Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 BUTTE, Mont. – Rocky Mountain College ended Northwest University's five game win streak with a 3-1 victory in the teams' final match in the Big Sky Challenge. The Eagles come away with a split for the day after defeating No. 23 ranked Carroll College 3-1, in a morning match. NU finishes the tournament with a 3-1 record.
Match 1 – NU 3, No. 23 Carroll 1 (23-25, 29-27, 25-19, 25-23)
BUTTE CIVIC CENTER – After dropping their first set, the Northwest University Eagles came back to take the next three to post a 3-1 hard fought victory over No. 23 Carroll College this morning at the Big Sky Challenge. It is the team's second straight win over a NAIA top 25 team.
In set one, Carroll broke a 23-23 tie with two straight kills by Holly Morehouse. The Eagles would tie the set 10 times, but would never be able to take the lead.
The Eagles would take a 13-9 lead in the second set and would lead 24-20 when Carroll would mount a comeback to tie the set at 24-all after two straight kills by Brielle Bumgarner. But, with the set tied at 27-27, Hannah Lord and Mattie Jo Johnson would give the set win to NU with their kills.
Northwest U would lead the entire way in set three building their lead to 22-13 on three straight attack errors by the Fighting Saints. Morgan Pilon would end the set for NU with her kill and assist by Amanda Waterman giving the Eagle a 2-1 match lead.
Trailing 10-7 in the final set, Northwest U would slowly chip away at the Carroll lead and a 5-2 run capped off by Audrey Saelens' kill would tie the set for the Eagles at 12-all. After five ties, NU would take a 23-19 lead, but the Saints would battle back aided by three Eagle attack errors to tie the set at 23-23. After an NU time out, the Eagles would get two straight kills from sophomore Keann White to give the set and match victory to Northwest U.
Said Steven Bain, NU head coach following the match, "Carroll is a quality opponent and I was impressed with their composure. As a result, it was challenging to close out each set. We were able to pressure them with our serve and our own serve-receive allowed us to side out at a high percentage."
Match 2 – Rocky Mountain 3, NU 1 (22-25, 25-18, 23-25, 18-25)
BUTTE CIVIC CENTER – The Battlin' Bears from Billings, Mont., snapped Northwest University's five game win streak with a 3-1 victory this afternoon to complete play at the Big Sky Challenge.
RMC would take the first set, 25-22 after breaking the 8th and final tie at 13-13 to take the lead on an Eagle attack error. The Bears would lead the remainder of the set as NU would close the score to 16-15, but that would be the closest the Eagles would get.
Trailing 12-10 in set two, NU would outscore RMC 6-2 to take a 16-14 lead after kills by Sarah Howlett and Mattie Jo Johnson. Two kills by Keann White would make it 20-15 Northwest U as they would go on for the set win.
It look as though the Eagles would take the third set leading 15-11, but Rocky Mountain would not quit and would come back to go on a 6-1 scoring run to take the lead 17-16. Tatiana Ensz's kill would make it a 24-23 RMC lead, but Olivia L'Ami would score the kill earning the set win for RMC.
Rocky Mountain would break a 9-9 tie outscoring the Eagles 11 to 2 to take a commanding 20-11 lead after a service ace by Hailey Copinga. NU would close to within four at 18-22, but three straight RMC kills would end the set and match in the Battlin' Bears' favor.
Northwest U's (6-2) Sarah Warner and Amanda Waterman would team up for 11 kills each with Sarah Howlett adding 10. Brooke Riddle and Morgan Pilon would each finish with 22 assists while Alysanne Van Dyke would lead the team with 39 digs. Pilon and Waterman also had 12 digs each as they both registered a double-double.
Rocky Mountain (5-3) was led by Olivia L'Ami's 20 kills while Danielle Russell added 14 kills. Natalie Hilderman had a match high 41 assists and 11 digs with teammate Holland Ferguson leading the way with 24 digs. RMC hit .224 for the match.
"Both teams played really hard, but we have to give Rocky Mountain credit because in this match they outlasted us and deserved to win," said Coach Bain. "As long as we can connect with the details that led to the loss, then we can make the changes that will make us better the next time we take the court. Overall, we made progress in the preseason matches and we are looking forward to the beginning of conference play next week."
