Box Score BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings volleyball team lost a tough five set match to Western Oregon on Saturday 16-25, 26-24, 25-19, 23-25, 3-15.

There were 43 total ties and 22 total lead changes in a match that went the distance.

After a tie at 10-10 Montana State Billings (3-14, 1-8 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) took control of the first set, never letting Western Oregon (6-13, 3-6 GNAC) into the set until finally at 22-16 MSUB earned three more points ending the set at 25-16.  The second set was much closer and featured 16 ties and five lead changes.  The third set went much the same as the second with 10 ties and four lead changes.  The fourth set had MSUB up at 23-20 when WOU battled back to within one at 23-24 when a kill from Chelsey Walter ended the set at 25-23 for Montana State Billings, sending the match into a fifth and decisive set.  The fifth set was all WOU when at 3-1 MSUB lost two consecutive points on team rotation violations and couldn't get going back into the game losing the fifth set 3-15.

Becky Blees and Krissi Kemper had a big night for the Wolves.  Blees threw down nine kills and was in on five block assists.  Kemper had double sevens, with seven kills and seven block assists.

Western Oregon's offense was run by Jordin Ramos who had 19 assists and Erin Dobson with 12.

Defensively Megan Triggs had a big game as she came up with 20 digs.  Ramos, Dobson, and Christie Colasurdo all pitched in eight digs for Western Oregon.

Montana State Billings outhit the Wolves by 11 kills 49-38, but couldn't keep up at the net as WOU had 22 block assists to MSUB's 10.  This is the third match this season where MSUB has out-hit their opponent, but ultimately lost the match.

Montana State Billings' Ashlynn Ward had a record-setting match as she had a season-high 15 kills on the night.  Her last highest was 13 against Cal-State Stanislaus back on September 6.  Kyndal Williams had 43 assists for the Yellowjackets in the match tonight.  This is the second highest she has had this season; the first being 52 recorded assists in the same Cal-State Stanislaus match earlier in the year.

Monica Grimsrud had 11 kills in the match.  This now puts her over the 1,000 career mark in kills at MSUB.  Chelsey Walter had eight kills and five block assists for the Yellowjackets.  Krista Norris threw in six kills and Stormy Siemion contributed five.

It was a good night for MSUB in serves as four players recorded a service ace.  Grimsrud, Siemion, and Walter each had two as Norris chipped in one.

Defensively the Yellowjackets were spread out as eight players recorded a dig in the match. Three players were in the double-digits for Montana State Billings as Sydney Oberstein had 13, Kyndal Williams had 11, and Kimmy Kirk had 10. 

Next week, Montana State Billings is on the road as they travel to Burnaby, British Columbia to take on Simon Fraser University on Thursday October 24 and then head to Bellingham, Washington to face the #7 ranked Div. II team in the country in Western Washington University.  Both video and live stats for these matches can be found at MSUBSports.com
 
 
 
 
Short Box Score

Western Oregon def. MSU Billings 16-25,26-24,25-19,23-25,15-3   Western Oregon (6-13, 3-6 GNAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Blees,Becky 9-0-5; Kemper,Krissi 7-0-7; O'Hara,Cherene 7-0-3; Moore,Samantha 5-0-1; Colasurdo,Christie 5-0-3; Deede,Hannah 4-0-5; Ramos,Jordin 1-0-0; Dobson,Erin 0-2-0; Triggs,Megan 0-2-0; Totals 38-4-13.0. (Assists) - Ramos,Jordin 19; Dobson,Erin 12. (Dig leaders) - Triggs,Megan 20; Dobson,Erin 8; Ramos,Jordin 8; Colasurdo,Christie 8   MSU Billings (3-14, 1-8 GNAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Ward,Ashlynn 15-0-4; Grimsrud,Monica 11-2-0; Walter,Chelsey 8-2-5; Norris,Krista 6-1-0; Siemion,Stormy 5-2-0; Anderson,Julia 2-0-1; Williams,Kyndal 2-0-1; Ostermiller,Mikara 0-0-2; Totals 49-7-8.0. (Assists) - Williams,Kyndal 43. (Dig leaders) - Oberstein,Sydney 13; Williams,Kyndal 11; Kirk,Kimmy 10; Siemion,Stormy 9