BILLINGS, Mont. – Maddi Vigil made 18 kills and Izela Alvarez had 24 digs to help Montana State University Billings win 3-1 over Saint Martin's University in volleyball Saturday night at Alterowitz Gymnasium. Along the way, Alvarez recorded her 1,000th career dig and now stands eighth in program history in the category with 1,021 digs.
 
"Zel is a stud. She read really well tonight and was able to make some super scrappy plays," head coach Casey Williams said of Alvarez. "She is going to shatter some records here at MSUB."
 
For her part, Vigil hit .375 in the match and limited errors to just three. She was also strong defensively and made 11 digs to record her 10th double-double of the season (21^st career) for the Yellowjackets.
 
Maddi was aggressive tonight," said Williams. "She was consistent on placing her out of system balls and was a strong force for us tonight at the net."
 
The Yellowjackets were also good at the service line as they attempted to out-serve the Saints, who lead the GNAC in aces this fall. Alvarez put down three service aces to bring her team leading season total to 29. Alexa Smythe chipped in a pair of aces and Taylor Sherman recorded one.

Montana State University Billings (10-12, 4-9 GNAC) surpassed its' 2017 overall win total with the victory over Saint Martin's Saturday night but they still have work to do in the GNAC standings as they are currently tied for eighth place. Saint Martin's University (3-16, 1-12 GNAC) will head to Northwest Nazarene on a three-match losing skid next week and are the last place team in the GNAC.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Yellowjackets hit .297 in the first set, punctuated by six kills from Vigil. After three lead changes and six ties, MSUB came out on top 25-22. Megan Vernoy led the Saint's offensively in the first set.
 
SMU hit .111 in a disorganized, topsy-turvy second set for both teams. Conversely, the 'Jackets kept their heads barely above water and hit .023. After gaining the lead in the early stages, SMU refused to relent and won 25-19. A service error by Taylor Sherman on set point ended the second frame and the Saints tied up the match 1-1.
 
Both teams improved their level of play in the third set. After trading leads early, MSUB looked to go on a run after taking a 17-15 advantage. The next point turned into the most compelling of the match. Alvarez dug the 'Jackets out of trouble on at least three occasions. Then she set the ball for Skylar Reed who recorded the kill.
 
Later, a 3-0 run got the Saints back to within two points of leveling the score at 21, but Vigil came up with an improbable diving save near the scorer's table and galvanized the Yellowjackets to win 25-22 in the third.
 
Montana State Billings won the first four points of the fourth set and suppressed the Saint's attack. MSUB then held on to win 25-19. The 'Jackets held a slight edge in hitting percentage in the fourth .281 to .257 and each team recorded 13 kills.
 
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: Saint Martin's University saw three of its' players reach double-digit kills, including Megan Vernoy (17), Rachel Gondrezick (15), and Molly Cichosz (10). Gondrezick also had 17 digs in the back row and recorded a double-double.
 
For MSUB, Miranda McConnell made zero errors and had eight kills and hit .421 on the night. Alvarez led the team in digs, but Sherman also recorded 12 while Vigil made 11 digs for the 'Jackets.
 
The Yellowjackets out-aced the league's top serving team six to five but Saint Martin's had the advantage in overall hitting percentage (.211 to .185).
 
ALL-TIME: The Yellowjackets hold a 20-5 advantage over the Saints in the all-time record book. MSUB has won its' last four matchups between the two sides and is 9-1 over its' last ten contests. Montana State Billings won its' first ever match against Saint Martin's in 1998 by a 3-1 score.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets continue with their second of three home matches this week on Saturday, October 20 at 2 p.m. when they face Seattle Pacific University (10-10, 8-5 GNAC). The Falcons are coming off a 3-0 win over Saint Martin's on Tuesday and are riding a three-match win streak. SPU is alone in fourth place in the GNAC standings behind Western Washington (17-3, 12-0), Alaska Anchorage (16-4, 9-3), and Central Washington (14-5, 8-4).
 
THE BUZZ: Izela Alvarez was named St. Vincent Healthcare player of the match for Montana State University Billings for her strong effort in the back row. Nine matches remain on the schedule, giving Alvarez a chance to attempt to best her own record for digs in a season, which she set in her freshman campaign a year ago with 622.