Boxscore

NAMPA, Idaho - Lindsay Grant exploded for a career-high 29 kills to lead the Northwest Nazarene University volleyball team to a five-set victory over Montana State University Billings on Thursday night in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference match at the Johnson Sports Center on the NNU campus.

 

The Crusaders posted the five-set win with scores of 25-18, 24-26, 27-29, 25-17, 15-9 to improve to 11-7 overall and move into second-place in the GNAC at 4-2 over idle Western Washington.  The Yellowjackets fall to 9-8 overall and 3-3 in league play.

 

Grant led the offensive attack, hitting .333 and blowing past her previous career-high of 21 kills.  "I'm extremely proud of Lindsay for picking the team up and leading us to tonight's victory," commented NNU head coach Jared Sliger.  "It speaks of her quality when everyone in the gym knows she's getting the ball...and she is still successful."

 

Cammy Dranginis was impressive with 21 kills and 8 blocks, while Haley Hevern led all defenders with 28 digs.  Dranginis finished just two short of her own career-high of 23 kills.  NNU setters Amy Higginson and Eki Punimata combined for 61 assists as Higginson handed out 36 and Punimata finished with 25.

 

Winning the opening set 25-18, the Crusaders looked to be on their way to a second-set victory leading 20-11 after a Carly Dranginis kill.  However, MSUB rallied at 22-13 and scored seven straight points on two Devon Crotteau kills, four Crusader hitting errors, and an ace by Hillary Morrison.  The 'Jackets would continue the momentum shift, winning the second set with back-to-back kills by Jen Boe and Hannah Johnson.

 

Crotteau finished with 16 kills and 27 digs for MSUB, while Melissa Porter had 13 kills and 7 blocks.  Morrison finished with a match-high 46 assists and two aces and Boe posted seven kills and 14 digs.

 

MSUB would claim the third set 29-27, this time on back-to-back kills by Boe and Morrison, but the Crusaders would turn the tide in the fourth, sprinting out to a 10-3 lead that included three of Grant's kills and never look back for the 25-17 set win.

 

It was all NNU in the fifth as the Crusaders jumped out to a 5-0 start and pulled away for the 15-9 victory.  Grant posted four kills in the set, including two-in-a-row to force set-point.

 

The Crusaders hit .208 for the match, which included a .500 clip in the fourth-set with 19 kills against just two errors, and held the 'Jackets to a .155 hitting percentage.

 

NNU will have a rare in-season weekend off and return to the court next week when they travel to Western Washington on October 8th and Seattle Pacific on October 10th.  Seattle Pacific is currently the only undefeated GNAC team and sits alone in first at 4-0.  Western Washington, idle tonight, is one-half game back of the Crusaders in third at 3-2.  Both matches are scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. local time.