Box Score BILLINGS, Mont. – Playing its third consecutive 5-set match, the Montana State University Billings volleyball team dropped a back-and-forth Great Northwest Athletic Conference match to Seattle Pacific Saturday night inside Alterowitz Gym.
 
The teams traded sets heading into the fifth, but the 'Jackets could not emerge victorious with a final score line of 20-25, 25-20, 21-25, 25-18, and 11-15.
 
A dual block by Jessica Miller and Maddi Hommes, which had proven to be the theme of the night for SPU's defense, came up big for the Falcons in the fifth set as SPU's lead grew to 6-3. After pulling even at 6-6, MSUB dropped three-straight points to fall into a 9-6 hole.
 
The 'Jackets rallied out of a timeout, pulling within two points at 12-10 thanks to kills by Chelsey Walter and Ashlynn Ward. SPU won four of the next five points however, as a Madi Cavell kill ended the match and gave the Falcons the victory.
 
"We didn't play with the consistency that we did last week," said MSUB head coach Lisa Axel.  "Seattle Pacific capitalized on their opportunities, they were out there taking big swings, and we weren't being aggressive at the end."
 
The 5-set affair was the third in-a-row for MSUB, which is 3-2 on the season in 5-set matches. The 'Jackets fell to 7-2 at home on the season, and are now 9-6 overall and 4-3 in GNAC play.
 
With the win, the Falcons improved to 10-5 overall and are now even with MSUB at 4-3 in conference action. Cavell led all players on the match with 19 kills, and Ellie Britt also had double figures for the Falcons with 15. SPU had 15 team blocks on the match compared with MSUB's seven, although the 'Jackets outhit the Falcons .183-.140.
 
Monica Grimsrud matched Walter with a team-best 16 kills on the match, and Alaina Gentili and Ward had 10 apiece. Gentili also led her team with four block assists. "Alaina had a great match, and she made herself available and took some big swings for us," Axel said regarding the freshman.
 
Kyndal Williams dished out a match-high 53 assists for MSUB, and Sara Biondi had 44 assists for the Falcons. In the digs category, MSUB freshman Haley Wells led all players with 24, and Brianna Leenders had a team-best 23 for SPU.
 
The Falcons jumped out to an early 5-2 advantage in the first set, capitalizing on several MSUB attack errors.
 
SPU established momentum through the middle of the first, with key blocks and big kills extending its lead to 18-13.
 
The 'Jackets battled back to win four of the next five points and cut the deficit to 19-17. The Falcons finished the set strong however, winning six of the final nine points to take Game 1, 25-20.
 
The Yellowjackets upped the energy level to start the second set, moving ahead early 10-5.
 
The teams kept pace with one another through the middle points, but MSUB held on to a slim lead with an 18-15 advantage.
 
The Falcons refused to let MSUB pull away, cutting the spread to a single point at 19-18 by winning three in-a-row.
 
A big kill by Gentili swung momentum back into the Yellowjackets' favor, as MSUB won the next three points to move ahead 23-19. A kill by Gentili and another by Ward gave MSUB the set 25-20.
 
Opening the third set with the same level of intensity, loud kills by Walter and Stormy Siemion were among the early points that gave MSUB a 12-9 lead.
 
A dual block by Miller and Hommes helped the Falcons stay close at 12-10, and the teams continued to trade points through the middle of Set 3. Pulling the score even at 18-18, SPU put the game within reach and prompted MSUB to burn a timeout.
 
SPU kept its foot on the gas, and another Miller-Hommes block made the score 23-20, Falcons. A service ace by Biondi and a kill by Miller, and SPU took a 2-1 advantage in sets with a 25-21 win.
 
A Grimsrud kill early in the fourth set gave MSUB a 7-3 lead, and Gentili and Ward each got in the action with loud put-aways to push the spread to 9-5.
 
SPU kept the gap narrow, but back-to-back kills by Walter and Grimsrud made the score 15-11 in favor of the 'Jackets. An ensuing solo block by Grimsrud upped the spread to six points at 17-11, and SPU head coach Chris Johnson burned one of the Falcons' timeouts.
 
The run by MSUB proved to be too significant for the Falcons to overcome, as the 'Jackets forced the decisive fifth set with a 25-18 triumph.
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Yellowjackets travel west next week, challenging Central Washington in Ellensburg, Wash., on Oct. 9, and Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho on Oct. 11. First serve against the Wildcats is set for 7 p.m. Pacific time, with the GNAC contest against NNU set for 7 p.m. Mountain time.