Cats Stage Epic Comeback to Defeat Reigning Big Sky Champs

Saturday, October 7

Greeley, CO

6 p.m.

Montana State University

11-4,4-1Big Sky

Northern Colorado

8-8,3-2Big Sky

Montana St.

Northern Colo.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

Cats Stage Epic Comeback to Defeat Reigning Big Sky Champs

10/7/2023 10:14:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

“Between sets two and three, we made some defensive adjustments and talked about getting Kira and Jourdain into spaces where they could be more efficient,” Houk added. “I told them don’t let what you want get in the way of where you are at.”

By: Tom Schulz

Montana State was anything but a well-oiled machine for the first set and a half in its match at Northern Colorado on Saturday night in Bank of Colorado Arena. But then something clicked. An 11-1 run midway through the second set flipped the script and the Bobcats clawed their way back for a 15-25, 25-27, 25-22, 25-17, 15-11 win over the Bears.

Montana State (11-4, 4-1) dropped the opening set as Northern Colorado (8-8, 3-2) outhit the Bobcats .314 to .094. UNC kept its foot on the gas and stormed to a 14-5 advantage in the second frame before Bobcat head coach Matt Houk called timeout.

"We were on the verge of having the whole match get away from us and that was a path we didn't want to go down," Houk said. "I told them that this is our reality and that we would have to stay in the moment and play each point as it came."

Behind the serving of setter Audrey Hofer, the Bobcats started chipping away at what seemed an insurmountable deficit. MSU received three kills and two blocks from Jourdain Kamps, three kills from Kira Thomsen, two kills and a block via Camryn Greenwald and a Hofer ace to take a 20-16 lead.

But, again, the set was far from over.

A Kamps kill gave the Bobcats match point at 24-21. UNC fought off three set points and rallied for a 25-24 lead. Madilyn Siebler tied the contest with a kill, but UNC's Makenzie Harris answered with a kill of her own and a Bears' block thwarted MSU's comeback giving Northern Colorado a 2-0 lead.

"We expelled a lot of energy coming back," Houk said. "UNC is a very good team, and it took everything we had. Audrey gave us a good spark coming off the bench. She defended, got us into a nice rhythm offensively, and made solid choices. Losing the second set didn't take the wind out of our sails. We used it as a learning experience.

"Between sets two and three, we made some defensive adjustments and talked about getting Kira and Jourdain into spaces where they could be more efficient," Houk added. "I told them don't let what you want get in the way of where you are at."

MSU used its new-found confidence and momentum getting out to a 10-5 lead in the third set on a Courtney Weatherby kill. The Bobcats held the advantage before the frame was tied at 21 and 22-all. Montana State closed out the set with an Emma Pence kill, a UNC hitting error and a Weatherby ace.

The Bobcats broke away with a 5-0 run early in the fourth set and cruised to the victory outhitting the Bears .231 to -.067. Five different players notched kills in the set, led by Thomsen with three.

In the fifth and deciding game, the Bobcats jumped out to an 8-3 lead at the media timeout. UNC closed the margin to 9-6 as Houk used his first timeout of the frame. "At every timeout we just went back to the same thing and talked about staying in the moment," he said.

MSU held a three-point cushion at 11-8 and built the margin to 13-9 on an Avery Turnage kill. UNC came out of its final timeout with a 3-1 run, but Kamps posted her 17^th kill to give MSU the match.

"This win was a really nice moment for us," Houk said. "You could hear the kids on the court telling each other to stay in the moment. This win is a testament to them learning and the experience was quite formative."

Kamps led MSU with 17 kills, ten digs, five blocks and an ace, while Thomsen chipped in 15 kills and nine digs. Also contributing was Greenwald with 10 kills and three blocks. Hofer dished out 35 assists and added two aces, 17 digs and two blocks. Laurent Lindseth reached double-digit digs with 14 saves.

Montana State returns to Shroyer Gym on Thursday night when it hosts Eastern Washington at 7 p.m. The Bobcats sit in second in the Big Sky standings having played four of their first five league matches on the road. MSU's road sweep of Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado was the first in Bobcat history.