BILLINGS, Mont. – Despite a spell binding, 20 kill performance by Skylar Reed, Montana State University Billings lost to crosstown rival Rocky Mountain College 3-2 Tuesday night at Fortin Center in front of a raucous crowd. Both teams took turns gaining momentum throughout the match but it was Rocky Mountain College who came through in the big moments of the fifth set to win the decider 15-9. Despite the loss, the 'Jackets showed their resilience to adversity against the Battlin' Bears, who are nationally ranked No. 6 among NAIA schools.
 
"We played well tonight as a team," said head coach Casey Williams after the fifth set. "We did a lot of positive things and I am excited to see what's in store for this group down the road."
 
Perhaps the biggest positive for the Yellowjackets was freshman outside hitter Skylar Reed, who set new career highs in kills (20), hitting percentage (.340), and points (20.0) in the match. Reed's previous career high for kills in a match was one against Academy of Art in August.
 
"Skylar Reed really stood out tonight and had a great match offensively," Williams said. "In the end the effort by Skylar wasn't enough to overcome the loss but I am proud of the way we fought."
 
Maddi Vigil recorded her 18^th career double-double (sixth this year) and finished with 19 kills and 17 digs for the Yellowjackets. Bayli Monck had nine kills and 10 digs, missing a double-double by just one kill.
 
The Battlin' Bears presented a united front through all five sets. Defense, especially blocking pointed to why they were able to achieve a winning result against MSUB. Rocky Mountain College recorded three solo blocks and 20 block assists and also totaled 80 kills. Ruby Kallenbach made 26 digs to lead all players and Natalie Hilderman was not far behind with 20 digs. On offense Hailey Copinga and Olivia L'Ami made 14 kills each and Danielle Hilderman also made it into double-digit kills with 10.
 
A one point deficit was all that separated the two teams most of the way through the first set. Eventually the Battlin' Bears edged the gap to three at 21-18, prompting a response from Montana State Billings. Alexa Smythe fired two timely service aces to tie it at 22. Then a Rocky Mountain College error gave the 'Jackets their first lead since they had a 5-4 advantage. Maddi Vigil stepped up her game in the crucial moments of the set and fired two kills to give the Yellowjackets the first set 26-24.
 
The second set featured several missed serves from both teams and some scratchy play early, but the quality quickly rose again. Skylar Reed's kill tied the score 22-22 but late kills by Copinga and L'Ami were the difference as Rocky Mountain tied the match with a 25-22 win in set number two.
 
The 'Jackets went to work building a lead in the third set but the Battlin' Bears went on a 5-0 run to take the lead 14-13. MSUB showed great patience and continued to chip away at the scoreboard shortly after. A 4-2 run gave them a 22-18 advantage and a service error gave the 'Jackets set point. MSUB sealed the third frame 25-21 after an attack error by Copinga, giving the 'Jackets a 2-1 overall lead.
 
Too many errors cost the 'Jackets in the fourth set and the Battlin' Bears outhit MSUB .222 to .049 and made just three errors along the way. Long rallies ensued for the duration of the set but Rocky Mountain College was too strong in the end and prevailed in set four 25-21.
 
The Yellowjackets never led in the fifth and final set and the Rocky Mountain College back line continued to dig out continued attacks by MSUB players. Reed and Smythe recorded back-to-back kills to come close to a tie at 9-8 but that was as close as the 'Jackets would get. L'Ami set up match point with a kill and a ball handling error charged to Smythe sealed the fate of the match 15-9.
 
Montana State University Billings now leads the all-time series between the two rival schools 37-22 but the Yellowjackets have not been able to beat the Battlin' Bears on their home turf since 2007. Rocky Mountain College is also 7-3 against the 'Jackets in their last ten matchups.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets (6-7, 0-4 GNAC) have lost seven straight matches and jump back into GNAC competition later this week. The team will play at Seattle Pacific University (6-6, 4-1 GNAC) on Thursday September 20 at 7:30 p.m. PT, followed by Saint Martin's University (2-9, 0-5 GNAC) Saturday September 22 at 7 p.m. PT in Lacey Washington.
 
 
THE BUZZ: Skylar Reed was named St. Vincent Healthcare player of the game for Montana State University Billings. Reed recorded 20 kills and four errors for a .340 hitting percentage...Alexa Smythe set a new personal best 55 assists as primary setter for the Yellowjackets.