As a team, Montana had seven aces, in addition to a season-best 16 blocks. 360, totaling 11 kills compared to just two errors.Īshley Watkins had a great night setting up the offense, dishing out 49 assists while also leading the Grizzlies with 13 digs and a career-high four service aces. Semadeni – whose previous high was six kills – also hit a career-best. Joining her were seniors Huddleston (13) and Grimsrud (11), in addition to Semadeni (11). Harper was one of four Grizzlies in double figures for kills. Harper was one of them, with the freshman recording another stellar night all around, totaling a team-high 17 kills. Montana tallied 12 more digs than the Vandals, with five players in double figures. Once we finished it, everyone let out a huge sigh of relief.'Ĭatie Semadeni with another kill! She has a career-high 9 on. 'It was so exciting building to that last moment. 'At the end of the match, I had a sense of calm,' freshman Catie Semadeni said. This time, Montana finished it off, with Harper producing a solo stuff to set off a celebration 28 years in the making. Tied at 16-16, Grimsrud picked up a big kill in the middle to give Montana its second match-point opportunity. Montana fought off both, with a Missy Huddleston kill and an Idaho service error. Idaho took its first lead of the set at 11-10 and had two match-point opportunities at 14-13 and 16-15. Once Montana took a 7-4 lead, the Vandals again tied the set at 7-7.

Idaho called timeout and scored four straight to tie the set at 4-4. With Elsa Godwin serving, Montana got a block from Missy Huddleston and two kills from Amethyst Harper, one which was set up from an incredible diving save from Isabelle Garrido.Įvery time Montana would go on a run, though, the Vandals had a counterpunch. The fifth set started out perfectly for the Grizzlies, as Montana scored the first four points in the shortened set. The teams were tied at 22-22 and 23-23 but the Grizzlies closed strong with a Janna Grimsrud block and Sarina Moreno ace. Idaho led by as many as three points, 19-16, before the Grizzlies called timeout, regrouped and scored the next five points. Montana again jumped out to an 11-5 lead in the fourth set, but this time the Vandals fought back to regain the lead at 14-13.

'We knew we had more to give so we challenged everyone to do that – and we did.' 'We were not playing very good volleyball and we expressed that to each other,' Watkins said of the change. The Vandals were held to -.029 hitting in the set. The Grizzlies scored five consecutive points to take an 11-5 lead and cruised from there, never trailing and leading by five to seven points for the majority of the frame. 368 and won the set, 25-19.įinally, in the third set, Montana hit its stride. Montana had two players temporarily injured before the match even started and couldn't ever fully get in rhythm, losing 25-20. The Grizzlies have won three of their past four matches, with two coming on the road to teams in the upper-half of the conference standings.Įarly on, it looked like Thursday might be another match in which the Grizzlies were competitive, but couldn't quite earn the victory. What do you say, #GrizVB #GoGriz #UpWithMontana /vUcWo6tuERĪfter weeks of talking about the team's growth, Montana is finally starting to see some results. 'Our seniors continue to find new levels to their game and new ways to give back to this program. 'This is the time of year where, as a team, you either take steps away from each other or you come together, and I think we're marching closer and closer together as a unit,' head coach Allison Lawrence said. Montana also became the first Big Sky team all season to beat the Vandals in Moscow. It had been 14 unsuccessful trips to Moscow.įor the second time this season, Montana overcame a 0-2 deficit on the road, winning the final three sets over Idaho and beating the Vandals in Moscow for the first time since 1991 (20-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-23, 18-16). MOSCOW, Idaho – The last time Montana beat Idaho on the road, not a single current Grizzly was born.

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