GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The #5 University of Providence volleyball got off to a hot start and never looked back, cruising past Rocky Mountain College to advance to the Frontier Conference Tournament Championship Friday night. The Argos (24-2, 10-0) swept the Battlin' Bears (11-18, 3-7) 25-19, 25-18, 25-13.
The Argos forced the Battlin' Bears to call a quick timeout after scoring the first five points in the match. The team kept their foot on the gas the entire first set, jumping out to a 16-5 lead before eventually winning 25-19. The team never looked back, showcasing their full arsenal en route to completing the sweep.
"I just thought that our team leaders were extremely prepared to play today," head coach
Arunas Duda said. "Sacha came through with 33 digs, Fin with 38 assists and Sadie with 16 kills. You can't say enough about those three players. When your leaders show up to play, everyone else follows. I thought we moved the ball around today, we defended really well. Overall it was a great effort."
As mentioned,
Sadie Lott led the way offensively, recording 16 kills on a .353 hitting percentage.
Jenna Thorne also had a great night, recording 10 kills on .296 hitting percentage.
Cydney Finberg-Roberts dominated as usual, recording 38 assists.
Defensively
Sacha Legros was the best player on the court, recording an astounding 33 digs.
Taylor Christensen added 10 digs, Lott added eight and
Caleigh Cookson recorded seven. The Argos recorded 14 blocks on the night;
Zoe Naugle led the way with four while Lott and
Bailey Christensen each had three.
Weiying Wu led the Battlin' Bears with eight kills, while Bella Bryan recorded seven and Morgan Allen recorded six. Blythe Sealey notched 29 assists, while Ayla Embry recorded 18 digs.
The win pushes the Argos to the championship match, where they'll have an opportunity to win the program's fourth straight tournament championship. The team will face the winner of the semifinal game between Montana Tech and Carroll College tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. in Helena, Mont.
"I think the girls are very business-minded right now," Duda said. "They know what's at stake. They'll be ready to go. They're so excited. This will be a fun one. We're excited to get back on the court and play for another conference championship. I think we'll get someone's best tomorrow and I hope we do. It should be a fun match."
