KINGSVILLE, Tex
. — The Montana State University Billings volleyball team opened play at the Javelina Volleyball Classic with a thrilling five-set victory over Edinboro before falling to St. Mary's (Texas) in straight sets later Friday.
The Yellowjackets (2-4) earned their first five-set win of the season with a 25-20, 22-25, 25-19, 14-25, 15-13 triumph over the Fighting Scots before dropping a 25-20, 25-12, 25-13 decision to the Rattlers.
"Love how we played in the first match to grind out a five setter against a really nice Edinboro team," said head coach
Scott Keister. "We had a very solid performance across the board. In the second match, we were fighting a lot of variables outside of our control and some that were in our control. It was a great learning experience for us to learn how to handle those situations. Short night tonight and back at it again tomorrow against two really good teams."
MSUB hit .194 in the opening match while holding Edinboro to a .151 attacking percentage despite being out-killed 56-53. The Yellowjackets finished with 15 total blocks, six service aces, and 79 digs in the victory. In the second match, St. Mary's posted a .369 hitting percentage while limiting MSUB to .068.
Emma Fairbairn and
Allie Dorman paced the Yellowjackets offensively in the win over Edinboro with 17 kills apiece. Fairbairn added 10 digs, two service aces, and a block, while Dorman chipped in 16 digs, two block assists, and an ace.
Laina Whitney turned in one of her best performances of the young season, recording five kills on a team-best .500 hitting percentage while adding five total blocks.
Avery Starr directed the offense with 43 assists and 15 digs for a double-double, while
Avarey Stuff collected 11 digs.
Mikayla Champlin added four kills, three block assists, and a service ace.
Against St. Mary's,
Izzy Ping led MSUB with six kills, while Fairbairn added five and Dorman finished with four. Champlin hit .250 with three kills and a solo block, while Whitney chipped in three kills on a .286 clip. Starr recorded 12 assists and Gaylord added six, while Stuff led the back row with six digs.
The opening set against Edinboro featured 10 ties before the Yellowjackets seized control late. Tied 16-16, MSUB used a 5-1 run highlighted by kills from Dorman and Fairbairn to build a four-point advantage. The Fighting Scots closed within three, but consecutive kills from Fairbairn and Whitney sealed a 25-20 opening-set victory.
Edinboro responded in the second set, overcoming an early MSUB lead with a late surge. The Yellowjackets led 19-17 after a Fairbairn kill, but the Fighting Scots answered with a 7-1 run to grab a 24-20 advantage before evening the match with a 25-22 set win.
MSUB reclaimed momentum in the third set behind a balanced offensive effort. Trailing 12-10, the Yellowjackets strung together six of the next seven points, fueled by kills from Dorman, Ping, and Whitney. The lead continued to grow before Fairbairn ended the frame with her fourth kill of the set to give MSUB a 25-19 victory and a 2-1 match lead.
The fourth set belonged to Edinboro from the opening serve. The Fighting Scots raced out to a 10-3 advantage and never looked back, hitting .417 in the frame to force a decisive fifth set with a 25-14 win.
The winner-take-all fifth set lived up to its billing. Neither team led by more than two points as the score was tied seven different times. After Edinboro tied the score at 13-13, Dorman delivered a clutch kill to give the Yellowjackets match point before a Fighting Scots attack error secured the 15-13 victory and MSUB's first five-set win of the season.
The nightcap proved more difficult against a high-powered St. Mary's offense. The Yellowjackets stayed within striking distance for much of the opening set, trailing just 18-17 before the Rattlers closed on a 7-3 run to claim a 25-20 victory.
St. Mary's took command in the second set, using a 10-2 run to pull away early before cruising to a 25-12 win behind .600 hitting.
The Rattlers carried that momentum into the third set, breaking open a close contest midway through with an extended scoring run. MSUB was unable to recover as St. Mary's completed the sweep with a 25-13 victory.
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets conclude play at the Javelina Volleyball Classic on Saturday with matches against Texas A&M-Kingsville at 10 a.m. and Minnesota State Moorhead at 4:30 p.m. local time.
