LACEY, Wash.- The Montana State University Billings volleyball team (1-12, 0-8 GNAC) put up a strong fight with a third set win but ultimately fell 3-1 (25-19, 25-16, 19-25, 25-10) to Saint Martin's (10-6, 3-5 GNAC) Thursday evening at Marcus Pavilion.
 
The Yellowjackets found success from the service line, recording 10 aces in the match. Allie Dorman, Addison Holcomb, Tehani Moniz, Kenzie Allen, and Jordin Taulua each chipped in two. MSUB also made an impact defensively at the net, notching four solo blocks and eight block assists. Middle blockers Stella Scott and Marissa Allen led the charge with three blocks apiece.
 
HEAR FROM COACH KEISTER: "That's what we have been waiting for all year, to put three solid sets together in a row. The fourth set got away from us, but we will tackle that issue in practice. For the first time this season they overcame a hurdle and really played solid volleyball for three straight sets. They are seeing the small successes, and they just keep fighting, which is great. I love seeing the daily grind of improvement."
 
Saint Martin's opened strong in front of their home crowd, jumping out to a 2-0 lead before MSUB's Taulua broke the momentum with her first kill of the match. That sparked a 5-0 Yellowjackets run, including two aces from Taulua, giving them their first lead at 8-4. The Saints quickly answered with a 4-0 run to tie things at 8-8. The teams traded points until SMU pulled away with a 21-16 advantage. Dorman ended the Saints' run with her third kill of the set, and the Yellowjackets cut the lead to two, but SMU closed the door with a final 4-0 run to take the first set 25-19.
 
MSUB took early control of the second set with a 5-3 lead, helped by two kills from Scott. But the Saints responded with another dominant 5-0 run, forcing a timeout from head coach Scott Keister. The break didn't slow SMU, who added four more unanswered points to extend their lead to 12-5. While Marissa Allen's kill and a Dorman ace gave MSUB some life, the Saints stayed in command, stretching the lead to nine. The Yellowjackets trimmed the deficit slightly, but SMU closed the set 25-16 to go up 2-0.
 
Facing elimination, MSUB started strong in the third set by capitalizing on three consecutive Saints attacking errors. However, Saint Martin's countered with a 10-2 run to grab an 11-5 lead. The Yellowjackets battled back behind kills from setters Kenzie Allen and Reese Sherwood, tying the set at 12-12. Two more points gave MSUB a 14-12 lead and forced SMU's first timeout. The set remained close, with the Yellowjackets maintaining a slim lead at 21-18. Then, with Tehani Moniz at the service line, MSUB closed on a 7-0 run to win the set 25-19 and cut the match deficit to 2-1.
 
The Saints dominated the fourth set from the start, following a kill from Scott with a 5-0 run that forced an early Yellowjackets timeout. Despite a kill from Addison Holcomb and a few SMU errors, the Saints responded with an impressive 9-1 surge to build a commanding 13-5 lead. Holcomb added two more kills, but it wasn't enough to slow the Saints, who cruised to a 25-10 win in the final set, securing a 3-1 match victory.
 
STATISTIC LEADERS
Kills: Addison Holcomb (10)
Hitting Percentage: Stella Scott (.308)
Assists: Kenzie Allen (26)
Blocks: Marissa Allen (2.5)
Aces: Five players tied (2)
Digs: Allie Dorman (14)
 
THE BUZZ: Stella Scott was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game.
 
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket volleyball team rounds out their road trip against the Western Oregon Wolves on October 18^th in Monmouth, OR.