HELENA, Mont. – The first two sets were a battle between Carroll College and the University of Providence volleyball team, but the Lady Argos didn't have enough to go the distance, falling apart in the third and fourth set of a 3-1 (27-25, 23-25, 25-12, 25-14) loss. 
 
When the two teams played earlier in the season in Great Falls, Montana, the Lady Argos were on a four match losing streak, including losses in the first three conference contests. UP recovered from losing the first set to win 3-2 and save the team's season. After that match, the Lady Argos went 4-1. Carroll had the same record in the same span of time.
 
Both teams looked ready for another epic match in the first set. The set was close throughout, but the Lady Argos led for a majority of the game, including a 15-11 lead that was the largest by any team in the set.
 
With a 20-18 lead, UP looked poised to take the first set but the Fighting Saints caught fire and rallied off 5 straight kills and soon held set point at 24-21. The Lady Argos responded with a 3-0 run of its own, including a big solo block from senior Mariah Diaz. The two teams exchanged points to bring the score to 25-25 but Carroll scored the next 2 points to take the first set 27-25.
 
The second set had a rather opposite trajectory. Carroll led most of the way, but a 7-0 run that included 2 kills and a block from senior outside hitter Korie Milan, put the Lady Argos ahead 20-17. The Saints scored 5 of the next 6 points and led the Lady Argos 23-22 late in the set.
 
Milan responded with her 5th kill of the set and then a block and a Saints attacking error gave the Lady Argos a 25-23 win in the second set.
 
That push to finish the second set seemed to be all that the Lady Argos had in them. After hitting for 15 kills and just 5 errors in the first set, the team already showed signs of slowing down in the second with 14 kills and 10 errors. Those numbers only got worse as the match went on.
 
In the final two sets, the team's offense wasn't so much sloppy as it was toothless. The Lady Argo's offense just could get in sync with poor communication leading to many free balls that Carroll turned into kills.
 
While UP combined for 17 kills and 16 errors in 79 attempts in the final two sets, the Fighting Saints had 25 kills and just 6 errors in 72 attempts. The Lady Argo's lack of aggression on offense made things easy on Carroll and allowed the purple and gold to get into a solid rhythm.
 
Starting at libero for the second straight match, junior Tymerie Vincelli did all she could defensively to try and stop the Carroll attack. She finished with a team leading 23 digs, tying a career high. She only had 1 reception error and added 2 aces and 0 errors while serving.
 
Milan led the UP hitters with 12 kills and despite 6 errors still hit for the best percentage on the team. Diaz led UP with 5 block assists and 1 solo block while adding 8 kills.
 
The Lady Argos record goes to 18-9 (5-5) on the year with two games left in the regular season. First of those two games will be UP Senior Night against (14) Montana Tech on November 2 at 7 p.m.