(Editor's note: MSUB media release)
HONOLULU, Hawai’i – The Montana State University Billings volleyball team came back with a stronger effort in set three, but the result was a three-set loss to the Chaminade Silverswords on day two of the Hawai’i Challenge on Sept. 11.
“Unfortunately, we were pretty error-prone, offensively,” MSUB head coach Casey Williams said. “Luckily, we got another shot at Chaminade tomorrow and hopefully we will show them a better version of MSUB volleyball.”
Junior Skylar Reed led the Yellowjackets (3-3) for the second-straight game with eight kills and eight digs. Freshman Olivia Schwartz came off the bench and gave life to MSUB’s offense, as she had a season-high four kills.
QUICK HITS
- Bayli Monck added a near-double-double with seven kills and nine digs.
- Freshman setter Briel Norman came in to add 10 assists, three digs and her first two kills of her collegiate career.
- Hannah Hashbarger finished with 12 assists, one kill and one dig.
MATCH STATS
- MSUB hitting: .120 overall, (.070 set one, .136 set two, .171 set three)
- Chaminade hitting: .294 overall (.250 set one, .458 set two, .237 set three)
- Service aces: MSUB 2 Chaminade 9
- Digs: MSUB 38, Chaminade 53
- Blocks: MSUB 6.0, Chaminade 13.0
- Chaminade was led by Brooklen Pe’a’s 12 kills and six digs.
Playing in their first game in their own tournament, the Chaminade Silverswords jumped out to an early lead in the first set by overcoming two early kills from Hannah Hayden. Hannah Hashbarger would get in on the action with a kill of her own at 9-5, Chaminade that gave the serve back to the Yellowjackets. MSUB strung together three mini-runs of their own but Chaminade’s hitting got the best of the visitors.
Staring at a 22-13 deficit, MSUB showed some moxie and pulled off a 5-0 run late in the first. The surge started with back-to-back kills from Reed and Monck, then Hailey Carroll’s third service ace of the season pulled the ‘Jackets within five. A Silversword error and Reed’s third kill of the set forced a timeout with the score at 22-18, but Chaminade pulled away out of the timeout to take the first set, 25-18.
In the second set, Chaminade could do no wrong, as they sprinted out to a 11-1 lead before Olivia Schwartz subbed in and provided two quick kills to reel in the Silverswords. Chaminade took control in set two, but Briel Norman set up Monck for the first of two back-to-back kills, then Monck slammed it home on the right side to make the score 24-10. Chaminade’s ensuing attack squeaked out of bounds on the next point, but the second set ended 25-11, Silverswords.
The Yellowjackets fought valiantly in the third, building a 2-0 lead early off Reed’s third ace of the season. Although the SIlverswords responded with a run of their own, Schwartz’s kill tied it at 5-5. The teams see-sawed from that point forward. Briel Norman tipped the ball over the net and down for her first collegiate kill at 8-10, which energized her teammates and sparked a 5-2 run. Another kill from Schwartz pulled the Yellowjackets within one, then MSUB took a 13-12 lead off a Chaminade attack error. Schwartz tied the game once again with a kill at 14-14, then MSUB took a 15-14 lead late in the third.
Both teams kept it close in the third set; neither team held serve for more than three points until Chaminade broke a 15-all tie with another run. But a long serve from the Silverswords and Norman setting up Reed for her seventh kill of the night pulled the Yellowjackets within three at 20-17. Reed helped keep MSUB’s hopes alive with her eighth and final kill during match point, but the Silverswords prevailed 25-19.
THE BUZZ: Freshman setter Briel Norman earned St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game honors for her 10 assists and first two collegiate kills…Saturday was the first time since 2016 that the Yellowjackets and Silverswords clashed.
UP NEXT: MSUB closes out the Hawai’i Challenge with a doubleheader against the University of Hawai’i-Hilo Vulcans at 1:30 p.m. Hawaiian time (4:30 MT) before getting a second crack at the Silverswords at around 4:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. MT). Broadcast links and live stats can be found at msubsports.com.
