Montana
Idaho State
Griz play well but see winning streak end
10/8/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 8, 2011
Box score
Montana won the numbers game, but Idaho State came away with the victory Saturday afternoon in a Big Sky Conference volleyball match at Pocatello, Idaho. The Bengals snapped the Grizzlies' two-match winning streak with a 25-23, 25-20, 12-25, 25-23 victory at Reed Gym.
Montana dropped to 5-10 overall, 2-5 in league play with the loss. Idaho State improved to 9-8 and 3-3.
Despite out-hitting ISU .297 to .224 and finishing with eight more assists and digs and 13 more assists, untimely hitting errors was UM coach Jerry Wagner's explanation for his team's loss.
"We're playing really well, as we have for a couple of weeks now, but first and foremost we're not starting matches well. We're not forcing other teams to do much and that's giving them momentum.
"When we finally get it going, we've already spotted our opponents a sizeable lead."
The Grizzlies fell behind early in the first and second sets - 10-5 in the first, 8-4 in the second - and did not hold a lead in either even though they hit .260
Montana played its best offensive set of the year in the third, hitting .517 with 15 kills and no attack errors on 29 swings.
The Grizzlies jumped out to a 10-6 lead in the fourth and finished the set with 19 kills - a number that will win 90 percent of the time - but they gave Idaho State eight points on attack errors, and the Bengals came back for a two-point victory despite just 13 kills of their own.
"We're just making too many errors," Wagner said. "We continue to play at a high level, but we didn't do everything we wanted on this trip."
As would be expected, a number of individuals had big offensive days.
Senior Amy Roberts had 20 kills on .326 hitting and added 13 digs. The 20 kills were a season high and the most for Roberts in over two years.
Roberts' performance was mostly offset, however, by Idaho State's Breanne Van Every, who had 19 kills on .306 hitting and 15 digs.
Senior Brittany Quick, sophomore Kayla Reno and freshman Kelsey Schile also reached double figures in kills.
Quick finished with 11 kills on .429 hitting and totaled a match-high three blocks, Reno had 12 kills, and Schile finished with 12 kills on .323 hitting, added 12 digs and with a big weekend insinuated herself into the discussion for season-end Big Sky Conference Outstanding Freshman honors.
Sophomore Kortney James had her second big match in as many days, finishing with a career-high 58 assists, and sophomore Megan Murphey had a match-high 21 digs, her second 20-dig match in Montana's last four outings.
The Grizzlies will be at home for their next three matches, starting Friday with a matchup against the Big Sky Conference's hottest team. Sacramento State (10-9, 4-1 BSC) has won five straight matches and easily disposed of Portland State Friday night at home in three quick sets.
The Hornets host Eastern Washington Saturday night.
