Griz overcome Thunderbirds

Thursday, October 19

Missoula, Mont.

7:00 PM

Montana

7-15, 2-7BSC

Southern Utah

6-15, 1-8BSC

Southern Utah

Montana

10/19/2017 10:56:00 PM | Volleyball

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By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana volleyball team picked up its second Big Sky Conference victory of the season with a 3-2 win over Southern Utah on Thursday night at the West Auxiliary Gym in Missoula.

The Grizzlies, who hit a season-best .281, trailed after three sets but rallied to pull out a 23-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-20, 15-7 victory.

Montana hit .344 over the final two sets for its first win in the WAG in more than a year.

"We talked before the fifth set about being really deliberate about taking control," said coach Allison Lawrence. "We've been playing matches where we're the underdog, so taking control of a team isn't something we've been able to practice all that much.

"Just the feeling of being the aggressor and playing in front of our home crowd, to really own that is something we did for the first time."

Montana won the match at the pins, where the Grizzlies had 58 of their 78 kills for the match. Montana had 29 more kills than Southern Utah (6-15, 1-8 BSC).

(10/20/2017) VB: vs. Southern Utah (10.19.17)

All three outsides played with aggressiveness but also a looseness, free of any fear of making mistakes. The results were impressive: Missy Huddleston had 22 kills on .255 hitting. Mykaela Hammer totaled 20 kills on .282 hitting. And Maddy Marshall finished with 16 kills on .325 hitting.

"We had so many moments when we could have chosen to be less aggressive than we were," said Lawrence. "That we are starting to trust our swings shows that we are a confident team and are confident in who we are and what we can do.

"The girls should be really proud of that, because that takes courage to play our game and trust that we're doing things the right way."

For as good as Montana felt at the end of the match, it didn't start out that way. Southern Utah never trailed in the opening set to go up 1-0.

The Grizzlies gave a glimpse of what was to come in the second, when they hit .483 and rolled to the victory.

The Thunderbirds came out of the break and won the match's most back-and-forth set to go up 2-1, but it was all Montana after that. The Grizzlies never trailed in the fourth or fifth set.

"We talked about coming out serving tough and scrapping for every point," said Lawrence. "To win in front of our home crowd is such a motivator. It's been one of our goals since January. We've never let go of that goal, so tonight was a big milestone for us."

While Huddleston, Hammer and Marshall consistently provided the finishing swings in the match, it was Ashley Watkins who set them up, time and again.

The sophomore setter finished with a career-high 66 assists.

"Ashley did a great job running the court tonight like a true leader," said Hammer. "I think she showed more than being a sophomore. She did a fantastic job."

Watkins added five kills on .400 hitting. Baily Permann had 10 kills and three blocks in the middle, where Janna Grimsrud totaled five kills on .400 hitting and four blocks.

Lia Gaogao had 16 digs, one of four Grizzlies to reach double digits. Marshall added 15, Hammer 14 and Watkins 10.

It was only Montana's second win in its last 14 matches, but no one in the WAG would have known it. The Grizzlies have never given the impression this season that they've lost faith in the process they are undergoing.

"One of our best qualities as a team is that no matter the result, we get back in the gym on Monday and we're fresh and ready to go for the next weekend," said Lawrence.

"We're preparing and fighting as if we're going to be in every match."

Montana will wrap up its four-match home stand against Northern Arizona (8-12, 4-5 BSC) on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Lumberjacks won 3-1 at Montana State on Thursday night.