FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu
September 19, 2015 Volleyball rallies in the final sets, but Crusaders too strong as ‘Jackets fall 3-0
MSU Billings rallied during the second two sets, but NNU hung tough as the Yellowjackets fell 3-0. Ashlynn Ward hits .591, but the Northwest Nazarene team finishes with a.379 attack percentage on the night as MSU Billings falls 3-0 in conference action. BILLINGS, Mont. – After falling hard in the first set, MSUB rallied during the last two frames keeping the match tight, but Northwest Nazarene hung tough, outlasting the Yellowjackets down the stretch as MSU Billings fell in conference action 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-17) Saturday in Alterowitz Gymnasium. The Crusaders hit .522 (14-2-23) in the first set, but MSU Billings fired back in the final two frames, keeping the match close. The win for Northwest Nazarene sends the Crusaders to a 4-6 overall record and evens their record in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at 1-1. Montana State University Billings drops to 1-9 on the season and 0-2 in the GNAC. MSUB’s Ashlynn Ward hit a match-high .591 (13-0-22), adding in three digs and a block. The junior outside hitter was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Match.
“I thought Ashlynn Ward had another phenomenal night tonight,” MSUB head coach Lisa Axel said. “Anytime an outside hitter doesn’t have any errors is huge. Our team needs to get better on defense. We need to have more second opportunities. Northwest Nazarene is a great team, but we need to start making some defensive effort.” The Yellowjackets’ Taylor Albertson completed double eights on the night with eight kills and a team-high eight digs. Taylor Sherman checked-in with seven kills. Kyndal Williams led the team in assists with 30 and tied for a team-high in blocks with three. Middle blocker Miranda McConnell also came up with three blocks for the ‘Jackets. For the Crusaders, Kendra Bodine had a big night hitting .548 (19-2-31) and Elayna Rice completed 10 kills on a .304 attack percentage. Hailey Cook pumped in 39 assists and libero Linnea Phillips chimed in with 12 digs. MSU Billings was outmatched in most major categories. The Crusaders had more kills (46-36), digs (47-32), blocks (9.0-5.0), and assists (45-34). MSUB had more service aces (3-2). The first set opened with an early MSUB 3-1 lead before NNU rebounded with an 11-4 run. After a kill crosscourt from Jenna Caywood, MSUB called a timeout. Out of the pause, Ward won the point for MSUB with a kill off the block, but NNU answered with three straight, ending on a kill from Rice for a 17-10 lead. The Yellowjackets rebounded with a kill from Ward for a point and an error from the Crusaders to drop the deficit to six. Junior outside hitter Ashlynn Ward completed 13 kills and no errors in the match against Northwest Nazarene.
The Crusaders continued to climb the scoreboard. After an error from MSU Billings, the Yellowjackets earned a point with a kill from Audri Marrs. At 20-13, the ‘Jackets took their second timeout of the set. Using the break to an advantage, MSUB earned a side out on a service error from Northwest Nazarene. That would be the final point of the first frame for MSUB, as Northwest Nazarene earned the last four points of the set, finishing 25-14 for a 1-0 lead. MSU Billings started off the second frame with two points. The Crusaders bounced back with a block from Caywood and Taylor VanValey. On a service error from NNU, MSUB rallied for four straight, including another kill from Ward and blocks from Williams and McConnell. Northwest Nazarene followed that with three points climbing back to within one, 8-7, on a kill from Rice. Caywood evened the score with a kill straight down the middle. On a heavy shot from Bodine, the Crusaders took the lead for the first time in the set. NNU jumped out 10-8 on a double-block from Bodine and Madi Farrell. Two errors from the Crusaders tied the game back up. The teams traded points into the middle of the set. A big double block from Marrs and Williams gave the Yellowjackets the lead at 12-11. A nifty punch over from Sherman on the outside kept the ‘Jackets ahead, but another kill from Rice prevented the Yellowjackets from gathering any momentum. A huge hit down over the middle from Marrs followed by a kill from Ward on the outside sent the ‘Jackets up by two, 15-13.
Two points from Rice sent the set to the fourth tie of the frame, but a kill from Ward and an ace from Williams put MSU Billings ahead 17-15. Ward made another big statement kill down the outside and Mataia Roderick sent a float serve over the net for an ace, putting the Yellowjacket ahead by three, 19-16, pushing NNU to call for its first timeout of the match. A second delay of the match for Northwest Nazarene put a point on the scoreboard for MSU Billings. The longest rally of the set on a kill from Sherman pushed the score to 21-18. The Crusaders hit back with kills from Cook and Bodine. A double hit error from the MSUB side knotted the score at 21 sending the Yellowjackets to its bench to regroup. Out of the break, two attack errors on the outside had MSUB calling for its second timeout of the set. Marrs earned one back with a slide attack on the right side, but a kill from VanValey gave NNU a set point. Needing one more, VanValey stepped in again, striking a kill through the MSU Billings block for the final point of the set 25-22, p NNU the 2-0 advantage. Keeping with the momentum from the second set, MSU Billings kept pace with the Crusaders through the last frame. A set dump from Williams put the Yellowjackets ahead 10-8. The teams traded points until 11-9 when Northwest Nazarene won the point on a short kill from Bodine, but a shot through the block by Ward kept the ‘Jackets ahead by two, 12-10. An error from MSUB followed by a big serve from Phillips tied the score at 12. A kill off the block from Albertson won a point for the ‘Jackets and another shot straight through the double block from Sherman gave MSUB two points. Battling it out, the two teams continued to rally. Sherman won a point for 15-14 as she touched a kill off the hands of the NNU block, but two blocks from the Crusaders followed by a big kill from Rice pressed the Yellowjackets to call for a timeout. Bodine smashed a ball to the court and an error from the Yellowjackets gave NNU its largest lead at 19-15. MSU Billings got a kill from Albertson, but two points from NNU for 21-16 had the ‘Jackets back to the bench for a second time. Northwest Nazarene ended the set on an 11-2 run, sealing the victory with a kill from Caywood for 25-17. NEXT UP: MSUB volleyball takes their longest road trip of the season as the Yellowjackets are headed for Alaska next week. The ‘Jackets play Alaska Anchorage on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 7:00 p.m. Alaska time, followed by a contest against Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the early start time of 2:00 p.m. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--