Bobcat Spikers come up short against Portland State

Saturday, September 24

Bozeman

7:00 PM

Montana State University

PORTLAND STATE

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

9/24/2011 10:54:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

By: Tom Schulz

For the second consecutive night the Montana State volleyball team came up short in its quest for its first win of the season, losing to Portland State 25-23, 25-21, 16-25, 21-25, 15-11, Saturday night in Shroyer Gym.

“I think we're a pretty good 0-14 team,” Schaub said. “We went to five sets in both matches this weekend, but came up short. You can see that we're getting better and better. We just need a breakthrough.

“I believe our kids are working hard and gaining experience,” Schaub added. “At the beginning of the season we were fighting to win sets, now we're fighting to win matches.”

Portland State (7-9, 3-1) came out and took the first two sets, despite the Bobcats holding a late 22-20 advantage in the opening set and battling to 20-20 tie in the second stanza.

Montana State (0-14, 0-4) regrouped after intermission and pillaged the Vikings in the third set outhitting PSU .368 to .195. MSU continued its momentum in the fourth stanza breaking away from a 21-21 tie with four unanswered points to force a fifth set.

In the deciding game, Portland State got out to an 8-4 advantage, before the Bobcats closed to within 13-11. However, the Vikings closed out the match on back-to-back kills.

MSU had three players in double-figure kills led by Chelsea Oemcke with 14 and Sarah Horton and Lauren Curtis with 12 apiece.

Horton posted her second double-double of the season adding 18 digs. Defensively, Nicole Baker guided MSU with a team-high 19 digs. Also in double-digit digs were Rachelle Allen 17 and Jennifer Lundquist 13.

Lundquist, who had been sidelined for three weeks with a concussion, dished out 45 assists and added six kills, two aces and two blocks.

Taylar Barney led MSU as the net with a team-high seven blocks.

Montana State will host Montana next Friday night in Shroyer Gym.