MONMOUTH, Ore. – Coming out on top in a tightly-contested affair Thursday evening at the New P.E. Building, host Western Oregon University defeated Montana State University Billings in four sets (25-16, 23-25, 27-25, 25-19) in Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball action.
 
The Wolves (9-12, 5-8 GNAC) out-hit the Yellowjackets .233-.074 in the match, as their attack proved more accurate. The Yellowjackets fell to 7-16 with the loss and 0-14 in conference play.
 
Olivia Schwartz led MSUB with nine kills in the match, while Jahsita Fa'ali'i added eight and Carlyn Whitney and Lily Gentz had five apiece. Hannah Hashbarger had 17 assists and Alexis King had 12, while Hashbarger and Fa'ali'i co-led the team with 11 digs apiece. Kennedy Juranek also reached double figures in digs with 10 on the evening.
 
Three Wolves tied for the team high with 13 kills, as Sarah Crowell, Delaney Smith, and Madison Hornback were the most effective attackers for the home team. Laney O'Neil finished with 32 assists while Emily West added 14, and O'Neil (17 digs), Ally Henry (14 digs), and Hornback (13 digs) were the top defenders in the match.
 
After the Wolves claimed a fairly one-sided opening set 25-16, the Yellowjackets rallied to pull the match even with a narrow 25-23 result in the second. MSUB made its move early on in the second, winning 4 of 5 points to jump out to a 14-9 advantage. Although WOU won the next five points to even the score, the Yellowjackets were undeterred as they went on another push winning four straight points to go up 23-18. The rally was capped on a service ace by Hashbarger, who then set up Hannah Hayden for a kill to give MSUB set point. The 'Jackets withstood a 4-0 run by WOU that pulled the score to 24-23, and won the set on an attack error.
 
The teams traded runs at the outset of the third frame, with WOU edging its way to a narrow 9-8 advantage before winning four points in-a-row. Embarking on their biggest run of the match in response, MSUB won six straight and 7 of 8 points to wrestle the lead back 15-14. Gentz and Schwartz each had key kills during the push, and a service ace by Paiten Langston also contributed to giving MSUB the advantage.
 
An ensuing 6-0 run by WOU however negated the momentum for the 'Jackets, and although MSUB got it back late and had set point up 25-24, WOU rallied to win the set in extra points with three straight to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
The deciding set unfurled in similar fashion, with the teams battling to an 11-11 tie early on. WOU claimed five of the next six points however, and didn't trail after that on its way to victory. Crowell ended the match on a kill from O'Neil, as WOU completed the season sweep of the 'Jackets.
 
THE BUZZ: Hashbarger was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…Thursday was Hashbarger's fifth double-double of the year and the 25th of her career…MSUB is now 12-22 all-time against WOU and is 3-13 in road matches against the Wolves.
 
NEXT UP: MSUB returns to the court on Saturday in Lacey, Wash., with a 5 p.m. first serve against Saint Martin's University. Live coverage will be available online here.