FAIRBANKS, Ala. – The Montana State University Billings volleyball team's block came through in the second in third sets to keep the team in the mix, yet the hosting Alaska Nanooks won 3-0 (8-25, 18-25, 19-25) on Saturday.
 
"Not a lot went right for us tonight; Alaska got a good lead on us and never looked back," MSUB head coach Casey Williams said. "We have a good opportunity to rebound quickly and get ready for Western Oregon and Saint Martin's next week."
 
The Yellowjackets (4-8, 1-3 GNAC) improved in every set, yet the Nanooks (11-5, 4-0 GNAC) moved to a perfect 4-0 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
QUICK HITS

• Hannah Hayden finished with three kills and six total blocks (one solo), which was one off of tying her career-high.
• Bayli Monck led the offense with six kills.
• Skylar Reed tallied five kills, one service ace and seven digs.

MATCH STATS

• MSUB hitting: .038 overall (-.083 set one, .182 set two, .029 set three)
• Alaska hitting: .253 overall (.500 set one, .333 set two, .135 set three)
• Service aces: MSUB 2, UAF 13
• Digs: MSUB 27, UAF 45
• Blocks: MSUB 7.0, UAF 3.0
• Alaska was led by Karli Nelson's 11 kills and two service aces.

Everything came up Alaska in the first set. The Nanooks took a 11-0 lead to start the first set, then long serves, a block out of bounds and two diving saves from Christine Funk led to a kill from Bayli Monck to put MSUB on the board. Kills from Joelle Mahowald, Skylar Reed and Hannah Hayden rounded out MSUB's offense in the first set, as the hosts won 25-8.
 
In the second, Fairbanks' swings went wide and Monck notched another kill as the Yellowjackets made things 7-4. But MSUB's play up front gave them new life. Back-to-back blocks from Hannah Hayden and Mikayla Yore fired up the 'Jackets and started a rally. Mahowald dropped in an ace, then yet another block from Hayden and Yore up front pulled MSUB within three, 12-9.
 
Out of the timeout trailing 18-10, Reed notched her second kill, which sent Alaska's back line diving. On the ensuing play, Reed went back to serve and earned her first service ace of the game to make the score 18-12. MSUB's block came through once more, as Monck and Hayden, then Mahowald and Fa'ali'i teamed up for blocks to pull MSUB within four. The Nanooks gave up the serve on the first set point, yet they took set two, 25-18.
 
MSUB started the third set on a high note with kills from Reed and Monck, then the 'Jackets took advantage of Nanook errors to pull within one at 5-4. The Yellowjackets went on a 3-0 run to pull within one once more at 10-9, then Reed's third kill of the set made the score 12-10, Nanooks. Later, another kill from Monck and Hayden slamming the ball down at the net stopped a 6-0 Alaska lead, keeping hope alive for one more push.
 
The Yellowjackets saved their best point for last. Trailing 24-18 on match point, the 'Jackets pushed the Nanooks to a marathon point, punctuated by diving saves from Funk, quick hands from Hailey Carroll and finished off by a block from Zoe Bibb and Joelle Mahowald up front to win the point. But the comeback came up short and Fairbanks won the third set 25-19.
 
THE BUZZ: Hannah Hayden was the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game, thanks to her three kills and six total blocks (one solo), most of which sparked MSUB in the second and third sets.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB returns home to face Western Oregon on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m., then Saint Martin's on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 1 p.m. Links to live stats and video can be found on msubsports.com.