BILLINGS, Mont.- The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket volleyball team (1-1) bounced back in a big way, earning a commanding 3-0 sweep over Brandon University (CAN) on opening day of the season. After a hard-fought 3-1 loss to Minot State in their first match of the 1st International Bank Homecoming Classic, head coach
Scott Keister secured his first career victory as a Yellowjacket in game two.
Taking on a seasoned Minot State team with four games already played, the Yellowjackets were tested early but responded with a dominant performance against Brandon University. Strong showings from returning standouts
Reese Sherwood,
Avarey Stuff, and
Jordin Taulua powered MSUB to both their first win of the season and a milestone moment for Coach Keister.
HEAR FROM COACH KEISTER: "Overall I was really pleased with our effort and play for the first match of the year. We out served and out passed our opponent which is always a goal of ours, we just came up a bit short in the outside hitter battle. Two points better in each set and I believe we come away with a different result."
GAME ONE: MSUB 1; MINOT STATE 3
In their season opener, the Yellowjackets battled hard through four tightly contested sets but ultimately fell just short, dropping a 3-1 decision to the Beavers. Each set was decided by five points or fewer, highlighting how evenly matched the teams were. With four games already under their belt, Minot State came out strong, taking the first two sets while MSUB worked to shake off the offseason rust and experimented with their lineup. Ten of the Yellowjackets' 12 rostered players saw action, with seven playing in all four sets.
After leading for much of the second set but narrowly missing out on a win, the Yellowjackets began to find their rhythm. That momentum carried into the third set, where they jumped out to an early 6-2 lead behind a 4-0 run capped by a kill from Taulua. The set remained competitive until another 5-0 MSUB run pushed the lead to 22-16. During that stretch,
Addison Holcomb contributed two kills and finished the set with six total.
Stella Scott eventually sealed the 25-21 set win for MSUB.
Holcomb led all players with 12 kills in the game, followed by Taulua with nine, Scott with seven, and
Marissa Allen with six. Sherwood orchestrated the offense with 30 assists while also adding nine digs, two kills, one ace, and a solo block. True freshman
Allie Dorman made an impressive debut, leading the team with 20 digs while also recording five kills, one ace, and one solo block. Libero
Avarey Stuff also had a strong performance, finishing with 13 digs, three service aces, and three assists.
HEAR FROM COACH KEISTER: "We played much better overall than we did in the first match, you could just see them settling into competition mode a little more. Reese did a nice job of spreading out our offense and Jordin showed her leadership with several key blocks. We hit a rough patch of about 5-6 points in the third set, but we regrouped and refocused. I reminded them of this thing we call grit and staying engaged in every contact and they responded phenomenally. We were down 23-19 late in the set and just battled one point at a time."
GAME TWO: MSUB 3; BRANDON 0
The Yellowjackets came out swinging in the opening set of their second match, quickly putting up four unanswered points. Both teams exchanged blows early, with the Bobcats keeping it close but still trailing 14-11. From there, MSUB caught fire, finishing the set on a dominant 10-3 run to take it 25-14.
Brandon University found their rhythm in the second set. Despite the Yellowjackets reaching match point with a four-point cushion, the Bobcats fought back with a late 4-0 surge to even the score at 24-24. However, MSUB quickly regained control, capitalizing on a costly error from Brandon before Stuff sealed the deal with a flawless service ace.
For the first time all afternoon, the Yellowjackets found themselves trailing for most of the third set. They stayed competitive early, thanks in part to back-to-back aces from freshman Adrianne Magdaleno. Brandon pulled ahead, stretching the lead to 23-19 and putting MSUB under pressure. But a kill from Taulua sparked a late rally, fueling an 8-2 run that secured a thrilling 27-25 comeback win.
It was another standout performance from Sherwood, who powered MSUB to their first win of the season with 21 assists, nine digs, and four kills. She also spread the offense effectively, with six different Yellowjackets recording at least three kills. Taulua notched her second straight game with nine kills, this time with an impressive .529 hitting percentage. Stuff anchored the defense with a team-high 20 digs, adding an assist and an ace. At the net,
Marissa Allen was a force—leading all players with three solo blocks and a block assist, while also posting a career-high eight kills on the attack.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES (GAME ONE):
Addison Holcomb: 12 K, 4 D
Reese Sherwood: 30 A, 9 D, 2 K, 1 BS, 1 SA
Jordin Taulua: 9 K, 2 BA, 2 D
Avarey Stuff: 13 D, 3 SA, 3 A
Allie Dorman: 20 D, 1 SA, 5 K, 1 BS
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES (GAME TWO):
Jordin Taulua: 9 K, .529 HP, 1 BS, 1 BA
Reese Sherwood: 21 A, 9 D, 4 K
Avarey Stuff: 20 D, 1 SA, 1 A
Marissa Allen: 8 K, 3 BS, 1 BA, 1 D
THE BUZZ: Addison Holcomb was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game for game one and
Reese Sherwood was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game for game two.
UP NEXT: The 'Jackets are back in action tomorrow for day two of the 1
st International Bank Homecoming Classic with first serve against the University of Mary at 7 AM (MT) and first serve against the University of Manitoba at 11 AM (MT).
