Bobcats Rally to Down Wildcats

Thursday, October 5

Ogden, UT

7 p.m.

Montana State University

6-8,BSC 2-3

Weber State

4-13,BSC 2-3

Montana State

Weber State

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

10/5/2017 10:38:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

“We always talk about playing our best when our best is needed,” said MSU head coach Daniel Jones. “We kept ourselves in system and scored points, which ultimately gives you an opportunity for a win.”

By: Tom Schulz

The Montana State volleyball team rallied from a 2-1 deficit to notch a 23-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-23, 15-12 win over Weber State for its first Big Sky Conference road win of the season, Thursday night.

Behind a solid passing effort, Montana State (6-8, 2-3) held a slim 68-63 advantage in kills and out-hit Weber State (4-13, 2-3) .220 to .218.

"We always talk about playing our best when our best is needed," said MSU head coach Daniel Jones. "We kept ourselves in system and scored points, which ultimately gives you an opportunity for a win."

Both squads traded jabs throughout the match with Weber State taking an early 1-0 lead scoring the final three points of the opening frame.
The second set was a mirror of the first and featured 12 ties before MSU pulled away from 22-all winning on a block via Kelsie White and Savannah Laws to enter intermission at 1-1.

Weber State came out of the break and used a 5-0 run midway through the third set to take a 2-1 advantage.

"We really had a solid passing night," Jones said. "The lone exception was breaking down and giving up five or six points in the third set."

The two squads were tied ten times in the fourth set before back-to-back kills by White gave the Bobcats a 24-22 margin. Weber State closed to within 24-23 before another White winner pushed the match into a fifth and deciding frame.

Tied at six-all in the fifth set, MSU reeled off three straight points to take a 9-6 margin and a lead they would not relinquish down the stretch. The Bobcats pushed the lead to 12-9, before WSU gave it one last effort closing to within 13-12. MSU closed out the match on consecutive kills by Hannah Scott and Natalie Passeck.

Scott, a freshman from Hawthorne, Calif., finished with a season-best 18 kills to pace Montana State. She also added ten digs for a double-double. Also in double-digit kills were Passeck 16, White 13 and Kiana Black 11.

Besides notching a career-high in kills, White, playing just miles from her hometown of Layton, recorded a season-best .435 attack mark and added a team-high nine blocks.
Sophomore setter Sydney Mathison dished out 55 assists, while adding six kills and nine digs.

Defensively, libero Allyssa Rizzo registered 26 digs, while Laws added six blocks.

"The challenge now is to consistently keep doing the things that are making us a good team," Jones said. "It's fun to put two matches together. However, we have to keep pushing and keep raising the standard. This team is hungry to do that."

Montana State will play at Idaho State on Saturday night.