Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MINOT, N.D. – It was a tough start to the Montana State University Billings volleyball season on Friday afternoon as the Yellowjackets dropped a pair of matches at the Minot State Classic.
 
The day started with a hard-fought match against Minnesota State University Moorhead that lasted five sets. The 'Jackets took the first and third set but eventually fell 15-25, 25-19, 21-25, 29-27, 15-11.
 
"We had some really good moments throughout the match," head coach Casey Williams said. "We had some great hustle plays defensively and a couple of players stepped up offensively. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to overcome a strong MSU Moorhead team."
 
Freshman Bayli Monck led all players in scoring with 21.5 points off of 20 kills with a .386 hitting percentage and three block-assists. Hali Ehresmann record the second highest hitting percentage for the 'Jackets at .381 with 10 kills. Libero Izela Alvarez recorded 38 digs in her collegiate debut while fellow freshman Kylee Clarke led the team with 36 assists.
 
Returner Miranda McConnell recorded eight kills in the match with a .318 hitting percentage and three block-assists. Fellow returner Taylor Sherman had six digs in the loss. Junior Katie Campbell finished the match with five kills, 16 digs and two service aces in her first game with the 'Jackets.
 
MSUB hit .212 for the match with a total of 60 kills. In the two sets that the 'Jackets won the team only committed a combined two errors, however in the other three sets they totaled 18 errors. The Dragons recorded nine blocks in the match compared to five for the Yellowjackets.
 
The 'Jackets found themselves in the driver's seat after an impressive first set turned an early lead into a 25-15 victory. Maddi Vigil scored the first point of the season for the 'Jackets with a kill coming off of an Alexa Smythe assist. Vigil finished the match with 14 kills while Smythe contributed 13 assists.
 
The Yellowjackets could not get ahead in the second set but rebounded in the third set to record a team hitting percentage of .364, the best percentage by either team. Vigil drove home the deciding kill to put MSUB up 2-1.
 
The fourth set was a battle from the beginning as the 'Jackets and Dragons fought through four lead changes and nine ties. MSUB had two game-point opportunities at 24-23 and 27-26 but eventually fell 29-27. The 'Jackets held the largest lead of the set when they were up 20-16 but the Dragons made a 6-2 run to tie the game at 22.
 
In the final set MSUB couldn't overcome a pair of four point runs by MSUM that led to a six point lead.
 
For their second match of the day the Yellowjacets jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first set against the Minot State University Beavers but had trouble from there. The Beavers came back in the set leading to a tight game down the stretch. The teams exchanged points and tied eight times before being knotted at 25 when the Minot scored consecutive points to earn a 27-25 victory. Sherman, Vigil and Monck each had four kills in the first set while Clarke led the way with 11 assists.
 
"We struggled tonight against Minot," Williams said. "They came out strong and we couldn't match their energy."
 
In the second and third set the 'Jackets couldn't find a rhythm as the Beavers held leads from wire-to wire to close out the match 27-25, 25-20, 25-19. Vigil was the only Yellowjacket to record double digit kills against Minot with 12. Clarke finished the game with 28 assist and four kills.
 
The Yellowjackets recorded a .195 hitting percentage against the Beavers and didn't record a block.
 
THE BUZZ: Alvarez was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day. The freshman libero finished the day with a combined 56 digs, three service aces and seven assists.
 
NEXT UP: The 'Jackets will have a quick turnaround as they will be one of the first teams on the floor when they face South Dakota School of Mines and Technology at 8 a.m. Mountain time. Their final match of the tournament will follow at 12 p.m. when they face Bemidji State.