Iowa schools sweep Montana

Saturday, September 10

Ames, Iowa

11:00 AM (MT)

Montana

1-5

Iowa

7-2

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Iowa	25	25	25	3
Montana	8	10	21	0

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Montana	15	17	17	0
Iowa State	25	25	25	3

9/10/2016 6:16:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana volleyball team dropped both of its matches Saturday at the Cyclone Invitational in Ames, Iowa, falling in straight sets to Iowa and Iowa State.

The Hawkeyes (7-2) knocked off the Grizzlies (1-6) 25-8, 25-10, 25-21. The Cyclones (6-2), who didn't drop a set at the tournament to win the title, defeated Montana 25-15, 25-17, 25-17.

The Grizzlies hit .021 for the tournament and didn't win a set in three matches, but second-year coach Brian Doyon believes the level of competition his team faced was just what it needed to improve.

"What I liked is that throughout the tournament we started to play better," he said. "Some of the numbers don't look that great, but the teams at this tournament showed us the level we need to be at with our thought process and preparation."

After getting swept by North Dakota State on Friday, Montana struggled early on Saturday but improved as the day progressed.

The Hawkeyes hit .778, with 15 kills and one error on 18 swings in the opening set of the day, winning 25-8. While Montana didn't have the offense to hang with the Hawkeyes, the Grizzlies held Iowa to .261 hitting in the second set, .225 in the third.

In its tournament finale, Montana at times hung with Iowa State, whose only losses this season have come against No. 1 Nebraska and Creighton, also a top-20 team.

The second set was tied 12-12, and the Grizzlies used a surge in set three to pull within 20-16 before Iowa State closed out the match.

"I thought we did really well against Iowa State," said Doyon. "Our offensive numbers weren't where we need them to be, but when you look at the whole play, we were in there battling and contending."

Freshman middle blocker Janna Grimsrud had four kills on .571 hitting against Iowa, with a pair of blocks. Freshman Ashley Watkins led Montana against Iowa State, finishing with seven kills on .312 hitting and 14 assists.

Senior setter Raegan Lindsey had 29 assists for the three matches and added 19 digs, second most on the team behind senior libero Sadie Ahearn's 21, to earn all-tournament honors.

"Raegan did a nice job today putting up hittable balls even when our passing wasn't there," said Doyon. "And on defense she made some nice plays. We got into some tough blocking situations when we were one-on-one with their hitters, and she came up with some big plays to keep us in points."

Montana will face Kent State, Coppin State and Morehead State next weekend at MSU's tournament in Kentucky. The Grizzlies' Big Sky Conference schedule opens on Thursday, Sept. 22, when Montana hosts Eastern Washington in Missoula.