Montana Western Volleyball Opens Conference Play With Two Five-Set Wins

MAYVILLE, N.D. — The Montana Western volleyball team opened Frontier Conference play with a pair of five-set road victories over Valley City State and Mayville State this weekend.

The Bulldogs improved to 3-6 overall and 2-0 in conference play. Valley City State fell to 3-7 overall and 1-2 in the conference, while Mayville State dropped to 0-7 and 0-3.

“It’s always great to go 2-0 on opening weekend on the road in conference play,” head coach Katie Lovett said. “We are looking forward to a big week next week and our first home game on Friday.”

Bulldogs complete reverse sweep against Valley City State

Valley City State took the first two sets 25-20 and 25-23 before Montana Western rallied.

The Bulldogs saved three match points in the third set before earning a 29-27 victory.

Western carried that momentum into the fourth, winning 25-21 to force a deciding set.

UMW completed the reverse sweep with a 15-12 victory in the fifth.

Savana Warburton led the Bulldogs with 14 kills, followed by Kennedy Lingenfelter with 13 and Antonia Duncan with 11.

Jaiden Perez hit .412 and recorded a match-high eight blocks. Olivia Rosborough posted a .400 hitting percentage.

Setters Sophie Worden and Jayda Ward combined for 50 assists, while Madisyn Frazier led the match with 16 digs.

Montana Western finished with advantages in points, kills, blocks, assists and digs. The Bulldogs recorded a season-high 15 blocks.

Western outlasts Mayville State

The Bulldogs opened Saturday’s match with a 25-17 victory, but Mayville State answered by taking the second set 26-24.

Montana Western cruised to a 25-13 win in the third before the Comets responded with a 25-13 victory of their own to force a fifth set.

UMW scored 11 of the final 15 points in the deciding frame to secure its second five-set victory of the weekend.

Averi Look led the match with 17 kills and hit .343. Lingenfelter added 10 kills while posting a match-best .381 hitting percentage.

Ward and Worden combined for 49 assists. Perez served five of Western’s season-high 16 aces, while Morgyn Harrison added four.

Frazier led the match with 30 digs, and Perez tied for the match lead with three blocks.

Across the two matches, Perez recorded 11 blocks. Warburton finished with at least nine kills in each contest, including her season-high 14 against Valley City State.

Bulldogs prepare for three-match week

Montana Western will travel to Butte to face rival Montana Tech on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

The Bulldogs will then return to Straugh Gymnasium for their first home matches of the season, hosting Dickinson State on Friday, Sept. 11, and Bismarck State on Saturday, Sept. 12.