The Montana State University-Northern volleyball team won on a thrilling five-set victory over Mayville State on Saturday afternoon, rallying for a 3-2 win at home.
The Skylights overcame a back-and-forth battle with the Comets, winning by scores of
25-20, 20-25, 23-25, 25-20 and 15-11.
Northern came out strong in the opening set, hitting .217 as a team and using 15 kills to take the first set, 25-20. Mayville State responded in the second, hitting .157 while holding the Skylights to a .068 hitting percentage to even the match at one set apiece.
The Comets then edged Northern in the third set, 25-23, putting the Skylights one set away from dropping their season opener. Northern answered with its best offensive performance of the final two sets, hitting .231 in the fourth before closing out the match with a 15-11 victory in the fifth.
Macy Uffelman led the Skylights offensively with
16 kills, while
Kendall Scheffelmear and
Caleigh Case added 11 kills apiece. Scheffelmear hit an impressive .409 for the match, while Case anchored the defensive effort at the net with a team-high
seven blocks.
Setter
Emily Bird directed the Northern offense with
35 assists and added 18 digs and two service aces.
Kambria Maloy matched Bird's 35 digs to lead the Skylights defensively, while Uffelman and
Josie Hasler each contributed 20 digs.
Northern finished the match with
60 kills, nine blocks and 116 digs, while hitting .179 as a team. The Skylights also held a 9-4 advantage in total blocks, helping them withstand Mayville State's 66 kills.
The Skylights move to 7-4 overall and 3-2 in conference. Northern will be on the road for the next couple weeks.
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