OGDEN, Utah (November 6, 2015) – The defending Big Sky Volleyball champions are back in the tournament field for the 10th straight year. Northern Colorado became the sixth team to claim one of the eight tournament spots, while North Dakota took its next step towards a bid with a win on Friday night.
Northern Colorado joined five other teams who have earned tourney bids in Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State, Northern Arizona and Sacramento State. With just two remaining, North Dakota and Southern Utah will have a chance to seal the deal Saturday.
SUU can clinch a spot with a win or with losses by Montana and Portland State. UND can clinch with a win over Montana and a PSU loss.
North Dakota 3, Montana State 1 – Faith Dooley finished with 17 kills and nine blocks, Courtney Place chipped in 14 kills and 10 digs, and North Dakota grinded out a four-set win at Montana State.
Chelsea Moser and Sydney Griffin each grabbed seven blocks apiece, while Moser connected on 11 kills and Griffin dished 41 assists. UND (18-12, 6-7 Big Sky) had an 18-6 blocking advantage and McKenzie Hart contributed to the defensive effort with a match-high 21 digs.
UND saw a five-point cushion evaporate in the first set, but scored three of the last four points to win 25-23. UND won the second set by the same score after erasing an early deficit and closing on a 5-2 run. MSU scored the last four points in the third set to extend the match, but UND held the Bobcats to .000 hitting in the final set en route to a 25-20 victory.
Natalee Godfrey paced the Bobcats (3-18, 1-12) with 15 kills and a .387 hit percentage, while Natalie Passeck and Chase Doughty each contributed 13 kills apiece. MSU was held to .136 hitting overall and had 34 attack errors.
Northern Colorado 3, Montana 2 – Kendra Cunningham, Ashley Guthrie and Kortney Lockey each registered double-doubles, helping Northern Colorado outlast Montana for a five-set victory to clinch a Big Sky tournament bid for the 10th-straight season.
Cunningham had 18 kills, 15 digs and seven blocks as UNC (11-15, 7-6) hit .311 as a team with 13.5 blocks to Montana’s five. Kortney Lockey chipped in 13 kills with 11 digs, while Guthrie provided a huge all-around game with 54 assists, 12 digs, seven kills and five blocks.
The teams exchanged 25-21 set victories before kills from Cunningham and Emily O’Neil gave UNC a 27-25 victory to go up two sets to one. Montana forced a fifth set with a 25-22 decision in the fourth. UNC stormed away in the fifth, jumping out to an 8-2 lead and ending on a 6-0 run to win comfortably 15-5.
Hannah Sackett led the Grizzlies (7-18, 3-10) with 25 kills and 11 digs, while Raegan Lindsey (51 assists, 15 digs) and Silerolia Gaogao (10 kills, 13 digs) also produced double-doubles. UM had four players with double-digit kills, but was held to .176 hitting.