Close: Skylights fall twice in the Armory

The Montana State University-Northern Skylights volleyball team got off to promising starts in each of their Frontier Conference matchups over the weekend. But in each instance, the Skylights failed to turn their positive momentum into a victory.

On Friday night inside the Armory Gymnasium, MSU-N lost a five-game heartbreaker to Lewis-Clark State by the scores of 23-25, 25-22, 25-19, 22-25 and 15-12.

Then, Saturday night, Northern hosted Montana Tech in the second of back-to-back Frontier matchups and fell to the Orediggers in four games by the scores of 25-17, 20-25, 25-18 and 25-13. The losses dropped the Skylights to 5-17 overall and 1-8 in conference play.

In the first of the two matches, the Warriors and Skylights fought back and forth for much of the first set but LC State was able to build a 14-10 advantage following a kill by JaLisa Jose. Later in the set, with Northern trailing 20-18, the Skylights went on a 4-0 run that was capped with a kill from Dayna Jensen to give MSU-N a 22-20 lead.

Leading 23-22, Northern got a key kill from Jessica Wilcox, which was followed by a Warriors hitting error, giving the Skylights the win 25-23.

In the second set, the Warriors jumped out to a 6-4 lead but Northern went on a run that featured three kills and two blocks by Erin Jensen to go ahead 9-6. Yet, with the Skylights up 10-8, the Warriors went on a 7-0 run grab a 15-10 advantage.

Northern was able to trim the deficit down to one at 23-22 after a kill from Wilcox, but a kill from the Warriors’ Desiree Nielsen and a hitting error by Northern sealed the win for LC State to even the match at one set apiece.

In the third set, the Warriors controlled things from start to finish jumping out to a 7-1 lead and eventually winning 25-19 to gain the 2-1 advantage in the match.

The fourth set began in similar fashion as the Warriors built an early 5-1 lead but this time the Skylights rallied with an 8-1 run that was highlighted by a Dayna Jensen ace that put Northern ahead 9-6.

MSU-N would build on that lead and following a kill by Wilcox, the Skylights pushed their advantage to 20-12 and ended up winning 25-22 to force a fifth and deciding set.

Once again, the Warriors grabbed the early lead and after a kill by Nielson, LC State went ahead 7-3. Northern fought back and pulled with one at 8-7 on a kill by Erin Jensen. Yet, the Skylights would not get any closer and the Warriors would go onto to win the fifth set 15-12 on a clinching point by Chelsea Strong that won the set and the match.

“I thought we competed as well as we have all year against (LC State),” Northern head coach Bill Huebsch said. “We actually had a chance to come back in the fifth set and win the match. I wasn’t unhappy at all about how we played against (LC State), especially with how we played against them down there. There was all kinds of improvement.”

Dayna Jensen led the way for the Northern in defeat with 13 kills, 18 digs and two blocks. Erin Jensen also had a solid outing, notching 12 kills and two blocks.

The Warriors were paced by Marissa Verduci, who finished the match with 18 kills. Treneisha Doyle added 15 kills and Nielson pitched in with 10. Russia Robinson also contributed with 34 digs.

Against the Orediggers Saturday, the Skylights got off to a slow start and Tech built an early 9-6 advantage in the first set, thanks to a kill by Annie Smoot. Then, following two kills by Jordan Danz, the Diggers went ahead 19-11 en route to a 25-18 victory in the opening set.

In the second set, Tech again took the early lead and led 8-5 after a kill MaKenzie Bauck. But this time, the Skylights would rally and after a kill by Dayna Jensen, MSU-N grabbed its first lead of the set at 12-11.

From there, the Skylights outscored Tech 9-2 and following another kill by Dayna Jensen, Northern had a 21-13 lead and on its way to winning the set 25-20 and tying the match up at 1-1.

The turning point in the match came late in the third set. After a kill by Northern’s Cydney Auzenne gave the Skylights a 17-15 lead, the Diggers took a timeout and closed the set on a 10-1 run to win 25-18.

In the fourth set, Tech jumped out to an early 10-3 lead and never looked back as the Diggers rolled to a 25-13 win in the match-clinching fourth set.

“I was hoping we could carry that momentum over (from Friday night),” Huebsch said. “But I thought we were a little flat in the first set. We played really well in the second set and even in the third set we were in control, but then they went on a 9-0 run and that was it. We just got back to doing the things that got us to this point and were just not consistent enough.”

Dayna Jensen was the only Skylight to reach double figures in kills with a team-high 13. Wilcox added nine kills and Erin Jensen had eight.

Danz led the way for the Diggers with 16 kills. Korey Krumm pitched in with 11 kills and three blocks, while Sydney Norris had nine kills in the win.

The road ahead will not be any easier for the Skylights this week as they will travel to Billings this Friday to do battle with Rocky Mountain College, followed by a trip to Helena Saturday to square off against Carroll College. MSU-N then returns home for its final two matches in the Armory Gymnasium Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

Skylights are 1-8 in the Frontier, 5-17 overall; Next up: at Rocky Mountain Thursday

Lewis-Clark State def. Skylights

23-25, 22-22, 25-19, 22-25 and 15-12

LCSC – Kills 63 (Marissa Verduci 18, Treneisha Doyle 15, Desiree 10); Assists 59 (Robyn Schirmer 43, Ali Hubert 7, Russia Robinson 6); Digs 68 (Russia Robinson 34. Robyn Schirmer 8 Marissa Verduci 8); Aces 4 (Russia Robinson 2, Treneisha Doyle 1, Robyn Schirmer 1); Blocks 7 (Robyn Schirmer 2, JaLisa Jose 2).

MSU-N – Kills 43 (Dayna Jensen 13, Erin Jensen 12, Taylor Woolman 9); Assists 41 (Lynch 38); Digs 61 (Dayna Jensen 18, Sarah Stringfellow 11 Sydney Stolearcius 10); Aces 7 (Sarah Stringfellow 2, Jaden Lynch 2); Blocks 7 (Dayna Jensen 2, Carlie Haeffner 2);

Montana Tech def. Skylights

25-17, 20-25, 25-18 and 25-13

TECH – Kills 62 (Jordan Danz 16, Korey Krumm 11, Sydney Norris 9); Assists 60 (Makenize Bauck 48, Kimmy Kavran 8); Digs 52 (Kimmy Kavran 19, Sydney Norris 10, Makenzie Bauck 6); Aces 3 (Kimmy Kavran 2, Makenzie Bauck 1); Blocks 4 (Bailie Cortner 2).

MSU-N – Kills 48 (Dayna Jensen 13, Jessica Wilcox 9, Erin Jensen 8); Assists 46 (Jaden Lynch 42); Digs 45 (Sarah Stringfellow 12, Dayna Jensen 9, Kylie Pasieka 7); Aces 1 (Jessica Wilcox 1); Blocks 3 (Jaden Lynch 1, Jessica Wilcox 1, Cydney Auzenne 1).