Skylights sweep Orediggers

What a start.

First the Montana State University-Northern volleyball team matched its 2009 win total in its first three weeks of the season. The Skylights went an outstanding 7-3 this preseason.

And on Thursday night in Butte, Northern kept things rolling by sweeping the Montana Tech Orediggers in the Frontier Conference opener for both teams.

The Skylights beat the Orediggers by scores of 25-18, 29-27 and 25-20 to go to 1-0 in league play. Northern finishes its first conference road trip tonight against UM-Western in Dillon.

Northern opened strong, racing past the Orediggers in the first game. The second game was a barn burner, as both teams traded rallies and runs. Both teams also had several chances to put the game away, but the Skylights came up with key serves when they needed them and were able to outlast the Orediggers, and build an insurmountable 2-0 lead.

Tech didn't go away in the third game of the match, but Northern was on a roll and the Skylights weren't going to be denied a conference-opening win.

The Skylights had a strong night offensively, getting a season-high 11 kills from Karyssa Bowron. Kaylee Bossert added 10 kills, five digs and a block, while Brittany Baker had nine kills and an ace. Northern also got two of its five blocks from UM-Western transfer Elise Davis. Davis also had a solid seven kills on the night, while senior setter Jordan Merrill dished out 35 assists.

The Skylights (1-0) play at Western tonight at 7. MSU-N is on the road again next week to take on arch rival UGF before finally playing its first home match Sept. 24 against Lewis-Clark State.

Montana State-Northern def. Montana Tech

25-18, 29-27, 25-20

Kills - Northern 41 (Kayrssa Bowron 11, Kaylee Bossert 10, Brittay Baker 9, Elise Davis 7, Samantha Hutcheson 3, Jordan Merrill 1), Tech 32 (Cassie Hodges 12, Katie Daly 8, Shersteen Cline 4, Lacey Phelan 4, Emilee Hashley 3, Emily Matosich 1). Aces - Northern 3 (Bowron 1, Davis 1, Hutcheson 1), Tech 8 (Kiara Ross 3, Katie Petteys 2, Phelan 2, Allyse Cruise 1). Assists - Northern 39 (Merrill 35, Hutchenson 2, Bowron 1, Sierra Diehl 1), Tech 29 (Ross 23, Jesse Bowden 3, Phelan 3). Digs - Northern 55 (Bowron 12, Jenna Frankino 10, Holly Cartwright 9, Hutchenson 7, Bossert 5, Merrill 5, Davis 5, Baker 2), Tech 49 (Cruise 17, Ross 7, Hodges 6, Daly 5, Cline 5, Phelan 5, Savanna Lester 2, Bowden 1, Petteys 1). Blocks - Northern 5 (Davis 2, Bossert 1, Merrill 1, Frankino 1, Hutchenson 1), Tech 6 (Cline 3, Daly 2, Hashley 1).