BELLINGHAM, Wash.- The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket volleyball team (6-10, 0-7 GNAC) fell 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-20) to the Western Washinton Vikings (6-7, 5-2 GNAC) in Bellingham, Washinton.
 
HEAR FROM COACH WILLIAMS: "We were up and down tonight, and our youth showed against a tough Western Washington team. We had some great moments but we let them go on too many runs and we were plating catchup the entire match."
 
FIRST SET: Jordan Northcutt got the Yellowjackets on the board with an early kill to give them their first point of the ballgame. The Vikings got ahead to a 9-6 lead, but MSUB brought it back within two after a pair of kills from Julia Gordon and Jahsita Fa'ali'i. The 'Jackets brought it within two again with a kill by Gordon, but the Vikings extended their lead to 16-12. MSUB brought it back within three late in the set, but WWU went on to take it 25-21.
 
SECOND SET: The second set of the match was a back-and-forth battle to start, until the Vikings went on a 4-0 run to take an early 11-6 lead. Avarey Stuff and Fa'ali'i totaled for a pair of aces to bring the match back within five but WWU went on an 8-1 run to take a 16-8 lead. MSUB tried to bring it back after a trio of kills from Aliah Williams but the Vikings again took the set 25-17.
 
THIRD SET: It was MSUB getting out to an early 4-2 lead after another service ace from Fa'ali'i and another kill from Northcutt. Their lead didn't last long after the Vikings went on a 15-6 run to take a 17-10 lead. The Yellowjackets responded with a 5-2 run of their own backed behind a pair of kills from the Yellowjackets. The Vikings went on to take the third set of the night 25-20, and ultimately winning the match 3-0.
 
STATISTIC LEADERS
KILLS: Julia Gordon (7); Aliah Williams (7)
ASSISTS: Addie Allen (15); Emma Fa'alogo (11)
DIGS: Christine Funk (13); Avarey Stuff (8)
BLOCKS: Three players tied (2)
 
THE BUZZ: Aliah Williams was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game after tying her career high in kills (7) with at team lwading .313 hitting percentage and tallied two blocks.
 
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings volleyball team returns to Billings for their second Rimrock Rivalry match of the season against Rocky Mountain College on October 15^th at the Fortin Center.