BELLINGHAM, WASH. – The Montana State University Billings volleyball team closed out its road trip with a 3-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference loss against the Western Washington University Vikings in Carver Gym on Saturday night.
 
"We fought all night against a good Western Washington team," MSUB head coach Casey Williams said. "I think we played hard for three sets and did a good job playing our mental game. We get to see this team again at home, and I'm looking forward to the rematch."
 
The Yellowjackets (7-11, 3-6 GNAC) were led by Skylar Reed's 10 kills, plus Olivia Schwartz and Bayli Monck added seven kills apiece. The Vikings (11-4, 7-1 GNAC) used nine service aces and a .380 hitting percentage to earn the win.
 
QUICK HITS

• Skylar Reed's 10 kills marked the 11^th time she has finished in double-figures this season.
• Mikayla Yore tied her career high for the second-consecutive game with three kills, plus the true freshman added a solo block on the defensive end.
• Olivia Schwartz added seven kills on a career-best .130 hitting percentage on 23 attempts.
• Behind the service line, Makayla Baca led MSUB with two service aces.

 
MATCH STATS

• MSUB hitting: .138 overall (.250 first set, .045 second set, .091 third set)
• Western Washington hitting: .380 overall (.375 set one, .517 set two, .258 set three)
• Service aces: MSUB 3, WWU 9
• Digs: MSUB 35, WWU 36
• Blocks: MSUB 4.0, WWU 5.0
• Western Washington was led by Calley Heilborn's 12 kills and five service aces.

 
WWU had an early 2-0 lead before MSUB went on a 3-0 run that was capitalized by Makayla Baca's first service ace of the night. From there, both teams played it close as the Yellowjackets got production from four kills from Olivia Schwartz and three of Bayli Monck's seven kills of the night during the first set.
 
After MSUB took its first timeout trailing 12-6, Skylar Reed came alive with back-to-back swings – one of which ricocheted off not one, but two defenders – to pull MSUB within five. A kill from Mikayla Yore, then two more from Schwartz gave MSUB a little bit of a boost as the younger Yellowjackets tried going toe-to-toe with the 20^th-ranked team in the nation. Neither team strung together more than two consecutive points in the first set's latter half; the 'Jackets closed within five, but couldn't get closer, as the Vikings won three-straight points to win the first set 25-17.
 
In set two, Yore opened up MSUB's scoring, as her swing bounced off the hands of WWU's block and the Vikings' back line couldn't track it down before it hit the floor. Baca's second ace tied it at two-all, then WWU went on a 5-1 run to take a 7-3 lead. MSUB got some offense after Hannah Hayden's tip over the net went past WWU's defense, then Schwartz's fifth kill pulled the 'Jackets within two at 8-6, but the Vikings went on a 6-0 run.
 
Needing something to break MSUB's way, Reed rose up to the challenge out of a Yellowjacket timeout with back-to-back kills that chipped into the Vikings' lead. Hannah Hashbarger's lone service ace of the night, then a kill followed by an impressive solo block from Yore pulled MSUB within five. WWU went on a 9-0 run to win the second set, 25-11.
 
In arguably its best play of the night, MSUB jumped out to an early lead in set three after Reed's kill to open the set motivated the Yellowjackets, then a big block from Schwartz and Hayden followed by Schwartz's sixth kill gave MSUB a 5-2 lead. MSUB extended its lead off a ball-handling error from WWU, then took a 7-4 lead off of Reed's seventh kill of the night. But WWU stormed back to tie things at 7-all, then take a lead at 8-7 before a block from Yore and Reed tied the game at eight-all. Although the officials overturned a swing from Monck on the next play, Reed slammed a no-doubter on the left side to tie the game at nine-all. The Vikings rattled off a large run that proved to be the difference in the third.
 
MSUB had one more rally in them trailing 18-10, as Monck and Schwartz's shots found the floor. The 'Jackets could only get within five points from the Vikings in the third set. With their backs against the wall, MSUB caught a break off a ball-handling error, then Reed's 10^th kill of the night, but then the Vikings pulled through to complete the sweep off a 25-18 third-set win.  
 
THE BUZZ: Skylar Reed was the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game for her team-high 10 kills…the MSUB volleyball team now has a 0-4 record against nationally-ranked teams – all of which came on the road…the rematch against the Vikings is on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB returns home to take on the Alaska Nanooks for Pink Night on Thursday, Oct.  21 at 7 p.m. Links to livestreams and live stats can be found at the volleyball team's schedule page at msubsports.com.