by SEATTLE. – The MSU Billings volleyball team fell in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference road match to Seattle Pacific 25-16, 25-21, 23-25, and 25-19 Thursday in Brougham Pavilion.
The Yellowjackets fell in the first set, but rallied in the second to hold a 4-point, 17-13 lead before the Falcons closed out the frame on an 8-2 run to pull ahead 2-0. MSUB earned a set back by claiming the third frame on a kill by Lexa de Jesus. With the momentum from the third set win, MSU Billings started the fourth frame strong, jumping out to a 5-0 lead. The Falcons fought back, and both teams traded points until a tie at 19 was broken by SPU with six straight points to claim the four set victory.
The win improves Seattle Pacific to 7-9 overall and 3-5 in the GNAC. MSU Billings falls to 2-14 on the season and 1-6 in conference action.
MSUB’s Ashlynn Ward (Standing Rock Soiux) finished with a double-double of a match-high 18 kills adding in 10 digs. Ward was the only Yellowjacket to finish with double-digit kills as the ‘Jackets struggled at the net, finishing with a .091 match attack percentage.
Led by Kylee Cornelio‘s 23, four Yellowjackets claimed double-digit digs. Angala Jensen matched Ward’s 10 and Stormy Siemion recorded 13. Jensen led the team in assists, also finishing with a double-double as the freshman posted a team-high 36 assists. Siemion added to the kill total with eight, Miranda McConnell punched through seven, and de Jesus finished at six. McConnell and Casey Rich both completed three block assists.
Seattle Pacific hit .205 in the match as Gabby Oddo (16), Lexi Biondi (13), and Hannah Lautenbach (10) all factored into the double-figures in kills. Shaun Crespi led the match with six block assists, Symone Tran had 48 assists, and Amanda Ganete 29 digs.
SPU led in kills (56-42), digs (79-68), assists (54-41), and blocks (9.0-8.0). MSUB struggled from the service line committing eight service errors in the four sets, but were bested by SPU finishing with 10.
“Seattle Pacific was a consistent team and produced on our errors,” MSUB head coach Casey Williams said. “I thought that our aggressiveness and energy was lacking tonight and we will need to pick it up for Saturday’s match at Saint Martin’s.”
THE BUZZ: Ward named the St. Vincent Healthcare Athlete of the Match with 18 kills, 10 digs, two block assists, and a service ace…this was Cornelio’s third match of the season with 20 or more digs…Ward and Jensen both earned their third double-doubles of the season.
