Friday, August 25
BOZEMAN
12 p.m.
Montana State University
0-1
1
vs
3
Air Force
1-0
1
2
3
4
F
Air Force
25
25
18
25
3
Montana State
17
23
25
23
1
Junior Natalie Passeck
Photo by: Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez
Bobcat Rally Falls Short
8/25/2017 3:19:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
A late Montana State rally fell short as Air Force held on for a 25-17, 25-23, 18-25, 25-23 win in the season-opener for both squads, Friday afternoon in the opening session of the Bobcat Classic.
A late Montana State rally fell short as Air Force held on for a 25-17, 25-23, 18-25, 25-23 win in the season-opener for both squads, Friday afternoon in the opening session of the Bobcat Classic.
Air Force (1-0) jumped to an early 2-0 advantage, out-hitting Montana State (0-1) .392 to .132.
The Bobcats found its groove in the third set behind the serving of senior Kiana Black. Black's back-to-back aces gave MSU a 17-11 advantage and Natalie Passeck's kill put an exclamation on a seven-point Bobcat win.
In the final frame, Montana State held four-point cushions on three occasions, but the Falcons rallied from a 19-15 deficit out-scoring the Cats 10-4 down the stretch.
"We need to come out more aggressive in the first set," said MSU head coach Daniel Jones. "I thought when we started serving more aggressively we put them on their heels and gave ourselves a chance. We battled pretty well, but we needed to do a better job with our passing."
Passeck paced MSU with nine kills, while Black added four kills, four blocks and a career-high five aces. Sophomore Sydney Mathison dished out a career-best 31 assists, while freshman Kelsie White also had an impressive debut with six kills and five blocks.
"I was impressed that our kids didn't have any breakdowns and were consistent with their demeanor on the court," Jones added. "We played through some opening match nerves and should show more confidence the rest of the tournament."
In the other first-round match, Illinois defeated Gonzaga 3-0.
Air Force (1-0) jumped to an early 2-0 advantage, out-hitting Montana State (0-1) .392 to .132.
The Bobcats found its groove in the third set behind the serving of senior Kiana Black. Black's back-to-back aces gave MSU a 17-11 advantage and Natalie Passeck's kill put an exclamation on a seven-point Bobcat win.
In the final frame, Montana State held four-point cushions on three occasions, but the Falcons rallied from a 19-15 deficit out-scoring the Cats 10-4 down the stretch.
"We need to come out more aggressive in the first set," said MSU head coach Daniel Jones. "I thought when we started serving more aggressively we put them on their heels and gave ourselves a chance. We battled pretty well, but we needed to do a better job with our passing."
Passeck paced MSU with nine kills, while Black added four kills, four blocks and a career-high five aces. Sophomore Sydney Mathison dished out a career-best 31 assists, while freshman Kelsie White also had an impressive debut with six kills and five blocks.
"I was impressed that our kids didn't have any breakdowns and were consistent with their demeanor on the court," Jones added. "We played through some opening match nerves and should show more confidence the rest of the tournament."
In the other first-round match, Illinois defeated Gonzaga 3-0.
Team Stats
AF
MSU
Kills
50
39
Errors
24
28
Attempts
112
112
Hitting %
.232
.098
Points
66.0
57.0
Assists
49
36
Aces
6
9
Blocks
10.0
9.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballMatt Houk Introductory Press Conference
Wednesday, January 18
Daniel Jones Weekly Press Conference
Monday, November 15
Bobcat Classic: Arkansas vs. Portland
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Bobcat Classic: Arkansas vs. Utah State
Friday, September 03
