LACEY, Wash. – MSU Billings used a solid full court game in the straight-set win over Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponent Saint Martin's for a 25-21, 25-16, and 25-21 victory Thursday night.
Monica Grimsrud and
Krista Norris combined for 26 kills in the win over Saint Martin's. Grimsrud came through with 14 kills while
Krista Norris completed a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs.
Junior setter
Kyndal Williams contributed her eighth season double-double as she led all players in both assists (34) and digs (15) for the Yellowjackets.
The win moves MSU Billings to 12-14 on the season and 7-10 in conference play. With the loss, Saint Martin's drops to 4-25 overall and 1-16 in the GNAC.
MSUB tallied 43 kills on a .252 hitting percentage while holding SMU to .099 attacking at the net. The Yellowjackets out-blocked the Saints 9.0 to 5.0 at the net and led both teams in the dig column 61-49.
Saint Martin's led early in the first set 13-9, but MSUB pushed an 8-4 run to tie the set at 17-17, causing SMU to call its first timeout. Grimsrud traded kills with SMU's Carrie Starbuck and Kyra Davidson making the score even again at 19-19.
The Saints responded, putting pressure up at the net and pulling in two points, but MSUB used two points from
Alaina Gentili and one from Norris and Grimsrud to end the first set 25-21 and take a 1-0 lead.
Set two began with an 8-2 run by the Yellowjackets. SMU managed to rebound to pull to within two, 14-12, but that would be as close as the Saints would come in the second set. Three kills and two blocks down the stretch from Norris gave the Yellowjackets a set point at 24-16. Grimsrud pounded down a kill cross court off a backset from Williams giving MSUB the 2-0 led.
Saint Martin's opened set three with a momentum shift. The Saints rattled off four points to take the opening lead. The Yellowjackets fought their way back into the set off a kill from Genitli to take their first lead of the set 9-8. Both teams fought for traction in set three, with MSUB managing to open up a four point spread to take the lead 23-19.
Two errors from SMU gave MSU Billings the set point.
Ashlynn Ward hit a kill down the line to end the match, giving the Yellowjackets the straight-set victory.
Kristyn Ross paced the Saints with 12 kills. Brenna Peterson led the team with 23 assists, while Rebecca Mitchell contributed 11 digs and Hannah Neumann had 10 for the SMU.
Both teams were held back with service errors; Saint Martin's totaled eight in the match, while MSU Billings committed six.
NEXT UP: MSU Billings heads to Western Oregon University for the team's last match of the season. The Yellowjackets face-off against the Wolves on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. PT.
