Box Score

BILLINGS, Mont. – The Central Washington University volleyball team took a lengthy three-set match from Montana State University Billings Saturday, 26-24, 31-29, 30-28.

The Wildcats (10-4, 5-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) won their fifth straight match, and ended MSUB's three match winning streak. It was also the fifth straight time CWU beat MSU Billings. The last time the Yellowjackets picked up a win over Central was a sweep in Ellensburg, Wash., on Nov. 12, 2009.

“We battled hard toward the end of each set,” MSUB volleyball head coach Lisa Axel said. “I think we started each set a little slow, and I think that was the difference in each match for us. When you're having to fight back at the end of each set it gets hard. We were in this match. Central is a great team that does not make a lot of errors.”

Central Washington's Catie Fry had a match-high 40 assists. Marcy Hjellum finished with a double-double, with a match-high 17 kills and 19 digs. Kaely Kight added 12 digs. Kaitlin Quirk was in on four blocks.

In three sets that could have gone either way, the Wildcats had a slim 49-48 kill advantage. Central Washington finished with a .196 to .127 hitting percentage lead over MSUB. The match featured 44 ties and 24 lead exchanges. The three set match last a hour and 46 minutes, just 15 minutes shy of Thursday's five-set MSU Billings' win over Northwest Nazarene.

Twelve ties and seven lead changes scattered across the first set. A kill by Fry gave the Wildcats an early 6-2 lead, but MSUB would rally and take an 8-7 lead after a kill by Julianna Evola capped the 6-1 run. CWU built its lead back to 14-10, but the set would be even again at 20. The score tied at 21, 22, 23, and 24, before Central Washington ended the set with kills from Erin Smith and Rachel Hanses.

The Wildcats' largest lead in the second set was four points, as CWU lost its' 14-10 advantage after a 5-0 run from the Yellowjackets. MSU Billings had its largest lead of the set, 17-15, after an attack error from CWU. The teams went back-and-forth again as ties followed at every point from 17 to 29. With the score even at 29, Central took the set with a Hjellum kill and a Yellowjacket attack error.

The third set featured 14 ties and eight lead changes. The set opened with seven ties until Central Washington took a 16-11 lead after an ace from Hjellum. But, just as they had the entire match, the Yellowjackets rallied to tie the score at 22. A CWU attack error followed and completed the 12-6 run from MSUB. The set tied on the following six points, but the Wildcats again used a Hjellum kill and a MSU Billings attack error to take the set and match.

Three Yellowjackets (6-7, 3-2) had double-digit kills, led by Monica Grimsrud's 12. Jody Lutz and Chelsey Walter added 11 and 10 kills. Kyndal Williams finished with 39 assists. Erin Compton had 27 digs.

After three straight matches at home, Montana State Billings travels to Lacey, Wash., to face Saint Martin's (3-5, 1-2) Thursday. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. PDT. Live video and stats will be available on MSUBSports.com.

“Looking ahead I think we need to just stay steady,” Axel said. “Right now we're going in spurts and taking a couple of plays off. We have to play a steady match from the first point to the last point.”