BILLINGS, Mont.- The Montana State University Billings volleyball team (2–19, 0–15 GNAC) came within inches of its first conference win of the season but ultimately fell in a five-set battle to Western Oregon (3–21, 2–14 GNAC) on Thursday night at Alterowitz Gymnasium. The Yellowjackets captured the first and fourth sets to force a decisive fifth, but the Wolves edged them out 15–13 to seal the match.
Intermountain Health Player of the Game
Allie Dorman led the MSUB attack with a double-double, posting 16 kills and 10 digs.
Addison Holcomb followed with 14 kills and nine digs, while
Marissa Allen added nine kills and two blocks. Setting duties were split between
Kenzie Allen (27 assists, nine digs, three blocks) and
Reese Sherwood (21 assists, 11 digs, three aces). On the defensive end, libero
Avarey Stuff anchored the back row with 23 digs and two aces.
"Great to see continued improvement," said head coach
Scott Keister. "We drastically stepped up our game from last time we faced Western Oregon and really stepped up to the challenge. We had a great crowd that really helped fuel us as well, so I'm very grateful for that as well."
MSUB opened the night strong with a 25–20 first-set win. After early back-and-forth play, Dorman sparked momentum with kills that pushed the Yellowjackets ahead 6–3. Western Oregon rallied to tie the frame at 10 and 13, but another Dorman-led surge fueled a 9–2 run that built a 22–15 advantage. The Wolves cut the deficit to four, but MSUB held firm to take the opener.
Western Oregon responded by securing the second and third sets, but the Yellowjackets roared back with a gritty 27–25 victory in set four. Trailing 7–3 early, MSUB battled back to tie the set 10–10 behind a Holcomb-finished run. The Yellowjackets stretched their lead to three after an ace from
Avarie Gutierrez and consecutive kills from Allen, but the Wolves continued to apply pressure. Western Oregon reached match point at 24–22 before MSUB answered with a kill from Dorman, then closed out the set on a clutch swing from
Izzy Ping.
In the decisive fifth, WOU surged ahead 5–1 and later extended its lead to 12–6, prompting an MSUB timeout. The Yellowjackets responded with a 6–1 run—powered by two key kills from Allen—to pull within 13–12. Despite the late push, MSUB couldn't fully erase the deficit, and Western Oregon secured the 15–13 win to take the match 3–2.
STATISTIC LEADERS
Kills: Allie Dorman (16)
Assists: Kenzie Allen (27)
Aces: Reese Sherwood (3)
Digs: Avarey Stuff (23)
Blocks: Tehani Moniz (4)
THE BUZZ: Allie Dorman was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game after posting 16 kills, 10 digs, and three blocks.
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket volleyball team plays their final home match of the season this Saturday against Saint Martin's at 1:00pm in Alterowitz Gym where they will honor their seniors just before first serve.
