Bobcats Hold on For Five-Set Victory; Win Sixth Consecutive Match

Saturday, February 27

BOZEMAN

5 p.m.

Montana State University

7-2,7-2Big Sky

Portland State

1-10,0-9Big Sky

Portland St.

Montana St.

Senior Hailey Merkes

Bobcats Hold on For Five-Set Victory; Win Sixth Consecutive Match

2/27/2021 8:58:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

“Going five-sets is never the ideal,” Jones said. “But at the same time, it’s really good preparation for championship play. It tests your courage, it tests the way you execute under pressure, it tests you in a lot of ways. And to keep finding ways to get it done is really pleasing.”

By: Tom Schulz

BOZEMAN, Mont. – It's becoming old hat for the Montana State volleyball team. Led by outside hitter Hailey Merkes' back-to-back kills to end the fifth set, the Bobcats held on for a 25-17, 25-20, 22-25, 19-25, 17-15 victory over Portland State on Saturday night in Shroyer Gym.

The five-set thriller was the third straight match that has gone to the wire, and MSU's fourth in its last five matches. Montana State is 4-1 in five-set matches this season. With the victory, MSU also posted its sixth straight win, which is the best run since Miya Malauulu's 2003 squad rattled off a seven-match streak.

"Going five-sets is never the ideal," Jones said. "But at the same time, it's really good preparation for championship play. It tests your courage, it tests the way you execute under pressure, it tests you in a lot of ways. And to keep finding ways to get it done is really pleasing."

Montana State (7-2, 7-2) exploded out of the gate taking a 9-0 lead. Portland State (1-10, 0-9) closed to within four-points on two occasions. The Bobcats held a 20-12 advantage on a Jourdain Klein kill and won the first set on a Viking hitting error.

"I'm happy with the way we came out," Jones said. "We served tough right out of the gate behind Delaney Shearan's serving. It proves to me that we're in the right mindset for the match. When you get up big early, there's always the risk of taking the foot off the gas."

PSU got up early in the second frame and held its lead until two Viking hitting miscues gave the Bobcats a 16-14 cushion. The set was tied four times down the stretch, the last coming at 20-all, before MSU rattled off five straight points all coming from the Bobcats side of the net. Klein's kill gave Montana State a 2-0 match lead.

"This team has the ability to string together some great plays," Jones commented. "We saw that at the end of the second set."

Portland State built a 13-6 lead in the third frame and held the advantage until Emma Pence's kill evened the set at 15-all. The game was tied two times, before the Vikings went on a 4-1 run. The Bobcats battled back to even the set at 21-all, but PSU was able to close out the stanza on a Parker Webb kill.

The fourth set was all Portland State as the Vikings out-hit the Bobcats .233 to .036. MSU was able to close out the set on a 6-3 run, but PSU forced a fifth set following a Jasmine Powell kill.

"We were completely flat," Jones said. "I think our kids put a little pressure on themselves to not go five. Portland State did a really nice job applying pressure to us. Their pressure combined with our internal pressure was a bit capitulating. We have to control that pressure a little bit more and that will allow us to play more freely."

PSU held the momentum early in the fifth frame taking a 6-2 lead. MSU answered with a 6-2 run of its own and took its first lead at 9-8 on a Susanna Sovde kill. The set was tied three times down the stretch before the Vikings owned match point a 14-12 following a Zoe McBride kill.

Montana State fought off two match points on a Klein kill and an Alexis Goroski service ace. The Bobcats held its first match point following a PSU hitting error. Webb tied the set at 15-all with a kill, before Merkes recorded two consecutive kills to give the Bobcats the win.

"I thought Hailey and Jourdain stepped-up big time at the end of the fifth set," Jones said. "Jourdain had a big-time block and kill, and Hailey with a good serving run, and then finishing out the match on a block and two kills, is super impressive."

Kira Thomsen led MSU with 17 kills and a career-high 26 digs. Also in double-digit kills were Klein and Merkes with 11 and 10, respectively.

Bobcat setters Shearan and Allie Lynch dished out 29 and 21 assists, respectively. Defensively, MSU was led at the net by Pence with a match-high eight blocks, while Klein and Sovde added seven, apiece. Also in double-figure digs for MSU was Goroski with 23.

Webb sparked Portland State with 17 kills and 12 digs.

MSU and PSU will play again on Sunday at 5 p.m. in Shroyer Gym.