BUTTE, Mont. – Northwest took a pair of matches on the chin Friday in the Big Sky Challenge, losing 3-1 to 13th-ranked Rocky Mountain and 3-2 to Carroll.
 

"We are playing hard and coming together as a team, but obviously, we are not getting the results," said NU Head Coach Steven Bain. "At times we are exceptional, but we lack consistency sustaining our effort and focus over time. The lack of consistency was revealed in both matches today, first Rocky and then Carroll, when they made the plays when the matches were on the line, and we did not. I know this experience is challenging, but it is also a great opportunity for us to learn and grow, and I'm confident we will."
 

The Eagles, now 1-3, finish off their six-game Montana trip Saturday, taking on No. 20 Providence at 8 a.m. and Montana State Northern at noon, Pacific time.
 

Rocky Mountain 3, Northwest 1 (25-19, 25-19, 19-25, 25-17)
 

Northwest looked, at times, like it might have the stuff to upset the Bears.
 

Down 16-12, the Eagles rallied to tie the set. Keann White came up with a kill and shared a block with Kylie Szczepanski to go with a Hannah Michaels ace to tie things up. RMC answered with an 8-1 run and took the first set. 
 

NU led 10-5 in the second set, but the Bears rolled off an 11-1 rally to take command, 16-11.
 

The Eagles found their strength to take the third set, using a pair of 4-0 runs to take a 14-9 lead. Rocky Mountain got within two points twice, but NU withstood each rally and forced the fourth set. The Eagles had a .238 attack percentage for the third set.
 

NU's attack sputtered in the fourth set, with nine errors to nine kills. 
 

For the match, Abigail Broussard had 11 kills, with Tatiana Ensz scoring 10 to go with 10 digs. Courteney Carr had a double-double with 10 digs and team-best 37 assists. Hannah Michaels had three aces.
 

Defensively, Cristina Hegarty came up with 38 digs, followed by Michaels with 12. White led at the net with six block assists.
 

Carroll 3, Northwest 2 (17-25, 24-26, 25-16, 25-16, 15-11)
 

NU used a 6-0 run to establish a 7-1 lead early in the opening set, with Broussard and Lord getting two kills apiece. A late 5-0 spree, including two kills by Ensz, put the game out of reach, 24-15, and Ensz scored the game-ending kill.
 

The Eagles trailed by as many as six in the second set and were still down 23-21 before scoring five of the last six points for the win, with Broussard and Lord both recording kills in the run.
 

After swinging at a .467 clip in the first set and .171 in the second, the NU attack dwindled to .028 by the fourth set and .053 in the final. Down 11-7 in the deciding set, the Eagles tied the scored on a kill by Ensz and three errors by Carroll. The Saints righted their ship and took the final four points for the match.
 

Broussard led with 15 kills in four sets, with Lord adding 12 and Ensz 11. Carr ended up with 57 assists.
 

Hegarty fueled the defense with 20 digs with Eleanor Mason boosting 13. Broussard and Sarah Howlett had four block assists each.