Hitting Errors Cost Bobcat Spikers Match at NAU

Thursday, October 4

Flagstaff, AZ

7 p.m.

Montana State University

Northern Arizona

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

10/4/2012 10:51:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

By: Tom Schulz

The Montana State volleyball team hit a season-low .084 from the field and could never get on track as Northern Arizona cruised by the Bobcats 25-21, 25-18, 25-18, Thursday night in the Rolle Activity Center.

Montana State (10-5, 4-3) stayed with the Lumberjacks in the opening set, which featured 14 ties and five lead changes. However, Northern Arizona (13-3, 5-2) pulled away in the late stages for the win. The final two sets NAU outhit MSU .217 to .092.

“Ultimately, it was our hitting errors that cost us the match,” said MSU head coach Kyle Weindel. “Northern Arizona did a nice job of taking us out of what we wanted to do. We were able to hang with them in each set, but we just shot ourselves in the foot making too many errors, and that allowed them to pull away at the crucial point of the set.”

Sarah Horton was the only Bobcat in double-figure kills with ten winners. Libero Nicole Baker had a team-high 13 digs, while Natalee Godfrey added a team-best three blocks.

“We'll put this out of our heads and turn our attention to Southern Utah,” Weindel said. “I told them it isn't the end of the world. We know what we did wrong and we'll need a better effort on Saturday night.”

MSU will face Big Sky newcomer Southern Utah on Saturday night in Cedar City.