Yellowjacket Rally Comes Up Short in Season Opening Loss, 3-2

Box Score

HILO, Hawaii – The Montana State Billings volleyball team battled back from a 2-0 deficit but came up just short in a season-opening 3-2 loss to Western New Mexico Thursday evening at the University of Hawaii Hilo.  The Yellowjackets will look to rebound versus Hawaii Pacific Friday at 3 p.m. Hawaii time in the second of four games this weekend.

“Overall I was happy with some things, but disappointed with a lot,” MSUB second year head coach Steve Smith said.  “We had 14 reception errors and that is a result of our passing which we will need to work on.”

MSUB outhit the Mustangs .151 to .126 and tallied fewer errors for the game (23 to 38), but were unable to come away with the victory as WNMU recorded 60 kills to 45 for the Jackets.  The Mustangs has two players with 18 kills each (Angelina Pulu and Natalie Murdock).  MSUB was led by 14 kills from Jen Boe. 

Yellowjacket newcomer, Brooke Tolman, tallied 37 assists in her debut and hit a team-best .400.

The first set was tight as both teams traded points early on.  Pulu recorded back-to-back aces and a kill to break a 9-9 tie for WNMU.  The Mustangs built the lead to as many as six points (21-15), but the Yellowjackets made a fierce rally cutting the deficit to 22-21 on a kill by Hannah Johnson and a run of 6-1.  WNMU scored the final three points for a 25-21 first set win.

Set two was an early repeat of set one as both teams traded points as WNMU tied the game at 10 on a Yellowjacket miscue.  The Yellowjackets regained the lead and built it to a 23-18 lead capped on a service ace from Boe. 

MSUB couldn’t quite shut the door in the set as the Mustangs came roaring back, scoring 9 of the final 11 points.  To make matters worse, the Jackets surrendered three aces and three miscues down the stretch.

The rally began in set three as WNMU took the early 6-3 lead, but MSUB came right back and took an 11-10 lead on a kill from Geneva Blunt.  The Mustangs took a 22-20 lead and looked as if they were going to earn the sweep, but the Yellowjackets dug deep with a kill from Blunt to go along with an ace from Whitney Mickelsen and two Mustang miscues gave the Jackets new life, 25-23.