BILLINGS, Mont. – Tia Allen racked up a match-high 15 kills to propel visiting Saint Martin's University to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 26-24) victory over host Montana State University Billings in Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball action Thursday night at Alterowitz Gym.
 
The Yellowjackets battled back in the third set to force extra points, but the Saints held on to prevent the match from extending to a fourth. SMU improved to 12-4 on the year and 2-4 in conference play, while MSUB slipped to 7-8 overall and 0-7 in conference matches.
 
"We struggled to get ourselves in system both off serve-receive and defensively, which led to low offensive production," said MSUB head coach Casey Bonner. "Saint Martin's did a good job of catching us out of location. We are looking forward to bouncing back Saturday against Western Oregon."
 
Allen hit at .313 on 32 attempts on the evening, while Emmy Hansen chipped in 11 kills on a .364 hitting percentage. Karla Soto spread 35 assists around the court, and Abigail Halstead added a dozen digs to highlight SMU statistically.
 
Jahsita Fa'ali'i led the Yellowjackets with 13 kills while hitting .257, and narrowly missed a double-double with eight digs. Caty Havekost finished with 12 kills, and Paiten Langston added eight while hitting at .313 on the evening. Hannah Hashbarger contributed 28 assists, and Christine Funk reached double figures with 11 digs for the 'Jackets.
 
Langston and Havekost elevated for a loud block midway through the first set, which tied the score at 16-16 and prompted the Saints to take their first timeout. The Saints won the next eight points however, coming out of the break on fire and cruising to a 25-18 victory in the opening set.
 
The 'Jackets jumped ahead 4-2 early, but the Saints used a 4-0 push to turn momentum to their side. SMU never trailed the rest of the set, and a 4-0 run midway through pushed the score out of reach at 18-10. The Yellowjackets rallied late, winning 5 of 7 points to bring the score to 24-21, but Maddy Gooding ended the frame with a powerful kill down the line.
 
Putting together a more complete performance in the third set, MSUB kept things close and never trailed by more than four points. A 3-0 run sparked by kills from Langston and Havekost helped pull the deficit to one, as the 'Jackets cut the Saints' lead to 17-16 midway through the set. Although the Saints managed to keep themselves ahead in a back-and-forth stretch of play, the 'Jackets rallied to win 4 of 5 points late to tie the score at 24-24. Coming out of a timeout, a service error and a kill from Hansen ended the match.
 
Saint Martin's hit at an impressive .320 in the match, compared to a mark of .196 by the Yellowjackets. SMU also out-blocked MSUB 6-4, a category that was co-led by Gooding and Jennifer Soha with three block assists apiece.
 
THE BUZZ: Kennedy Juranek was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game, recording a pair of service aces and four digs…MSUB is now 23-8 all-time against SMU and is 14-2 in home matches against the Saints.
 
NEXT UP: The 'Jackets are back in action Saturday afternoon with a 1 p.m. first serve against Western Oregon University at Alterowitz Gym. Live coverage for Saturday's match will be available online here.