MSUB Volleyball recap vs. Academy of Art 0910

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu September 10, 2015 Volleyball falls in tight match to Urban Knights 3-1

Junior #6 Stormy Siemion completed a double-double against Academy of Art with 10 kills and 13 digs.

A handful of points separates the first two sets as MSU Billings and Academy of Art go toe-to-toe for the second time this season. The volleyball teams play their second contest at the GNAC/PacWest Crossover in Seattle, and both squads battle for each point during the first match of the tournament.

SEATTLE. – With 16 ties and five lead changes, it was a battle from start to finish. The MSU Billings volleyball team kicked off their opening match of the 2015 GNAC/PacWest Crossover tournament with the team’s second contest this season against Academy of Art. At the Seattle Pacific hosted-event, MSUB fell in its first match 3-1 (25-23, 24-26, 25-21, 25-20) on Thursday morning to the Urban Knights as both teams fought for an advantage early in the day.

Three Yellowjackets finished the match with double-digit kills. MSUB’s Ashlynn Ward led all players with 18 total kills as she completed the four sets on a .500 attack percentage. Miranda McConnell led both teams finishing with 14 kills on 18 attempts for a final .667 attack percentage which ties Jessica Bratton from 2004 as seventh-best for an individual matcheffort by a Yellowjacket. At the net, McConnell added two blocks and served up two aces during the match at Brougham Pavilion. For her performance McConnell was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day.

Junior Stormy Siemion completed her first double-double of the season with 10 kills and 13 digs as senior Kyndal Williams contributed her second double-double of the season with 47 assists and 10 digs. Williams also threw in two service aces and two blocks. Led by Siemion’s 13 digs, five Yellowjackets finished with 10 or more digs.

Taylor Albertson and Audri Marrs finished the match with three blocks apiece for MSUB. MSU Billings finished the match with the advantage in assists (55-53) and digs (59-52) while Academy of Art totaled four more kills (61-57) and three more team service aces (11-8).

Stine Rabin (17), Melissa Brum (14), and Bailey Soolsma (10) came up with double-digit kills for AAU. Rachel Smith led the match in assists with 48 and Kabrina Speakman in digs with 17 total.

The Urban Knight held down a .299 team attack percentage, just slightly ahead of the .270 from MSU Billings.

The loss drops Montana State University Billings to 1-4 on the year and lifts Academy of Art to 3-2.

MSUB started Set 1 off down 4-0 before freshman McConnell won the ball back on an overpass she smacked down for the point. The teams exchanged rallies before the Urban Knights drew the lead out to six as MSUB head coach Lisa Axel checked in with the team at 13-7. After the timeout, Williams earned a kill to stop the run from Academy of Art, but the Urban Knights opened up a 19-11 advantage. MSUB battled back with a 14-5 spread to pull back into the set knotting the score at 23. AAU’s Brum and Soolsma won the set for the Knights with two kills on the outside for a 1-0 set advantage.

A long rally was won by MSUB’s Siemion as she drilled a shot crosscourt for the opening lead of Set 2 at 5-3. A kill from Ward and three consecutive wins at the net for MSUB gave the ‘Jackets a 12-7 advantage sending AAU to call for its first timeout of the frame. Continuing to keep a steady lead, MSUB took the score to 20-15. Academy of Art responded scoring two points on kills from Soolsma and Raben, but the Yellowjackets rattled off two points on an AAU error and a kill from Albertson. Keeping up the pressure, the Urban Knights served tough as Safua Elisaia sent two service aces over the net to draw the score to within one at 22-21.

After a timeout from MSU Billings, Elisaia served up her third consecutive ace to tie the score at 22. An unreturnable attack from McConnell followed by a double block from Albertson and Marrs gave the Yellowjackets set point. The Knights stayed alive with a kill from Brum and a MSUB error to tie the score at 24. A kill from Marrs in the middle and one on the outside from Siemion gave the ‘Jackets the set at 26-24 to tie the match at 1-set each.

The match continued to be close in the third set. The two teams were tied at 7-all before Academy of Art fought for three straight to take a slight lead at 10-7. MSU Billings got two points on kills from Albertson and Ward before AAU jumped back out to a 13-9 lead. The ‘Jackets then rattled off three more to draw to within one, 14-13. On a service ace from Simeion and back-to-back kills from Ward MSUB took its first lead of the third frame at 17-16.

An attack error from AAU and a kill from McConnell continued to keep the Yellowjackets up by two, but an error from the MSUB side followed by an overpass and a kill from Brum tied the score back up at 19. Four more rallies kept the score close as McConnell pounded down a ball in the center to retie the score at 21, but three errors from MSUB and a kill from Amorelle Applin gave the Urban Knights the set at 25-21 and a 2-1 set lead.

In the fourth frame, the Urban Knights jumped out to a 7-2 lead. Albertson laid down a kill on the right side for the point from MSUB. Academy of Art gathered steam, opening up a 6-point lead, 9-3, on a kill from Applin. Needing a point,

Marrs struck a ball down the center and a kill from Ward brought a momentum shift for the ‘Jackets. MSU Billings earned three straight points before a huge kill from Rabin sparked another shift in the fourth set. A service ace and five straight kills from the Knights put the fourth set back in the hands of AAU with an 8-point lead 15-7. The Yellowjackets halved the Knights advantage to four points 20-16 as MSUB got kills from Albertson and Siemion which had the Urban Knights calling for their first time out of the frame. Another kill from Marrs and two from Ward pulled MSUB to 24-20, but a kill from AAU’s Rabin ended the set and match.

“Miranda and Ashlynn both made a couple of adjustments from last weekend and did a great job for us offensively in our first match,” Axel said following the match. “We need to clean-up our serve receive in our next matches so we can run a more balanced offense.”

NEXT UP: Tournament plays continues as MSU Billings is set for two matches tomorrow. The Yellowjackets face off against Azusa Pacific at 9:00 a.m. Pacific time followed by a match against Hawaii Pacific at 6:00 p.m.

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