NAMPA, Idaho — Battling throughout Saturday afternoon's Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchup, the Montana State University Billings volleyball team was unable to overcome Northwest Nazarene, falling 25-16, 25-18, 25-19 at the Johnson Sports Center.
The Yellowjackets (3-13, 0-7 GNAC) finished the match with 30 kills on 138 attacks and a .043 hitting percentage, while Northwest Nazarene recorded 45 kills on 134 attacks and hit .224 as a team. MSUB also collected 55 digs and 12 total blocks, with the Yellowjackets holding the Nighthawks to three sets in which they hit .227, .188 and .262, respectively.
"I liked how they played through some weird things and lineup changes due to injuries," said head coach Scott Keister. "They showed a lot of maturity in the situation and adversity that they faced today."
People are also reading…
Allie Dorman paced the Yellowjackets offensively with 11 kills on 33 attacks, while Izzy Ping added seven kills and Laina Whitney contributed five. Dorman also added two blocks, while Whitney finished with two blocks and Addyson Quandt recorded five blocks, including one solo stop.
Avery Starr directed the MSUB offense with 17 assists and added seven digs, while Aaliyah Gaylord contributed seven assists and nine digs. Avarey Stuff anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 21 digs, and Emma Fairbairn added eight digs and a block. Dorman's 11 kills marked the highest total for the Yellowjackets in the match.
Northwest Nazarene took control early in the opening set, building a lead before closing out the frame 25-16. MSUB recorded 10 kills in the opening set and hit .070, with Dorman and Ping providing much of the Yellowjackets' offensive production. Stuff helped keep MSUB within reach defensively with a strong opening frame as the Yellowjackets worked to slow the Nighthawks' attack.
The second set again went in favor of the Nighthawks, who claimed a 25-18 victory to take a 2-0 match lead. MSUB produced eight kills in the frame but was limited to a -.020 hitting percentage. Dorman continued to lead the Yellowjackets offensively, while Starr distributed 17 assists across the match and helped MSUB maintain its offensive opportunities throughout the afternoon.
The Yellowjackets produced their strongest offensive showing of the match in the third set, recording 12 kills on 46 attacks. MSUB hit .087 in the frame, with Dorman contributing four kills and Ping adding three. Whitney also supplied two kills in the set as the Yellowjackets continued to compete offensively, but Northwest Nazarene ultimately finished the match with a 25-19 third-set victory.
Dorman finished with a team-high 11 kills, while Ping's seven kills and Whitney's five gave MSUB three players with at least five kills. Starr's 17 assists led the Yellowjackets, with Gaylord adding seven. Stuff's 21 digs marked the team's top defensive total, followed by Gaylord with nine, Fairbairn with eight and Starr with seven. MSUB also received contributions at the net from Quandt, who finished with four block assists and one solo block, and Dorman and Whitney, who each added two block assists.
UP NEXT: Saturday's match marked the conclusion of MSUB's three-match road stretch through the Pacific Northwest. The Yellowjackets will return to Alterowitz Gym next week for a pair of GNAC matches, beginning Thursday, Oct. 8, against Western Washington at 7 p.m. MSUB will then host Simon Fraser on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m.
