Montana State Rallies Past the Broncos in Five

Thursday, September 15

Bozeman, Mont.

7 p.m. MT

Boise State

7-2,0-0Mountain West

Montana State

4-6,0-0Big Sky

Boise St.

Montana St.

9/15/2022 10:33:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Paige Bartsch, Lauren Ohlinger and Annie Kaminski combined for 57 kills, but it was not enough in Bozeman, Mont.

By: Courtesy: Boise State Athletics

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Leading 2-1, Boise State volleyball was unable to put it away as it fell victim to a Montana State rally as the Bobcats handed the Broncos a 3-2 defeated (19-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 15-11) on Thursday night in Bozeman. The trio of Paige Bartsch, Lauren Ohlinger and Annie Kaminski combined for 57 kills, but it was not enough to lead the team to victory on the opening day of the Bobcat Invitational.

Neither team hit the ball exceptionally well, but the Broncos struggled more in the final two sets than the Bobcats who hit .300 percent or better in both.

The Broncos never trailed in the opening set as they led by as many as seven points midways through the frame. Ohlinger led the team with eight kills as Boise State took the set by six at 25-19.

Set two was tight down the stretch after the Broncos had rallied from five points down to tie it up at 18. Unfortunately, Boise State could not take the lead as the Bobcats held on for the 25-23 win to tie the match.

The third was just as tight as the two teams traded short runs and were tied at 18 when the Blue and Orange took the lead for good on a 3-0 run to go up 21-18. The Broncos stretched their lead to 24-20, then held off the Bobcats who rallied to within 24-23 before Kiersten Van Kirk's sixth kill of the match clinched the set for Boise State.

It was the same story in the fourth as it was a one- or two-point contest until the Bobcats broke open an 18-18 tie with a 3-0 run. The Blue and Orange were unable to recover from that run as Montana State took the set 25-21 to tie the match at 2-2 and force it into a fifth.

After taking an early 3-1 lead in the fifth set, Boise State watch MSU rally with a 7-1 run to go up 8-4. The Broncos attempted to come back pulling to within two down the stretch before falling by four at 15-11.

BRONCO LEADERS

Bartsch finished with a team-high 22 kills and tied for the team-high for points with 23.
Ohlinger recorded 20 kills to go with two service aces and two block assists to give her 23 points – tied for the high with Bartsch – versus the Bobcats…she also recorded her fourth double-double of the year adding 12 digs to her kill total.
Kaminski added a career-high 15 kills while hitting a team-best .538 percent…she also finished with a team-high six block assists and finished with 18.0 points.
Ashley Hayden turned in her third double-double of the season on a team-high 53 assists and 16 digs.
Allison Casillas had a team-high 17 digs.

NOTABLES

Bartsch's 22 kills against MSU give her back-to-back 20-plus kill matches after recording a career-high 23 against Eastern Washington on Sept. 10…it was also her team-leading seventh match in double-digit kills this season after missing the first two contests of the year.
Ohlinger's 20 kills against the Bobcats is the first match this year with 20-plus kills and the fifth in her career…it also gives her six matches this year and a team-high 60 career matches with double-digit kills.
The Broncos have lost two-straight matches against Montana State but lead the overall series 24-10.
The loss snapped a five-match wins streak as Boise State moves to 7-2 on the year.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Broncos will be back in action Friday afternoon when they face the North Texas Eagles at 3 p.m. (MT) on day two of the Bobcat Invitational at Bozeman.