Box Score BILLINGS, Mont. – Keeping momentum on its side after a wild 29-27 Set 2 victory, Rocky Mountain College defeated Montana State University Billings in three sets during a Think Pink match Tuesday evening in Alterowitz Gym.
 
The Battlin' Bears, who compete in the Frontier Conference of the NAIA, took the match with scores of 25-19, 29-27 and 25-14. The team has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for eight consecutive weeks, and improved to 23-2 on the season.
 
The turning point in the match came following a major rally to close the second set. Both teams battled to keep the ball alive, winning multiple game-point opportunities. In the end, it was a three-point swing by RMC that gave the team a 29-27 win and pulled momentum into its favor. The Bears emerged from the break and immediately took command, storming past MSUB to close the match with the loud Set 3 win.
 
"We played so well at end of second game, and we just need to play like that consistently," MSUB head coach Lisa Axel said. "After the second game we were struggling to stay at that level. This match shows that there's a ton of very good volleyball in Montana. It's good for the community to see there is some really good volleyball here, and to be able to put two good, quality teams together is a testament to that."
 
Ahlea Billis led all players with 17 kills on the match, and Yang Yang came close to double figures with nine. Tori Bertsch collected 34 assists, and Jennifer Donaldson totaled 21 digs. Brooke Myers (14) and Billis (13) were also in double-figures in the digs category for RMC.
 
For MSUB, Monica Grimsrud was the lone player with double-digits in kills as she finished with 10. Junior setter Kyndal Williams finished with 28 assists, and libero Haley Wells had a team-best 17 digs. Chelsey Walter finished with seven kills, while logging just one attack error on the night.
 
"Kyndal did a good job, especially in the second game of getting our hitters into one-on-one situations," Axel said. "We just were not always able to capitalize.
 
"Chelsey had a good night," Axel said. "They were keen on her but she was able to stay pretty low error tonight."
 
The Yellowjackets fell to 10-12 on the season with the loss, and are now 36-17 all-time against RMC. The Bears finished the match with 11 team blocks, compared with three by the Yellowjackets. MSUB hit .079 as a team, while RMC held a strong mark of .250.
 
In the first set, Grimsrud and Alaina Gentili teamed up for a block early on, stopping a 3-point RMC rally to make the score 5-3 in favor of the Bears.
 
The match remained well-balanced early on, with an RMC miscue narrowing the team's lead to 10-9. The Bears won the next four points with Myers serving, reestablishing a five-point advantage and prompting Axel to burn a timeout.
 
MSUB had difficulty cutting into the lead, falling behind 19-12 midway through the first set. Coming out of a timeout, the 'Jackets won 4 of 5 points to narrow the deficit to 20-16.
 
Yang had a big kill for RMC, but the 'Jackets kept pace as the score moved to 22-18. A block assist by Bertsch set up game-point for the Bears at 24-19, and Billis put down the next ball to give RMC the first set.
 
A block by Yang and Billis pushed RMC to a 2-0 lead in the second set, but a strong kill by Ashlynn Ward helped the 'Jackets keep pace early on.
 
A big kill by Krista Norris capped off an exhilarating rally as both teams wildly kept the ball alive, and MSUB took a 6-5 advantage.
 
Williams sneaked in a slick, quick kill a few points later, as the back-and-forth second set tilted into MSUB's favor, 10-9. Grimsrud took advantage of a missed over pass a few points later, pushing the ball back down to make the score 12-11.
 
RMC rallied for five points in-a-row, regaining a three-point lead of its own at 17-14. The Bears kept their distance, moving ahead 20-17 and then 22-18 out of another MSUB timeout.
 
Refusing to give in, MSUB received an over-the-shoulder kill by Walter and a loud putdown by Grimsrud to make the score 23-20 in favor of the Bears. A cross-court kill by Yang once again had RMC on the verge of a set victory, but the 'Jackets put together an incredible four-point run to even the tally at 24-24.
 
A Mariah Stiffarm kill gave RMC another game-point, but Gentili made it 25-25 to extend the second. Ward slammed down another hard kill two points later, and Norris gave the 'Jackets a shot at game-point with a kill. The Bears won the next three points however, stifling the rhythm of the set and picking up the victory.
 
Yang and BrieAnna Geck combined for a block as RMC jumped out to a 5-2 lead in Set 3. Ward and Gentili responded with a block of their own, prompting a three-point run by the 'Jackets to knot the score at 5-5.
 
Trading points to the score of 9-9, RMC rallied for four in-a-row to force the 'Jackets to call a timeout with the score at 13-9. The Bears kept rolling, as a solo block by Yang made the spread seven points at 17-10.
 
MSUB failed to gain any traction, watching as the Bears ran away with the third set and the match victory.
 
SEA OF PINK: A packed house was adorned in every shade of pink imaginable, as the theme of cancer awareness was alive and well inside Alterowitz Gym. MSUB competed in pink jerseys, while RMC sported pink socks to support the cause.
 
MSUB teamed up with the EVA Project and St. Vincent Healthcare, as free t-shirts were distributed throughout the night, and information was made available regarding the fight against cancer.
 
During the intermission between the second and third sets, a group of 21 breast cancer survivors was honored as the crowd gave a standing ovation as their names were announced. "Any time you can honor those survivors and bring awareness to a good cause, it is a good opportunity," Axel said.
 
NEXT UP: Returning to GNAC play this weekend, MSUB travels to Seattle to take on the Falcons of Seattle Pacific. First serve is set for 8 p.m. Mountain time on Saturday inside Brougham Pavilion on the SPU campus.
 
"It should be a good match on Saturday, we are tied right now in conference and it was a tight game when they were here," Axel said regarding facing Seattle Pacific. "We need to play our best to go in there and have a shot at trying to get a win."