FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu October 29, 2016 ‘Jackets complete season sweep of Nanooks winning 3-1 in Fairbanks MSUB Volleyball on Facebook | MSUB Volleyball Stack on ISSUU | Box Score
MSUB volleyball completed a season sweep of Alaska with a win in Fairbanks over the Nanooks.
MSU Billings completes a season sweep of Alaska with a 3-1 win in Fairbanks Saturday. FAIRBANKS, Alaska. – Rebounding from a slow start, the Yellowjackets completed a season sweep of Alaska with a 3-1, 20-25, 25-21, 25-19, and 26-24 Great Northwest Athletic Conference win on the road Saturday at the Patty Center. After dropping the opening set, MSUB took control of the match, winning sets two and three. Up 23-14 in the fourth frame, the Yellowjackets looked as if they would cruise to the finish line, but Alaska dug deep, engaging on a 9-0 explosion to tie the fourth set at 23. Stormy Siemion earned a match point for MSUB on a roll shot off a Faith Taylor bump set. Not done, Angala Molesworth knotted the score at 24 for Alaska. Tightening down, Siemion earned a second match point and the Yellowjackets finished the set by forcing a Nanook error. With the win, MSU Billings improves to 5-19 overall and 3-11 in the GNAC. Alaska falls to 2-19 on the year and 1-13 in the GNAC.
Siemion had a big night for MSUB with 18 kills and 11 digs. Ashlynn Ward finished with 15 kills on a match-leading .583 attack percentage (15-1-24). Miranda McConnell also had double-digit kills with 10, adding-in a team-high three blocks. Taylor collected 17 digs and made six assists. Angala Jensen had a double-double of 38 assists and 10 digs. Kylee Cornelio and Mataia Robinson both had nine digs each. The Yellowjackets posted six service aces with Robinson and Jensen recording two apiece. Casey Rich had seven kills and five digs. Molesworth had a big night for Alaska, posting a match-high 23 kills. Tatum Upchurch and Maddie Davis both recorded 12 kills. Meagan Olsen had 22 digs, Davis 18, and Jenna Hickel 10. Rachel Nichols was credited with 53 assists and seven digs. The Yellowjackets held the early lead in the first set before Alaska went out ahead 13-9 on a kill by Upchurch. Good defense by Taylor led to a kill off a feed from Robinson. A double block from McConnell and Siemion brought the gap down to two points, 14-12. Alaska pulled away as a kill from Kim Wong made it 23-16. The Yellowjackets scored three straight points on kills from Siemion and McConnell before Alaska’s Davis put the first game away to give the Nanooks the lead 1-0. In the second set, neither team led by more than a two points from 7-13 until the ‘Jackets found three straight points from Siemion and McConnell for a 17-14 advantage. Molesworth collected two more points and an error from MSUB put the Nanooks within reach 20-19. McConnell and Lexa de Jesus put-up a double block to turn the momentum back to the Yellowjackets. A kill from Ward evened the match 1-1. The Nanooks opened the third frame with three straight points on kills from Molesworth. MSUB got back into the set with a 6-0 climb topped by a kill from Ward. Molesworth provided a side out for Alaska. Keeping on track, de Jesus tooled a ball off the block and Jensen tipped the ball over for an 8-4 lead. Siemion pushed the ‘Jackets out by six, 20-14, after three straight MSUB points. Jensen provided a service ace and kills from Siemion and Ward pulled MSUB ahead 21. Ward cleared a ball over the top of the block to make it 7-3 in the fourth set. A service ace from Cornelio drew the lead out to six, 9-3. A back court attack from Siemion pushed the MSUB score into double-digits. The ‘Jackets kept control of the final frame. Jensen made a move to pull a ball out of the net and de Jesus kept the rally going with a punch on the ball from the right side. Rich slide a ball down the Alaska net and Robinson served an unreturnable ball, giving MSUB its largest lead of the match at 22-11. Wong earned a point back for the Nanooks. Alaska made a come-back, tying the fourth frame on an outstanding 9-0 run. A kill from Siemion stopped the bleeding. Molesworth collected one more kill before MSU Billings finished the match with two straight points. THE BUZZ: MSUB continued its win streak against Alaska, taking it to seven dating back to the 2013 season…Ward named the St. Vincent Healthcare Athlete of the Match. UP NEXT: MSUB returns to Billings for its last two matches at home for the 2016 season. The Yellowjackets host Saint Martin’s on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m., followed by Seattle Pacific during Senior Night on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. --msubsports.com | #JacketNation--