NAMPA, Idaho. – Montana State University Billings fell to Northwest Nazarene 25-5, 25-20, and 29-27, during the first Great Northwest Athletic Conference road match of the season for the Yellowjackets on Thursday at the Johnson Sports Center.
 
The first set was a blowout, but the Yellowjackets persevered, scoring 15 more points in the second set than the first, and took the third set into extra points during the conference road loss to the Crusaders.
 
After recording just four kills in the opening frame, MSUB came roaring back, including overcoming an 18-11 deficit in the third set to take the lead 23-21. In the final frame, Yellowjacket seniors Ashlynn Ward saved three match points and Stormy Siemion one as MSUB fought to win the third set.
 
With the win, Northwest Nazarene climbs to 9-2 overall and 2-2 in the GNAC. Montana State University Billings falls to 1-11 with an 0-3 conference record.

 

Ward finished the match with team-highs of 14 kills, including eight in the third set, on a .312 (14-4-32) attack percentage. Siemion recorded seven kills at the net and 10 digs. Senior Kylee Cornelio ended the night collecting a team-high 13 digs with Mataia Robinson adding in another 10.  
 
Freshman Angala Jensen connected for 31 assists. Bre Rodrigues and Miranda McConnell each recorded a block assist.
 
"It took a while to get started tonight and we couldn't match them once we did," MSUB head coach Casey Williams said. "I was disappointed in our effort and with our hitting percentage. We made too many errors to keep up with a good GNAC team."
 
NNU was led by Kendra Bodine who ended the night with a match-high 19 kills, posting a kill/dig double-double with 10 digs. Madi Farrell recorded eight kills and three block assists. Hailey Cooke finished with 36 assists and Shayli Siegfreid 18 digs.
  The Crusaders hit .357 (49-9-112) for the match while limiting MSUB to .094 (36-25-117). NNU finished with 6.0 team blocks and were single digits in hitting errors with nine. The Crusaders hit .722 in the first set with 13 kills on 18 attempts with no errors.
 
After the first frame set-back, MSUB started the middle set hot, scoring the opening three points. NNU pushed back, but Ward broke a 4-4 tie with a kill. Trading points, Robinson made a big get off an NNU block that allowed Siemion to smash a point down on the open floor. NNU began to pull away after a block from Farrell and Mari Thomas led to four straight points for a 14-10 lead. Closing the gap, a kill from Casey Rich finished a charge from MSUB for two points back at 17-15.
 
The Crusaders ran the score up to 22-17, but points from McConnell and Ward kept MSUB in the set. On the right side, Rodrigues checked into the game, providing a kill and Rich added one from the middle. An error from the Yellowjackets delivered NNU a set point and Bodine cleared the ball high off the block to earn a 2-0 lead.
 
The final set was the most competitive with six tie scores and two lead changes. The Crusaders took off first in the third frame, building a 9-3 lead. Siemion came up on the outside and a misplaced ball from NNU cut the lead in half. Siemion came back again with a second hit, and a block from Rodrigues and McConnell brought the deficit down to two, 11-9. At the net, Bodine recorded two kills in a 7-2 run for NNU that positioned the Crusaders ahead 18-11.
 
A service ace from Robinson that just cleared the net earned a point for the Yellowjackets. Back-to-back points from McConnell and Siemion began the climb for MSUB with a 6-0 blast. A long rally with good defense from both teams, ended on a kill from Siemion that pushed MSUB out ahead 23-21.
 
A kill and a block from Farrell  tied the set at 23. An error from MSUB gave the Crusaders a set point, but a Ward kill deep down the line knotted the score at 24. Farrell tapped the ball off the block for the second match point of the set. Ward saved the match again on a ball hit straight down the line. This time it was Bodine that cleared the ball into the Yellowjacket court for a match point. Ward saved her third set point to tie the set at 26. Bodine pushed the ball into the outside block, but Siemion was there to tie the set at 27. At 28-27, the Crusaders used an overpass from MSUB to block the ball back into the court for the final point.
 
THE BUZZ: With three match-point saving kills and her ninth match this season with double-digit kills, Ward was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Athlete of the Match.
 
UP NEXT: MSU Billings continues its road GNAC trip with a match Saturday, Sept. 24, at Central Washington with first serve scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PST. Live coverage can be found on the MSUB Stretch Internet Portal here.