Skylights win big in the road

If the scorching streak the Montana State University-Northern volleyball team was going to cool off, the chances were a little higher it would happen on the Skylights’ two-match road trip to Butte and Helena this weekend.

But not even quality teams like Montana Tech and Carroll College could slow the Skylights down.

Northern improved to 7-0 in the Frontier Conference and 16-4 overall with dramatic wins over the Orediggers and Saints over the weekend.

“It was a great weekend because we were tested,” Northern head coach Bill Huebsch said. “Going down 0-1 in Butte is not something you want to happen. Falling behind against Carroll too at their place isn’t what you like to see happen. So to come back and get those two wins was great, but at the same time, it was great that we were tested too. I think we needed it at this point in the season.”

On Friday night, the Skylights had to come back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat the Orediggers by scores of 22-25, 25-16, 25-21 and 25-16. After the loss in the first set, a set in which Huebsch said his team’s blocking was not sharp, the Skylights were dominant the rest of the way. And dominant against a Montana Tech team which plays great defense and had been on the rise offensively.

“Tech is a very tough team to play at their place,” Huebsch said. “I just think, after that first set, we started playing at a faster pace. We had much better ball control and our presence at the net got better. Haley Russell came in and did a great job at the net for us, and I just thought, overall we played much better volleyball and beat a really tough team.”

Russell did indeed step up against Tech. She had 3.5 of Northern’s 10 blocks, while Abby Nicholas totaled 19 kills. Joni Nagy had a big night as well, dishing out 40 assists and totaling a team-high 19 digs.

After the big win at Tech, Northern turned its attention to a rematch with Carroll Saturday in Helena. After beating the Saints last month in Havre, the Skylights knew they were in for a fight in Helena, and Carroll brought that fight. But, Northern got another monkey off its back Saturday, by winning in five thrilling sets and beating the Saints for the first time in ages in Helena. The Skylights won by scores of 22-25, 25-23, 25-19, 21-25 and 15-12.

Northern led Carroll 21-19 in the first set, and the match could have turned out much differently if the Skylights had finished the set. Instead, Carroll rallied to take a 1-0 lead, then rallied again in the fourth to force a decisive fifth set.

“It was your classic back-and-forth match,” Huebsch said. “Unfortunately, we committed four errors in a row in the first set when we had the lead. But overall, I thought our kids did a great job of not panicking. We kept our composure throughout that match, and we made the plays when we need them most late in the fifth set. It was a great match. Carroll played really well, and they had us scouted really well and executed a great game plan. But I’m really happy for our kids because they hung in there, really grinded it out and found a way to come out on top.”

Nicholas had a monstrous match with 26 kills, 18 digs and a block. Kelsey Williams did as well. The Helena native totaled 19 kills, a match-high 21 digs and two service aces. Nagy added 60 assists, 17 digs and a block, while Dayna Jensen had 10 kills and Holly Cartwright and Sydney Stolearcius racked up 19 and 18 digs, respectively.

Now, as Northern approaches the midway point in the Frontier Conference season, it has two key wins in hand, and is sitting alone in first place in the Frontier standings. And road wins at Tech and Carroll will go a long way towards helping the Skylights achieve their goals.

“These wins were huge,” Huebsch said. “I’m proud of the girls for the way they fought this weekend and really stayed so mentally tough. I say it all the time, but this team just continues to do things to amaze me, and these two wins were part of that. It was a great weekend.”

Northern returns home to host Great Falls on Thursday night.

Skylights def. Montana Tech

22-25, 25-16, 25-21, 25-16

MSU-N — Kills: 50 (Abby Nicholas 19). Assists: 49 (Joni Nagy 40). Aces: 6 (Kelsey Williams 3). Digs: 72 (Nagy 19). Blocks: 10 (Haley Russell 3.5).

TECH — Kills: 50 (Sydney Norris 11). Assists: 49 (Mackenzie Bauck 23, Alison Lunde 23). Aces: 2 (Lunde, Jordan Danz). Digs: 63 (Kimmy Kavran 24). Blocks: 5 (Danz 1.5).

Skylights def. Carroll

22-25, 25-23, 25-19, 21-25, 15-12

MSU-N — Kills: 68 (Kelsey Williams 19). Blocks: 5 (Haley Russell 1.5, Abby Nicholas 1.5). Aces: 2 (Williams 2). Digs: 103 (Williams 21). Assists: 65 (Joni Nagy 60).

CC — Kills: 69 (Elli Graff 18). Blocks: 8 (Pagie Montgomery 3). Aces: 4 (Jonni Dorr 3). Digs: 104 (Natalie Kassa 25). Assists: 64 (Dorr 27, Emily Burk 27).