SURPRISE, Ariz. — In day two of the Bulldogs trip to Surprise, Montana Western went 2-0 and stretched their win streak to five games.
The Bulldogs defeated Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) in three straight sets, 26-24, 25-14, 25-15.
In the second match, the Bulldogs came out victorious in a five-set thriller with (RV) Ottawa University – Arizona, 25-23, 25-12, 18-25, 20-25, 15-12.
"I am really proud of how the girls stepped up today with these two great opponents," Head Coach
Katie Lovett said. "The whole team contributed in so many different ways, which was really special to see. Having the back-to-back game schedule was a challenge, but the girls rose up and played together."
How It Happened vs. Lewis-Clark State
The Bulldogs trailed 10-6 to LC State from the get go, but a kill from senior outside hitter
KayLee Kopp helped to tip the scales. The Bulldogs went on a 6-0 run to take the lead at 13-10. The two teams continued to fight; trading leads eight times for the remainder of the set. A solo block from junior middle
Peyton Vogl sealed the first set win at 26-24.
The Bulldogs hit their stride to start the second frame, going on a 9-0 run that saw Kopp put down three kills and Vogl connecting for another solo block. The Bulldogs never let up, boasting an impressive .357 hitting percentage and totaling 18 kills in the frame.
UMW closed out the game much like set two, totaling 17 kills and hitting .333 in the set. Junior outside hitter
Jazi Smith totaled 6 kills in the set on her way to a season high 15 kills in the match.
How It Happened vs. (RV) Ottawa University - Arizona
Trailing 22-18 in the first set, Smith notched a kill followed by an ace to tie the game for UMW. OUAZ scored a lone point before redshirt-junior
Danyel Martin recorded a pair of solo blocks to put the Bulldogs on top.
Smith had the hot hard to start the second set, dishing out two more aces on the way to an early 6-0 lead. The Spirit were never able to gain traction as the Bulldogs continued on to outhit OUAZ with a .276 hitting percentage.
The third set proved to be a stark contrast from the first two sets with OUAZ coming to life. The Bulldogs hit a mere .023 as a team and were only able to grab eight kills on the way to a third set loss.
The Spirit claimed an early lead in the fourth set and continued to keep the momentum on their side of the net. A kill from sophomore right side
Jordan Olson broke a 4-0 scoring run and brought the score within five. Unable to string together a comeback, the Bulldogs fell in the fourth set to force a deciding fifth set.
Though falling to a quick 2-0 deficit to start the fifth set, a block from Smith and Vogl got the Bulldogs on the board. UMW snagged the lead following a pair of attack errors from OUAZ. Knotted at 12, junior setter
Kaylee Fritz sent the ball to Vogl for a kill that put the Bulldogs back on top. Olson put the dagger in with a kill to finish the match.
Notables
- The Bulldog front continues to show power, totaling 29 blocks in the two games and an impressive 11 solo blocks.
- Smith led the Bulldogs in the first match with a season high 15 kills and an additional 12 digs.
- Kelsey Goddard led from the back row, totaling 48 digs between the two matches.
- Vogl and Kopp led the Bulldogs in the second match with a combined 23 kills.
- Freshman setter Sophie Worden set a career mark with 11 assists against OUAZ.
Up Next
The Bulldogs finish out the OUAZ Invitational with a 9 a.m. contest against Park-Gilbert (Ariz.) tomorrow morning.
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