MSUB volleyball defeats Alaska 3-1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu September 26, 2015 Battle in Fairbanks goes ‘Jackets way, volleyball wins 3-1 MSUB Volleyball on Facebook Interactive Box Score MSUB Volleyball Stack on ISSUU

MSUB volleyball earned its first conference win with a 3-1 result over Alaska Fairbanks.

The MSU Billings volleyball squad earns its first conference win during a tight 3-set match in Fairbanks as the Yellowjackets FAIRBANKS, Alaska. – MSU Billings volleyball completed a back-and-forth contest with Alaska Fairbanks with a win, taking their first conference victory of the season 3-1 (25-19, 31-29, 15-25, and 25-15) over the Nanooks.

The win at the Patty Center in Fairbanks was the first Great Northwest Athletic Conference win for MSUB this season, moving the Yellowjackets to 2-10, 1-3 GNAC on the year, while dropping Alaska Fairbanks to 0-11, 0-4 in the GNAC. Junior outside hitter Ashlynn Ward had an outstanding match for MSUB, finishing with a match-high 20 kills on a .267 attack percentage (20-8-45). Ward also led both teams in blocks with 5.0 – a season-high.

MSU Billings outhit Alaska 51-40 and ended the night with more digs (57-49), assists (51-40) and blocks (8.0-5.0). The Yellowjackets finished the match with a team .231 attack percentage (51-20-134) while limiting Alaska to .126 (40-24127).

The ‘Jackets were tougher on defense tonight, as Kyndal Williams (12), Taylor Sherman (11), and Mataia Roderick (11) all finished in the double-digits.

“This win was a complete team effort tonight and hopefully gives us some added confidence going into the rest of our conference schedule,” MSUB head coach Lisa Axel said. “I thought Kyndal did a great job putting our hitters in good situations. Audri really stepped up in the final sets and put the ball away on the slide and Ashlynn had another great night on the outside.

Middle blocker Audri Marrs contributed nine kills to the MSUB effort, while Sherman struck eight. Williams ended the conference match with a team-high 40 assists.

UAF’s Sam Harthun finished with a double-double of 15 kills and 14 digs. Amberly Jeane contributed 11 kill while Miranda Grieser dished up 20 assists.

MSU Billings took the first set, pulling away down the stretch for the lead. Ward led the charge, finishing with seven of her kills during the first frame. The Yellowjackets held a slim 12-11 lead when MSUB rattled off three more points that included two kills from Ward. The Nanooks knotted the score at 17, but MSU Billings fought back, jumping out to a 2point 21-19 advantage, holding the score for four more to end the set 25-19.

Into the second set, Alaska punched back taking an early 16-10 advantage. MSUB won a point back at the net to drop the deficit down to five, 16-11. The Yellowjackets continued to draw closer. Two more kills from Ward added points, but a service error gave the Nanooks the ball back at 17-13. Inching closer, Roderick sent a float serve down the middle of the court for an ace at 17-15.

Two more errors from the MSUB side led to two points for the Nanooks and on a Harthun kill through the outside, Alaska took a 20-17 edge. Two points from the Yellowjackets had the Alaska team calling for a timeout. After two kills from Jeane, it was the ‘Jackets turn to call for a pause. Down 22-19, Miranda McConnell sent a kill to the short outside line and Williams used a set dump to draw the score to within one, 22-21.

Saving a match point, MSUB fought through a long rally that ended on an Alaska error to stall the points at 24-23. Back to the line to serve, Williams hit a ball deep, but an error on an overpass gave Alaska its second match point. The Nanooks were unable to close the set, and another service error knotted the score again, this time at 25-all.

A hard shot down the center from McConnell followed by a kill from Marrs gave MSUB its first set point. The Nanooks won the point on a touch off the block, but another crosscourt kill from Ward kept the set alive at 28-all.

Both teams continued to battle. The Yellowjackets reached 30 points when Sherman put down a shot through a double block and when Ward struck her 14th kill of the match, MSUB took the second frame 31-29 for a dramatic 2-set lead.

Punching back after the long break, the Nanooks jumped out to an early 9-2 advantage in the third frame. The Yellowjackets stopped the Alaska run on a block but UAF won the sideout back with a kill from Harthun. Alaska continued to put the pressure on, drawing out its lead to nine, 13-4, after a kill from Kensey Mix went straight down the center. A double-hit error from MSUB and a big kill from the Nanooks pushed the Alaska lead out to 11, 15-4.

Creeping back into the set, MSUB put together a short 5-2 run ending at 17-8 with a double block from Alaska. Marrs hit a great slide kill from the right to keep the ‘Jackets in the set, but another back row attack from Alaska kept MSUB from going any further. Alaska broke open the match with a 25-15 win in the third set.

Switching back to their first set momentum, the Yellowjackets opened the fourth frame with a 7-0 run. Alaska used some crosscourt cuts and sliding defense to pull themselves back into the set on a 4-1 counter. Harthun forced a ball down to pull the Nanooks back to three, 10-7. Another kill on the on the slant sent the score to within two, 10-8, but back-to-back blocks from Ward and McConnell pushed the score to a MSUB 12-8 lead. Another block from McConnell in the center widened the point spread to five, 13-8.

Hanging tough, the ‘Jackets used their middle blockers to add more pressure, forcing the Nanooks to outside errors.

Another 6-2 run from MSUB took the score to 18-10 and an Alaska time out. Keeping their foot on the gas, the Yellowjackets closed out the fourth frame on a 4-1 blast, ending the match on a huge kill from Ward.

The Buzz: Audri Marrs was named tonight’s St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Match…the win stops a 3-match losing streak to Alaska…this is only the fifth win in 19 match-ups on the road for MSUB against UAF….the win also takes the overall record between the two teams to 25-26 – MSUB will get a chance to even the record at home with a match on Oct. 22.

UP NEXT: The ‘Jackets return to their home court for two conference matches. MSU Billings will host nationally-ranked Western Washington on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 7:00 p.m. followed by a match against Simon Fraser on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:00 p.m.

--@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--