Cats Shut Door on Bengals

Thursday, October 3

Pocatello, ID

7 p.m.

Montana State University

4-10,2-1Big Sky

Idaho State

11-4,2-1Big Sky

Montana St.

Idaho St.

10/3/2024 11:02:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

“I really liked our response in the opening set,” said MSU head coach Matt Houk. “During our timeout at 18-11 we chatted about playing it point-by-point. After each point- reset, respond. The nice piece is we did exactly that and were able to grab the momentum.”

By: Tom Schulz

Montana State outblocked the nation's top blocking team and received a season-high 20 kills from fifth-year player Jourdain Kamps to hold off Idaho State 30-28, 25-22, 16-25, 21-25, 15-6 on Thursday night in Reed Gym.

Montana State (4-10, 2-1) rallied from an 18-11 deficit in the opening frame and fought off four set points at 24-20, as Jordan Radick and Courtney Weatherby's block knotted the contest at 24-all. Each team held two set points down the stretch until Camryn Greenwald's kill and block gave the Bobcats a 29-28 lead. Weatherby's first ace of the match completed the MSU comeback.

"I really liked our response in the opening set," said MSU head coach Matt Houk. "During our timeout at 18-11 we chatted about playing it point-by-point. After each point- reset, respond. The nice piece is we did exactly that and were able to grab the momentum."

MSU held a 15-13 cushion midway through the second set and scored three straight points coming out of the huddle to take a five-point margin. Idaho State (11-4, 2-1) answered with an 8-3 run to even the stanza at 21-all. Tied at 22-all, the Bobcats got back-to-back kills from Madilyn Siebler and Greenwald, and an ISU hitting error gave MSU a 2-0 lead in the match.

"We played in reasonable control in set two," Houk said.

Idaho State outhit Montana State .433 to .088 in the third set cruising to the win behind Jamie Streit's seven kills.

"Sets three and four showed the ebbs-and-flows of volleyball and how hard of a game it is," Houk said. "We didn't do much of what we did in the first two sets. We were not blocking or digging. Kudos to Idaho State for making the adjustments they needed to get back into the match."

The Bengals held off Montana State's late fourth game charge as a Joelie Spelts kill pulled the Bobcats to within 21-20. ISU closed out the set on a 4-1 run, forcing a fifth and deciding game following a Bobcat hitting error.

"In between sets four and five, the goal was to reset, wipe the slate clean and play it point-by-point," Houk reiterated. "We came out and attacked, we moved beyond the fourth set, and we stayed present in the moment."

MSU broke away at five-all with three unanswered points in the fifth set and pushed its cushion to 12-6 on a Siebler ace. The Bobcats closed out the contest watching ISU's final attack sail out long.

Kamps, a product of Ennis, saved the best for last posting five kills on six swings in the final frame. MSU outblocked ISU 4-0 and used a .571 attack mark to record its second consecutive Big Sky win.

"Jourdain made big plays when big plays were needed," Houk said. "I also thought Courtney Weatherby gave us a tremendous effort. She was all over the stat sheet."

Weatherby finished with a season best 13 kills, while adding 15 digs, two blocks and two service aces. Siebler also hit double digits with 12 kills and 16 digs.

Idaho State entered the contest as the top blocking team in the country averaging 3.22 per set. MSU, who was second to the Bengals in the Big Sky listings at 2.49 bps, finished Thursday night's match outblocking ISU 3.60 to 2.40 bps.

Greenwald and Radick paced MSU with eight blocks apiece, while Spelts added seven and Kamps five.

Setters Nellie Stevenson and Audrey Hofer dished out 32 and 22 assists, respectively, and each chipped in eight digs. Lauren Lindseth was also in double digit digs with 13 saves.

Streit led ISU with a match-high 27 kills.

MSU faces Weber State on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Ogden, Utah.