HELENA, Mont. — The RV Montana Western volleyball team (18-3, 5-2) defeated the Carroll College Saints (5-18, 0-7) 3-1 by scores of 22-25, 25-15, 25-23, and 25-17.
"I thought the team showed a lot of perseverance in tonight's game," Head Coach
Katie Lovett said. "Carroll has continued to get better all season and tonight they definitely made us earn our win. We had some really big plays in key moments that helped pushed the momentum our direction."
How It Happened
The momentum was not with the Bulldogs for the first set, trailing the Saints early on 15-10. Though down 19-15, UMW fought behind the serving hand of
Kaylee Fritz to tie the game at 19 following her first of four service aces of the night. Despite the late effort, Carroll drove home the final points to take the first set win.
The Bulldogs righted the ship in the second set after falling behind 8-7. A kill from
Jazi Smith was paired with a kill from
Jordan Olson to put UMW in front. The Bulldogs continued on an 8-0 scoring run that featured three service aces from Fritz. The Bulldogs took the second set 25-15 after posting a team hitting percentage of .267.
Tied at a set apiece, the two teams continued to trade points, knotting the game up eight times throughout the set. Despite the back-and-forth battle, UMW was able to close out the set win following two kills from
Danyel Martin.
UMW jumped out to a quick 7-1 lead in the final set, taking an early advantage. Carroll was able to bring the game back within just three points before the Bulldogs would ride a 7-0 scoring run and claim momentum of the game. UMW went on to claim the final set 25-17.
Notables
- Tonight's win marks the first time since the 1998 season that the Bulldogs have defeated the Saints three times in a single season.
- The Bulldogs' four game win streak over the Saints stands at just one win away from tying the overall longest win streak over Carroll College in program history.
- Peyton Vogl totaled an impressive six assisted blocks in the matchup for 1.5 blocks per set. She added 11 kills and a .333 hitting percentage.
- Martin had a team best of 14 kills, along with three blocks. Olson followed with 12 kills from the right side.
- Fritz had a successful day leading the Bulldogs with 32 assists, four serving aces, and 10 digs.
- Kelsey Goddard led the back row with 26 digs. KayLee Kopp followed with 18 digs.
Up Next
The Bulldogs return home for the next three straight home games. They will first face the RV Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears this Friday at 7pm in the Straugh Gymnasium.
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