GREAT FALLS, Mont. – In a dramatic reversal from their past two home matches, Lady Argo volleyball pulled a five set win over a favored opponent, defeating Lewis-Clark State College 25-16, 25-19, 11-25, 15-25, 15-12.
Heading into the match it was clear that the Argos could play with any team in the conference after taking the top two Frontier squads into a tiebreaker set at home, but the Lady Argos had yet to win any matches against the conference's top three teams.
Based on the way they started the first set, it seemed the Argonauts were determined to change that statistic. UGF was dominant right off the opening serve, leading wire-to-wire in the first set.
"I thought we came out very focused and strong today and played very well for the first two sets," said UGF head coach Arunas Duda who won his 199th match. "I'm not sure what happened in games three and four."
Just about everything was working for UGF in the first set, with accurate and powerful hitting, diverse offensive sets, and a net defense that almost earned more direct points than the offense. That net defense, led by junior Tiffany Marks, was remarkable, accounting for seven blocks in the first set and baiting the Warriors into 11 hitting errors.
"We got them out of system with our serving, so we knew where the ball was going and could set up a good block," said UGF head coach Arunas Duda.
The Warriors gained a slight bit of ground in the second set but still looked out matched. The Lady Argos added another four blocks, already a higher total than either team had in their previous meeting, while their hitting was nearly flawless. Senior Kelsee Montagna, with four kills and no errors, was the best of an almost endless line of good offensive options. UGF finished the set with 14 kills and just two errors off of 29 attempts.
The UGF defense also contained LC-State's best offensive weapon, Kennadie Clute, limiting her to four kills and four errors.
Up 2-0, and in confident style, the Argos were in clear control. Then the third set started and it all fell apart.
Everything that was working for UGF didn't in the third and the fourth, as Lewis-Clark State figured out the Lady Argo's serves and became the clear aggressor. In the third, UGF finished with no blocks, just five kills, and seven overall errors.
"Once they started passing the ball, they had three options while attacking and seams to hit through," Duda said. "I thought they hit the corners well."
The fourth set saw a bit of life from UGF, with the net defense getting back on track with three blocks. The offensive, however, continued to struggle. Marks and junior Madison Wilhelm were the only Argos with positive hitting percentages and the team continued to be plagued by errors.
Whatever fog hindered the Argonauts in the last two sets, suddenly lifted for set five. Better hitting and serving were the key as UGF got out to an early lead and battled back and forth for the first eight points. A minor run put UGF up 8-4 at the side switch and while the Warriors got close at one point, never regained the lead.
"I was very happy to see us compete in game five. That set showed a lot of composure and a resilient attitude to make sure we came out on top," Duda said. "I've said it before, but I'm very proud of the way this team fights for every match."
The points leader for UGF was Marks who was good offensively, finishing second the team with nine kills, but was great defensively totaling three solo blocks and five block assists. The middle hitter was also the only non-setter on the team to finish with an assist.
Wilhelm led the team with 10 kills and 32 receptions while added two solo blocks and two block assists. All but two of the Lady Argos assists came from setter Dani Norling who also had the team's only ace.
The Lady Argo's fight gave them a crucial conference win to stay fourth in the Frontier standings with a record of 23-9 (5-5). The win also brings Duda one win shy of 200 career wins which he could reach at home if the team win's their next match, a November 6 contest against Montana Wester at 7:00 p.m.
