ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Montana State University Billings volleyball team nearly played spoiler on Central Washington's senior day, took set three and almost forced a fifth set, yet the Yellowjackets fell 3-1 (17-25, 19-25, 25-16, 24-26) in Saturday's season finale.
 
"I am so proud of our effort today," MSUB head coach Casey Williams said. "We showed a lot of grit throughout the entire match. We got hot at the end, but unfortunately we didn't have the opportunity to extend our season. I love this team and I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to coach this group.

After trailing in the first two sets, the Yellowjackets (12-16, 7-11 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) won the third set and led the Wildcats (16-8, 12-6 GNAC) late in the fourth, yet Central Washington pulled through for the win.
 
Skylar Reed not only led the way for MSUB but also set a season-high with 17 kills. Senior right side hitter Bayli Monck added 14 kills and two service aces, plus Joelle Mahowald and Olivia Schwartz rounded out the 'Jackets with 11 and 10 kills, respectively.
 
QUICK HITS

• In the third set, Bayli Monck became the program's all-time leader in sets played with 463. She finished her MSUB career ranked first in sets played (464), sixth in kills (1,242), eighth in total blocks (276), 10^th in digs (1,052) and tied for eighth in service aces (85).
• Joelle Mahowald finished her final season at MSUB with an 11-kill, 5-dig and six-block (two solo) statline.
• Marissa Logozzo finished with four digs and one assist.
• Hannah Hashbarger tied her career-high with four kills, plus had a 45-assist, 12-dig double-double.
• MSUB's .311 hitting percentage was its third-best mark of the year.

 
MATCH STATS

• MSUB hitting: .311 overall (.200 set one, .290 set two, .433 set three, .318 set four)
• CWU hitting: .287 overall (.370 set one, .371 set two, .043 set three, .429 set four)
• Service aces: MSUB 2, CWU 7
• Digs: MSUB 63, CWU 57
• Blocks: MSUB 7, CWU 6
• Central Washington was led by Ashley Kaufman's 17 kills, nine digs and three service aces.

 
In a sign of things to come, the first set featured eight ties and six lead changes as neither team led by more than two points until midway through the first set. MSUB took a 13-12 lead on a swing from Olivia Schwartz, but a 5-0 CWU run nearly put the first set out of reach. Joelle Mahowald and Hannah Hashbarger got their second kills of the set, which pulled MSUB within three at 18-15, but a 7-2 run from the Wildcats ended the set 25-19 in favor of the home team.
 
Coming off her kills late in the first set, Skylar Reed helped MSUB take an 8-7 lead, then recorded back-to-back kills to erase a CWU run and tie the score at 10. Yet Central Washington tore off a 4-0 run, then a 7-0 run – interrupted only by a kill from Bayli Monck – to take a commanding 21-11 lead. But the 'Jackets roared back, going on a 6-0 run with Monck back to serve. Back-to-back kills from Mahowald, Hashbarger's third kill, then Monck helped pull the Yellowjackets within four to make things 22-18, MSUB. The 'Jackets wouldn't get closer, and CWU took a 2-0 lead.
 
The third set was all MSUB. Three quick kills from Reed got the 'Jackets started, then MSUB bolted ahead to an 11-5 lead off another kill from Monck. The Yellowjackets maintained their six-point lead late in the set thanks to two more kills from Schwartz, giving MSUB a 17-11 lead. Although CWU pulled within four points on two occasions down the stretch, Mahowald and Reed's all-around efforts on the block and with more big swings bolstered a 4-0 run that made the score 23-15, MSUB. Central Washington would get a second chance on a long serve, but Mahowald's block and a kill from Mikayla Yore helped MSUB win set three 25-16.
 
Just like they did in the first set, neither team held a sizable lead in the fourth. Reed and Mahowald tied the score at 7 and eight-all, then the 'Jackets pulled ahead 9-8 with Reed's second of six kills in the set. Both teams lost their serving touch midway through the set, trading errors until Schwartz helped MSUB break through momentarily with a kill, then by teaming up with Mahowald on a block to give the 'Jackets a 14-12 lead. Although the Wildcats tied the game at 17, Reed came through with yet another kill and an ace to put MSUB ahead. Kills from Monck and Mahowald, plus one from Reed brought MSUB to set point up 24-21, yet Central Washington went on a 5-0 run to win the match.
 
THE BUZZ: Skylar Reed was the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game for her 17 kills – six of which came in the fourth set – three digs and one ace…MSUB finished the season with a 12-16 record and a 7-11 mark in GNAC play, which ranked seventh in the conference.