Griz drop Big Sky road match at Portland State
9/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
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The University of Montana volleyball team dropped its first Big Sky Conference match of the season Thursday night, falling in four sets at Portland State, 13-25, 24-26, 25-22, 15-25. The loss was the Grizzlies??? first in three league matches and left them at 2-1 in league play, 6-7 overall.
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The win kept Portland State the only unbeaten team in the Big Sky at 3-0. The Vikings improved to 10-3 overall.
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Montana will play at Eastern Washington at 8 p.m. (MT) Saturday. The Eagles were easy 3-0 winners over Montana State Thursday night, 25-14, 25-16, 25-16.
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The Grizzlies got off to a slow start Thursday, dropping a 12-point decision in the opening set, 25-13. The teams were tied early at 7-7, but the Vikings scored 13 of the next 17 points to take a commanding 20-11 lead.
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PSU hit .517 in the opening set, finishing with 17 kills and just two errors in 29 attacks.
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Montana let an opportunity to tie the match slip away in the second set, having two set points before falling 26-24.
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With the set tied 22-22, the Grizzlies scored back-to-back points when junior Taryn Wright and sophomore Jaimie Thibeault teamed up for a block and Portland State followed with an attack error.
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Facing two set points, the Vikings reeled off four straight points to take the set. Kills from Marija Vojnovic and Christie Hamilton made it 24-24. Two straight attack errors by Montana handed PSU the set.
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The Grizzlies never trailed in winning the third set 25-22.
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Up one after a service error brought Portland State within 20-19, the Grizzlies scored four straight to go up 24-19. Thibeault had a solo block and kill as part of the run.
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The Vikings pulled within two at 24-22, but Thibeault closed out the set with a kill.
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Montana hit a match-high .300 in the third set.
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The Grizzlies hit negative numbers, -.022, in the fourth set and never held a lead.
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???I really liked the way the team prepared before the match, but for some reason we came out flat in the opening game,??? UM coach Jerry Wagner said. ???We came back and played some great volleyball in the second and third sets.
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???We???re disappointed with the result, but we???re not shaken.???
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Sophomore Amy Roberts had 15 kills on .303 hitting and added 11 digs for her third double-double of the season.
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Thibeault finished with 11 kills, five blocks and two service aces.
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Junior Taryn Wright had 35 assists and 13 digs, her fourth double-double of the season, while sophomore Brittney Brown had 18 digs.
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Portland State had four players finish with between 10 and 12 kills.
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Hamilton finished with 10 kills on .588 hitting and added three blocks. Tracy Vargas had 12 kills on .579 hitting with five blocks.
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Dominique Fradella had 51 assists for the Vikings, who hit .277 to Montana???s .164.
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Both teams finished with nine blocks.
