BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings volleyball team had a strong showing in the first two sets, yet the 24^th-ranked Alaska Anchorage Seawolves swept the Yellowjackets 3-0 on Saturday.
 
"Our effort wasn't good enough to beat a tough Alaska Anchorage team," MSUB head coach Casey Williams said. "It felt as if they were on the attack the entire time and we waited too long to take advantage of any opportunities. We have to fight a little bit harder in early point situations."
 
The Yellowjackets (8-12, 4-7 GNAC) rallied after trailing the Seawolves (16-6, 9-1 GNAC) by as many as 10-2 late in the third set thanks to Joelle Mahowald and Skylar Reed, plus two service aces from Jahsita Fa'ali'i. Mahowald led the team with nine kills; Bayli Monck added eight and Hannah Hayden had seven.
 
QUICK HITS

• Sophomore middle blocker Hannah Hayden tied her career high with seven kills.
• Going into the game, the Seawolves ranked 12^th in the nation with 2.21 service aces per set. Both teams finished with five service aces, yet the Seawolves had eight service errors to MSUB's two.
• Hannah Hashbarger's 23 assists gave her 1,793 in her career, which moved her up to sixth all-time at MSUB.

 
MATCH STATS

• MSUB hitting: .078 overall (.077 set one, .116 set two, .030 set three)
• Alaska Anchorage hitting: .243 overall (.270 set one, .208 set two, .267 set three)
• Service aces: MSUB 5, UAA 5
• Digs: MSUB 44, UAA 56
• Blocks: MSUB 8.0, UAA 7.0
• Alaska Anchorage was led by Eve Stephen's 12 kills.

 
MSUB took advantage of a long serve and a long swing from Alaska Anchorage, then tied the game at three with Hannah Hayden's first kill of the game. Mahowald's first kill, then an ace from Bayli Monck tied the game at five, but then the Seawolves took a 9-5 lead, prompting an MSUB timeout.
 
Out of the timeout, MSUB got a lift from a long UAA serve, then Skylar Reed smothered Ellen Floyd's shot to make the score 9-7. UAA kept MSUB at arm's length until consecutive kills from Monck and Hayden sparked a 4-0 run that game MSUB a 13-12 lead. The Seawolves got back in front with a 3-0 lead, then Hayden's lone solo block of the night pulled the Yellowjackets within one, but the 'Jackets didn't get closer as UAA won the first set 25-18.
 
With 15 ties, 10 lead changes and a few nail-biting challenges, the second set provided the most drama of the afternoon. A pair of kills from Hayden opened up the scoring for MSUB in the second set, then the 'Jackets used a strong block from Hayden and Hannah Hashbarger on the far right side of the net to take a 5-3 lead.
 
Every time the Seawolves threatened to go on a run, short serves into the net gave MSUB opportunities to counter. A short UAA serve kicked off a mini 3-0 MSUB run, highlighted by Mahowald rifling the ball to the back right corner for her second kill of the set.
 
Later, Mahowald and Hashbarger came through at the net to kick off a 4-0 run, which was capped off by Mahowald dropping in an ace to take a 13-10 lead. MSUB took a 14-13 lead midway through the set, but UAA bolted out in front 17-14, prompting an MSUB timeout. No stranger to clawing back into games, the 'Jackets got back into the fray thanks to three late kills from Monck, then an ace from freshman libero Christine Funk that put MSUB ahead 20-19.
 
UAA rattled off three-straight points to reclaim the lead, but the Yellowjackets had one more surge in them. Monck's shot ricocheted off two Seawolves, a long attempt from the Seawolves tied the game at 22, then Hashbarger set up Mahowald for her third kill of the set. Jahsita Fa'ali'i gave MSUB a 24-23 lead, yet UAA won the next point to force the set to extras. Trailing 25-24, MSUB got a second chance when a Seawolf serve careenedout of bounds in front of MSUB's sideline, but the visitors won the next two points to take the second set, 27-25.
 
The Seawolves jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the third set, but MSUB limited the damage after a kill from Monck and Hayden's career-high-tying seventh kill of the game. Trailing 11-3, the Yellowjackets went on a 7-0 run with Fa'ali'i behind the service line: Mahowald added a pair of kills, Fa'ali'i dialed up two service aces – the latter of which made UAA call timeout – and Reed pulled MSUB within one at 11-10.
 
Alaska Anchorage answered with a 5-0 run, yet the Yellowjacket veterans went down swinging. Reed earned three of her four kills of the day in the third set, then Mahowald's ninth kill pulled MSUB within four before MSUB cut the deficit to three on the next point, but the Seawolves pulled away to win the third set 25-18.
 
THE BUZZ: Hannah Hayden was the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game for tying her career-high with seven kills and two blocks (one solo), while also hitting a team-best .238.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB begins a three-game road trip next week with a game at Rocky Mountain College this Tuesday at 7 p.m. Links to live stats and video can be found on msubsports.com.