UGF ends Skylight's run at the Frontier volleyball tourney

It goes without saying, it’s tough to beat a team three times. It’s even harder when that team is your biggest rival and you’re playing them on their home floor.

And that’s exactly what the Montana State University-Northern volleyball team was up against last Friday in the opening round of the 2016 Frontier Conference volleyball tournament.

Having beaten the UGF Argos twice during the regular season, the Skylights needed to do it again to keep their season alive, but, it wasn’t to be as the Argos prevailed 32-20, 24-26, 25-20 and 25-22 in a great match by both teams.

“We knew it would be a tough match,” Northern head coach Bill Huebsch said. “And it was. Great Falls played really well. I thought both teams played really good volleyball at a high level. Our kids gave it everything they had and that’s all I could ever ask from them. They played their hearts out, and while it hurts and they were upset after the match, I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

The first two sets of Friday’s winner-take-all bout were epic. The Skylights built big leads over the Argos early and late, and had seven chances to put the set away. But UGF wouldn’t give in either, and ultimately, the Argos won the marathon set. Northern came right back in the second, overcoming an early deficit, and eventually, putting the set away in the extra points. The match stayed close from there, but UGF had seized momentum, and ultimately won, advancing to the semifinals in a tournament that was eventually won by top-seeded Carroll College.

“We had our chances in the first set,” Huebsch said. “We had plenty of opportunities to win it, but credit UGF for battling back. But then, I was so impressed with the way our kids battled back in the second set. A lot of times, when you lose a set like we did, the wheels can just come off, but our kids didn’t let that happen.

“So it was a great battle by both teams,” he continued. “The last two sets, we had to play from behind a lot, and credit UGF’s blocking and serving for that. But again, our kids have nothing to be ashamed of. They played great. They kept battling, and that’s all you can ask.”

Northern did play great, hitting above .200 and getting 16 kills from Timi Severson and 13 by Cassie Krueger. Emily Russell had 48 assists, while Haley Yoder had a pair of blocks.

And while the loss ended the Skylights’ season, it doesn’t take anything away from the season that it was. Northern, being a new and somewhat young team, progressed each week and was playing its best volleyball when it mattered most. And for that, Huebsch said he is very proud of his team.

“They gave everything they had all season,” Huebsch said. “They worked hard every day, they put a lot into this season. They came so far from where they were in August. They improved so much and that’s a credit to these kids. I’m so very proud of them and thankful for all that they done for this program this season.”

UGF def. MSU-Northern

32-30, 24-26, 25-20, 25-22

MSU-N – Kills 52 (Timi Severson 16, Cassie Krueger 13), Assists 49 (Emily Russell 48), Aces 3 (Hannah Amtmann 1, Haley Yoder 1, Jacy Vining 1), Digs 64 (Amtmann 18), Blocks 12 (Yoder 2).

UGF – Kills 68 (Madison Wilhelm 23, Korie Milan 14, Josee Pendelton 13), Assists 61 (Bree Davis 56), Zces 11 (Wilhelm 4), Digs 71 Kennedy Chadwick 18), Blocks 16 (Tiffany Marks 1).