FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu November 5, 2015 Team effort from ‘Jackets leads to 3-0 win over Falcons Volleyball on Facebook Volleyball Stack on ISSUU Interactive Box Score Interview with junior Ashlynn Ward and head coach Lisa Axel
An effective team effort from the MSU Billings volleyball team leads to a straight sets victory at home for the Yellowjackets. BILLINGS, Mont. – A combined effort from the MSU Billings squad lifted the volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 2521) win over conference opponent Seattle Pacific at home on Thursday. Montana State University Billings (5-19, 4-11 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) used every resource available for a big straight sets win over SPU in Alterowitz Gymnasium.
MSUB led most of the first set by a 4-point margin, held back a Falcon charge in the second frame, and hit a dominate .409 team attack percentage in the final set for the victory. Junior Ashlynn Ward hit .333 (10-1-27) in the match ending with a team-high 10 kills. Senior middle blocker Audri Marrs had nine kills and four blocks. Freshman Miranda McConnell also had four blocks as she and Taylor Sherman both tallied six terminations. MSUB senior setter Kyndal Williams finished with a match-high 31 assists. Sherman was tops in the defensive court for the team with 11 digs. Williams scooped up eight more digs and Stormy Siemion added seven. “I am so proud of our team tonight,” MSUB head coach Lisa Axel said. “It was a complete team effort. Our defense and serve receive really stepped-up tonight and Kyndal did a great job of putting our hitters in great situations. Ashlynn had a big night leading the team in kills and hitting .333. Our hitters were taking smart swings tonight and finished the third set hitting .409. That is by far the best we have hit all season.” As a team the Yellowjackets hit .287 finishing with 37 kills. Seattle Pacific was held to a .155 hitting percentage. Lexi Biondi finished with a match-high 13 kills, Ellie Britt completed nine and Hannah Lautenbach contributed eight. Symone Tran put-up 27 assists. Libero Breanne Wiekamp ended with a team-high nine digs. Ahead for most of the first frame, MSU Billings jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the first set. McConnell hit a good kill to the inside right court for 2-1. MSUB then forced an error to the outside and Marrs finished with a stuff block for the 4-point gap. The Yellowjackets continued to roll points. Marrs with an excellently timed strike won the ball back at 9-6 and Sherman came through with an ace to the far corner for a point. Audri Marrs and Kyndal Williams at the net on a block.
Late in the set, Seattle Pacific (7-17, 5-11 GNAC) rallied with three straight points to close to within four at 22-18, but MSUB rallied back and Ward finished the first set on a hard shot crosscourt at 25-19.
The second set was closer with 10 tie scores. Williams opened the second frame with a backward set dump for the opening point of the set. On an error, the Falcons tied the middle frame at four. Marrs rebounded with a hard kill off the block for the side out. Seattle Pacific took its first lead on a kill from Biondi. Keeping it close, the teams traded points and possessions. McConnell laid into a slide kill to the far corner for a small lead, but SPU climbed back into the set to tie the match at 11 with a kill from Shaun Crespi. McConnell attacking on a great short set won the ball back for 12-11 and forcing two errors from the Falcons MSUB took a 3-point advantage. A double block from Williams and Marrs continued the run.
Digging back in, Seattle Pacific engaged on a 5-1 run to tie the set at 19. McConnell came through again, this time with a kill into the open court for 20-19. A miscommunication on the MSUB side had McConnell punching the ball over, but a counter error from SPU led to the ball dropping on the Falcon’s side for 22-19. Sherman earned a set point with a kill off the block, and on a ball hit out from SPU for 25-21, the Yellowjackets took a 2-0 lead. Lautenbach opened the third frame with two points for the Falcons. Battling hard for momentum, each team fought for points. Ward and McConnell broke a tie at 11 points with a double block on the outside. Hanging tough at the net, the Yellowjackets earned three more points to take a 15-12 lead. Pushing ahead, MSUB’s Abbie Mikelson put down a kill for 19-14. SPU climbed to within two with three straight points, but on a SPU service error MSUB held on for the last four points of the match. Marrs finished with a kill off an assist from Kimmy Kirk and Ward ended the match with one from Mataia Roderick. MSUB finished with a 3-0 win over Seattle Pacific.
THE BUZZ: MSUB was stronger at the net finishing with 7.0 team blocks – 5.0 more than the Falcons…the Yellowjackets also had seven service aces in the match with Williams and Sherman both finishing with three each…the win evens the season as MSUB lost to SPU 3-1 on the road earlier in the year…Ward named the night’s St. Vincent Healthcare Athlete of the Match. UP NEXT: MSU Billings has one more home match this season. The Yellowjackets host Saint Martin’s on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m. during this season’s Senior Night. Before the match, Kyndal Williams and Audri Marrs will be honored for their contributions to the MSUB program. msubsports.com | #JacketNation--