BILLINGS, Mont. – For the first time since 2004, the Montana State University Billings volleyball team beat Rocky Mountain College in straight sets twice in one season, thanks to a gritty 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 26-24) nonconference road win on Tuesday night.
 
"We showed a lot of heart again tonight," MSUB head coach Casey Williams said. "Playing Rocky is always such a fun and emotional match. We did some great things, but we were also a bit sloppier than we normally are. This is a great confidence boost and I am looking forward to getting back out on the court on Thursday."
 
The Yellowjackets (9-12, 4-7 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) held off a spunky Battlin' Bears (10-15, 2-4 Frontier Conference) team that was looking for an upset in front of its home crowd. Although Rocky kept things closer in the rematch, MSUB was better in all aspects of the game, as it out-hit the Battlin' Bears .198 to .086, had five service aces to RMC's zero and out-blocked the Bears by a 6-4 margin.
 
QUICK HITS

• Senior opposite hitter Bayli Monck led the Yellowjackets with 14 kills, 17 digs and two solo blocks.
• Joelle Mahowald chipped 12 kills – seven of which came in the first set – while hitting .500.
• Skylar Reed added eight kills and a pair of digs.
• MSUB held Rocky to a .086 hitting percentage, which was the third-lowest an opponent has hit against the Yellowjackets all year.

 
MATCH STATS

• MSUB hitting: .196 overall (.217 set one, .143 set two, .211 set three)
• Rocky Mountain College hitting: .086 overall (.065 set one, .030 set two, .133 set three)
• Service aces: MSUB 5, RMC 0
• Digs: MSUB 72, RMC 68
• Blocks: MSUB 6.0, RMC 4.0
• Rocky Mountain College was led by Makenna Bushman's 14 kills.

 
In set one, the Battlin' Bears were eager to change the narrative in the rematch, as they leapt out to an early 9-4 lead. But MSUB chipped away thanks to its upperclassmen: Joelle Mahowald and Skylar Reed went back-to-back to make the score 10-7, in favor of Rocky before the home team tried pulling away again. Jahsita Fa'ali'i also had important contributions early on, as she registered three of her five kills in the first set alone.
 
Rocky wouldn't go away. The crosstown rivals took an 18-14 lead, but Mahowald willed the 'Jackets back into the game; three of her seven kills in the first set sparked a 5-0 run that helped MSUB get out in front, 19-18. Never one to shy away from big moments, Reed received a pass from Hannah Hashbarger, then sent Rocky's back row diving to tie the game at 20-all. Then Bayli Monck and Fa'ali'i provided kills in the 'Jackets late push to win set one, 25-23.
 
Set two followed a similar script as the first, but this time the spotlight shone on Monck, whose seven kills helped propel the 'Jackets. As Rocky threatened to add to an early 3-1 lead, consecutive kills from Monck, Mahowald and then Reed helped the 'Jackets keep pace. Trailing 12-10, MSUB kicked off a 4-0 run with Monck's fourth point of the set, a service ace from Christine Funk that grazed the top of the net and fooled Rocky's back row, then a block from Mahowald and Fa'ali'i put MSUB back in front.
 
From there, the 'Jackets never trailed. Holding on to a 16-14 lead, Hashbarger faked out Rocky's defense, then Fa'ali'i's serve was too hot to handle for Rocky's back row, giving MSUB a four-point cushion that was just enough to hold off the Battlin' Bears. Monck came through with three kills in MSUB's final five points to seal the 25-20 second-set victory.
 
The third set was the closest of the night. After Hannah Hashbarger opened the set with an ace, MSUB got out to a better start off kills from Hannah Hayden, Monck and Mahowald. Hayden took advantage of a few passes from Hashbarger midway through the first to give MSUB a 10-9 lead, yet both teams traded short runs from there.
 
In one of the most impressive defensive plays of the day, Kennedy Juranek sprinted towards the back wall of the gym and laid out for a diving dig, which kept the play alive long enough for Funk to send the ball over the net before Monck smothered Rocky's swing. That gave MSUB a 14-12 lead and provided a brief spark, yet the 'Jackets sided out on the next play and the back-and-forth resumed.
 
Clinging to a 17-16 lead, Reed and Monck's consecutive kills, plus a long swing from Rocky put MSUB ahead 20-16. Rocky called timeout, then rattled off three more points before Reed put an end to Rocky's run at 21-19. Juranek came through once more with her third service ace of the year, but Rocky rattled off a 4-0 run to get ahead 23-22. Monck went supernova, brought the heat on her next two swings to tie the game at 23- and 24-all, then was credited with a game-winning service ace to finish off Rocky, 26-24.
 
THE BUZZ: Joelle Mahowald was the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game for her 12-kill effort, which included seven late in the first set…Her .500 hitting percentage also led the team…MSUB has won four of the last five games against its crosstown rivals.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB resumes GNAC play at Saint Martin's this Thursday at 8 p.m. MT. Links to live stats and video can be found on msubsports.com.