Ward with 22 kills in 3-1 loss to Concordia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu November 12, 2015 Big night from Ward not enough as volleyball falls 3-1 to Concordia

Ashlynn Ward completed 22 kills in the 3-1 loss to Concordia (Ore.)

Volleyball on Facebook Volleyball Stack on ISSUU Interactive Box Score Ashlynn Ward completes 22 kills in during the match, but Concordia (Ore.) improves throughout the sets as the Yellowjackets fall on the road 3-1.

PORTLAND, Ore. – A big night from junior Ashlynn Ward was not enough as the MSUB volleyball team fell 3-1 (29-25, 2517, 25-21, 25-20) on the road to Concordia (Ore.).

Ward had 22 kills, just one off her season-high, and two blocks on the night. The outside hitter finished with a .267 attack percentage (22-7-57).

Each team had two players record double-doubles. For the third straight match, freshman Taylor Sherman completed a double-double with 11 kills and 16 digs. Senior setter Kyndal Williams ended the night leading the match in assists with 43 while completing her fifth double-double of the season with 12 digs.

Libero Kimmy Kirk led the team in digs with 17. Freshman middle blocker Miranda McConnell had four blocks.

Montana State University Billings (6-20, 5-12 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) opened strong, holding Concordia (Ore.) to a .083 attack percentage in the first set for a 25-19 win. From there, CU continued to improve its performance and MSUB struggled in its consistency.

The Yellowjackets took the first set and had a chance during the third with a 21-19 lead, but Concordia ended the frame with six straight points.

“I am proud of the way our team battled tonight on the road,” MSUB head coach Lisa Axel said. “Ashlynn had another great night. She was swinging against a double block and was still able to put the ball away. Taylor Sherman continues to be very steady both offensively and defensively with another doubledouble. Kyndal really did a great job tonight of finding the hot hitter and putting them in great situations. She was also able to put the ball away on the second contact which helped open up our hitters.”

Concordia (17-9, 9-9 GNAC) finished the fourth set on a .419 attack percentage with 19 kills and just one error. A trio of players in Brenna Huwe (15), Lindsey Dorsey (14), and Tori Johnson (10) all hit double-figures in kills.

Huwe and Dorsey both had double-doubles. Huwe especially had a big night, leading her team in both kills and the match in digs with 20. Dorsey added 13 digs.

Ashley Jibby provided 18 digs, Taylor Jenessa led her team in assists with 42, and Colby Barnette led all players with six blocks.

Concordia never led in the first set. The Cavaliers were within one at 12-11, but the Yellowjackets opened up a 7-0 run to close down CU’s chances.

Kyndal Williams led all players with 43 assists.

CU had an opportunity to tie it at 11, but were denied by an error. Williams added an ace for the ‘Jackets, but a kill from Dorsey off the hands of Stormy Siemion reclaimed the ball for the Cavaliers.

Dorsey followed through again on the next point with another kill on the outside. Ward blocked any CU advance with back-to-back kills and McConnell added a tip to the floor in the middle of a 7-0 run.

MSUB drew the lead out to six at 21-16.

Williams added one, but an overpass from the ‘Jackets led to a point at the top of the net from Barnette.

Siemion earned a set-point at 25-19 and McConnell finished it off for the 1-0 lead.

In the second set, this time CU came out on fire, putting up six straight points. After a timeout, MSUB climbed back with three points, before a service error sent the ball back to the Cavs.

Abbie Mikelson swung for a kill and a double block from McConnell and Ward put MSUB one back at 9-8. CU pushed three more points before Audri Marrs connected on a ball set to the middle by Williams.

With two kills from Dorsey and twice as many errors from MSUB, the Cavalier rebuilt the 6-point lead they had at the beginning of the set for a 17-11 advantage.

Ward continued to hammer away on the outside, getting two more kills, and closing the gap to four 20-16, but the CU lead was too large as the Cavs finished the second set on a tap over from Johnson followed by an error from the ‘Jackets.

In the all-important third set, the opening rallies were evenly fought, but several MSUB errors helped Concordia open a 7-4 lead. Huey increased the margin with a kill, but Marrs got a touch called on her attack and Sherman added her eighth strike of the night.

A block in the middle from the Yellowjackets tied the set at nine. On a long rally, Dorsey ended the play with a kill, but Ward earned the ball back with a ball that bounced off the block to the open floor.

The MSUB defense kept several rallies alive for the ‘Jackets. Marrs leaned into a tight set for a kill. Successive tie scores from 11-16 was finally broken by CU, but a service error and an ace from Kirk knotted the score back up at 17.

Four straight point ending with McConnell and Ward on a double block to the outside pushed MSUB to the lead again at 18-17.

The Yellowjackets took a big point at 21-19 with a kill from Ward giving MSUB a chance to close out the set, but Concordia responded with a kill from Barnette that set off a 6-0 burst to end the third set.

Williams surprised the Cavaliers with a set dump for a 5-3 opening score in the fourth set.

A good recovery from the Yellowjackets broke an 8-point tie. MSUB played a ball off a deflection and Sherman capitalized on the short set for a point. The ‘Jackets kept ahead of the Cav’s through 12-11.

Concordia pulled ahead by two. The ‘Jackets snapped back with a kill from Ward right between the block. An ace from Sherman tied the match at 16.

The teams had another tie at 17, but that would be as close as the Yellowjackets would come. Ward had two more kills, but the Cavaliers earned three more kills from Huwe, ending the match scoring the last 6-8 points.

THE BUZZ: Ward earns St. Vincent Healthcare Athlete of the Match honors…the win by Concordia (Ore.) gives the Cavaliers the season sweep over MSUB as CU defeated the ‘Jackets in straight sets earlier in the season…CU ended the match with a .253-.196 attack percentage over MSUB.

UP NEXT: MSU Billings travels to Western Oregon for a match on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:00 p.m. Pacific time. msubsports.com | #JacketNation--