The MSU-Northern Skylights fell in three sets to No. 3 University of Providence on Wednesday night in Great Falls (25-19, 28-26, 25-20).
Northern came out strong in the opening set, going on a 6-0 run to take an 11-7 lead. However, Providence responded with a 9-0 run of its own to regain control at 16-11. Both teams traded momentum, but the Argos held on to take the first set.
The Skylights continued to battle in the second, jumping out to a 16-13 advantage. Providence once again rallied, using a 6-0 run to move ahead 21-18. The set turned into a back-and-forth battle before the Argos closed it out on a 4-1 run.
In the third, Providence carried the momentum early, leading 11-6. Northern fought back to tie the score at 14, but the Argos finished strong with a 6-2 run to complete the sweep.
The Skylights tallied 38 kills with a .147 hitting percentage, five blocks, 37 assists, and 65 digs. Macy Uffelman led Northern with 11 kills, while Lexi Jones added seven kills and hit .429. Maee Selman dished out 17 assists and recorded 12 digs, and Bailey Eagan paced the defense with 17 digs.
Providence finished with 44 kills, hitting .177, along with seven aces and seven blocks. Martyna Fiedler led the Argos with 12 kills, while Bela Thompson recorded 38 assists and Sadie Giles collected 20 digs.
The Skylights move to 9-9 overall and 7-5 in Frontier Conference play. They return home this weekend to host Carroll College on Friday at 7 p.m. and Rocky Mountain College on Saturday at 5 p.m., following the Northern football game.