and Megan Triggs had 14 digs. Becky Blees had five blocks.
Western Oregon held MSUB to a .132 hitting percentage. The Wolves finished with a 53-43 kills advantage, while MSU Billings had a 67 digs to WOU's 53.
The first set was controlled by Western, as it featured no ties and no lead changes. WOU scored the set's first four points and took an early 13-5 lead after an attack error by MSUB. The Wolves had their largest lead of the set with the final score, 25-12. Western Oregon hit .308 in the first frame, while the Yellowjackets finished -.182.
The momentum shifted to MSU Billings in the second set. Twelve ties and seven lead changes scattered through the set, but it was the Yellowjackets that came away with the 25-20 second frame win. MSUB led by as many as three points early in the set three times. After a tie at 18, Montana State Billings scored seven of the final nine points, capped by an attack error from Western Oregon.
The third set went back and forth and was tied again at 18-18. WOU responded with a decisive four-point run. The set featured nine ties and three lead changes, but it was the Wolves that grabbed the 25-19 victory.
Western Oregon utilized another large run in the fourth set to finish off the victory as the Wolves outscored the Yellowjackets, 14-3, after MSUB grabbed a 12-11 lead early in the set. The final set had seven ties and four lead changes.
Monica Grimsrud led MSU Billings (7-8, 4-3 GNAC) with 15 kills.
Kyndal Williams had a double-double with a match-high 38 assists and 10 digs. Defensively,
Erin Compton chipped in 22 digs and
Taylor Adams had two blocks.
The Yellowjackets return home to host Alaska-Fairbanks (2-10, 0-6) Thursday. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., and will feature a live video stream and live stats on MSUBSports.com.
