Bobcat Spikers Upset Southern Utah for First Big Sky Win

Thursday, October 9

Cedar City, UT

7 pm

Montana State University

4-13, 1-3BSC

Southern Utah University

10-6, 3-2BSC

Montana State

Southern Utah

Sophomore setter Katie Harrington (2) and outside hitter Kennadie Clute (11).

Photo by: Randy Sartin

Bobcat Spikers Upset Southern Utah for First Big Sky Win

10/9/2014 9:53:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

“I hope it sparks something in the team,” Weindel said. “It was nice to see them having fun, while playing hard. We had a no regrets attitude heading into the match and it was nice for them to be rewarded.”

By: Tom Schulz

Montana State third-year head coach Kyle Weindel preached all week that the Bobcat volleyball team needed a breakout victory to get over the hump and earn its first Big Sky Conference win of the season.

Thursday night at Southern Utah, he may have received his wish as MSU swept the Thunderbirds 27-25, 25-22, 26-24 to snap a seven-match losing streak and notch its first Big Sky win.

"I hope it sparks something in the team," Weindel said. "It was nice to see them having fun, while playing hard. We had a no regrets attitude heading into the match and it was nice for them to be rewarded."

Sophomore Kennadie Clute, who had been mired in a mini-slump, broke out in a big way with a match-high 17 kills, while Jolie Meade, Natalee Godfrey and Eli Svisco added nine kills, apiece. Sophomore setter Katie Harrington dished out a match-high 43 assists, while adding seven digs. Three Bobcats hit double-figure digs paced by Kasey Schlatter 17, Loni Kreun and Svisco with 11, each.

Montana State (4-13, 1-4) got off to a slow start as Southern Utah (10-6, 3-2) built an 8-2 advantage and held a 20-14 lead late in the set. "They served very tough," Weindel said. "Once we settled down and got into a rhythm, we got back into the set."

The Bobcats tied the score at 23-all as five different MSU players recorded kills during a 9-3 run. Montana State then had to fend off two Thunderbird set points, before a SUU hitting error and an Svisco service ace gave MSU the opening game.

MSU cruised to a quick 22-15 lead in the second stanza and held a 24-18 advantage, before the T-Birds closed to within 24-22 on a block. The Bobcats closed out the set on a Clute kill off the block.

In the final set, MSU rallied from a 15-11 deficit with a 7-2 run to take its first lead at 18-17. "Again, we were able to settle down and pass the ball," Weindel said. "That allowed us multiple options, offensively."

The Bobcats built a 22-18 advantage late in the third set, but Southern Utah had one more surge and knotted the score at 23-all. MSU answered with a Svisco kill off the block to take a 24-23 lead, but a Bobcat service error evened the score. On the ensuing play, Harrington found Meade open in the middle for the kill. "That was a gutsy set," Weindel said. "It was 100-percent the right decision."

A SUU hitting error gave the Bobcats the 26-24 win and the match.

Montana State hit a season-best .276 from the field, and held advantages in kills, assists and digs.

"We worked all week on getting multiple side-outs on a consistent basis and it paid-off," Weindel said. "Southern Utah is one of the top teams in the Big Sky and we didn't give them a lot of points. We played really well, and so did they, but (tonight) we were the better team."

Montana State will play at Northern Arizona on Saturday night.