Cats Take Down Sac State in Five-Set Thriller

Thursday, November 16

BOZEMAN

7 p.m.

Montana State University

18-7,11-4Big Sky

Sacramento State

19-10,12-3Big Sky

Sacramento St.

Montana St.

Lauren Lindseth with one of her team-high 16 digs in MSU's win over Big Sky-lading Sacramento State on Thursday night.

Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services

11/16/2023 11:33:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

“We belong in the top tier right now,” said MSU head coach Matt Houk.

By: Tom Schulz

Montana State kept its hopes alive for the program's first-ever Big Sky Conference title posting a 28-26, 25-27, 25-21, 18-25, 17-15 win over league-leading Sacramento State on Thursday night in Shroyer Gym.

Sacramento State (19-10, 12-3) had clinched a share of the Big Sky crown last week and were looking to win it outright with a victory over Montana State (18-7, 11-4). The Bobcats, who need a sweep of the Hornets and Portland State this weekend, plus a Montana win over Sacramento State on Saturday night in Missoula, could capture something that has eluded the program for 36 years.

"We belong in the top tier right now," said MSU head coach Matt Houk. "I hope they lean in and take some enjoyment from this match. They should revel in it until we walk in the doors for practice on Friday and then we'll shift to the next one. I'm a proud coach who really likes where their team is heading, and kudos to my staff who did such a wonderful job helping them be prepared."

The 2-hour, 40-minute match featured 42 ties and 15 lead changes over the course of five sets. The opening set was squared 15 times. The Bobcats fought off three set points and closed out the stanza on a Jourdain Kamps kill followed by a Sacramento State attack error.

The Hornets turned the table in the second frame. Tied at 25-all, Sacramento State received a block from Ellie Tisko, followed by a Kate Doorn kill to even the match at 1-1. MSU used a 5-0 run at the midway mark of the third set to take a 20-15 advantage. The Bobcats held the margin winning the set on a Hornet hitting error.

Set four was the most lopsided of the match as Sacramento State outhit the Bobcats .387 to .156. MSU closed to within 20-18 in the waning moments, but the Hornets responded with a 5-0 run to force a fifth and deciding set.

The final set saw 11 ties and four lead changes. Montana State got off to a 5-3 start before Sacramento State fought back with a 7-2 spurt taking a 10-7 lead on a Tisko kill. Following a Bobcat timeout, MSU received two kills from Kira Thomsen and two aces by Nellie Stevenson to recapture the momentum at 11-10. The set was tied at 11, 12 and 13-all before a Bobcat setting error gave the Hornets match point.

Following MSU's second and last timeout, setter Nellie Stevenson found Jordan Radick in the middle and the Bozeman product thumped the opportunity to even the score at 14-all. MSU then held its first match point on a Hornet hitting miscue, but Sacramento State answered with a kill by Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin to knot the set at 15-all. MSU closed out the win taking the final two points on a kill by Madilyn Siebler, followed by Thomsen's 23^rd kill of the match which she tapped down off a strong Bobcat block.

"I told them in the locker room after the match what a good job it was to stay present and to stay with it through all the discomfort because I think this was a really hard match, I personally feel it was really hard, it was taking everything we had to stay composed in the moment," Houk said. "I told them to look back at where we were a month ago and take some enjoyment in seeing the growth the has happened over the last 4-5 weeks."

The win was MSU's fourth in a row, and the second straight 3-2 decision over a top team in the Big Sky. MSU defeated Weber State last Saturday in Ogden, Utah. Weber State and Northern Colorado are also tied at 11-4 with the Bobcats in the team standings. WSU and UNC play each other in Greeley on Saturday night, with the winner also a potential shareholder for a Big Sky title.

Thomsen paced MSU with a match-high 23 kills, while Siebler added 15 and Kamps 10. Stevenson dished out 51 assists and added three aces, three blocks and seven digs. Kamps, Radick and Camryn Greenwald led the Bobcats at the net with five blocks apiece, while Lauren Lindseth anchored the backrow with 16 digs to go along with three aces.

The only statistical category Montana State won came from the service line as the Bobcats posted 12 aces with five errors, while the Hornets recorded six aces and eight errors.

"We executed the serving plan really well," Houk said. "We had a couple of timely serves, Nellie's ace late in set five was a big moment for us.

"And the block touch on the final play was huge," he added. "Madilyn also had a big kill at the end. She just continues to grow and is learning how to be in control of herself. Her last three or four matches have been some of her best volleyball of the season."

Sacramento State was led by Bridgette Smith with 19 kills and 11 digs.

The Bobcats close out the regular season Big Sky schedule hosting Portland State at 7 p.m. in Shroyer Gym. Following the match, MSU will celebrate its six seniors – Thomsen, Emma Pence, Shayla Webber, Avery Turnage, Kelly Cross, and Delaney Shearan.