GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence women's volleyball program fell to Montana Tech in five sets Saturday afternoon.
In the first set the Argos (20-9) got out to an 8-4 lead behind kills from senior
Cabry Badley and sophomore
Brooklyn Hillman, but three straight from the Orediggers (22-6) brought the set within one. The Argos slowly pushed their lead out to six off an ace from senior
Isabelle Cahall and a kill from Badley, and despite a late kill from the Orediggers, UP cruised the rest of the set with a kill from senior
Martyna Fiedler securing the first for UP 25-15.
In set two the Orediggers took control early taking a 14-4 lead, but the Argos answered with five straight off a pair of kills from Fiedler to shorten the deficit to five. Montana Tech quickly pushed their lead back out to 10, and despite a late kill from freshman
Bree MacDonald, the Orediggers scored the final two points of the set to take the second 25-17.
In the third set both teams traded runs until a 6-1 stretch from the Argos off kills from MacDonald and junior
Kendall Picolet put UP in front 17-13. Each side would trade points until the Argos ended the set on a 5-1 run behind a block from Picolet and Badley to secure the third for UP 25-18.
In set four neither side could gain a lead by more than two until a 6-2 stretch from the Orediggers put Montana Tech ahead 14-11. The Argos would score five of the next eight points off a pair of kills from Fielder to bring the set within one, but the Orediggers pulled away down the stretch to take the fourth set 25-21.
In the deciding set Montana Tech scored four of the first five points but the Argos answered with a 5-1 run behind kills from Fiedler and Badley to put UP in front 6-5. UP continued their momentum with a kill from Hillman to push the lead to 10-8, but the Orediggers ended the set on a 7-1 run to secure the fifth 15-11, and the match 3-2.
Four Argos reached double-digit kills with
Kendall Picolet leading the way with 17,
Bree MacDonald added 14, and
Cabry Badley and
Martyna Fiedler each tallied 11.
The Argos will be back in action on Thursday, Nov. 12 when they head to Helena, Mont. for the quarterfinals of the Frontier Conference Tournament.
Â
