Carroll College Volleyball Defeats Montana Tech in Five Sets

The Carroll College volleyball team broke a drought in hostile territory on Saturday night, clawing back from the brink at Valley Bank Arena to erase a two-set deficit and defeat rival Montana Tech 3-2.

Montana Tech Grabs Early Control

Montana Tech seized early command of the match by taking the first two sets 25-21 and 25-17. The performance threatened to spoil Senior Night for the home squad, leaving the Fighting Saints staring down a straight-sets sweep.

Third-Frame Shift Revives Carroll Hopes

The Fighting Saints (17-10, 12-8) shifted momentum decisively in the third frame. They put up a match-best .310 hitting percentage with 17 kills against just four errors.

After trading early blows, Carroll manufactured a late 3-0 run sparked by a kill from Birdie Heuiser, an ace by Jansyn Carrizales, and a kill from McKaila Balcom to take a 23-20 lead. Balcom and Birdie Heuiser closed out the 25-21 set win to keep the visitors alive.

Fourth-Set Thriller Forces Decisive Fifth Frame

The fourth set proved even tighter. It featured relentless ties at 20-20, 21-21, 22-22, 23-23, and 24-24 before the Orediggers stumbled.

Birdie Heuiser rattled off three consecutive kills. A Montana Tech attack error then set up Lauren Heuiser, the league’s kill leader, to punch home a 26-24 set-winner that forced a decisive fifth frame.

Saints Seal Butte Victory

Tied at three in the final set, Carroll seized control with a 4-0 run and never trailed again. Lauren Heuiser served up a pair of aces to stretch the advantage to 14-9, and Kaylen Hay hammered the match-ending kill at 15-12.

Lauren Heuiser paced the Saints with 18 kills on .375 hitting, adding two aces and a block. Birdie Heuiser and Kaylen Hay each contributed 14 kills, while McKaila Balcom rounded out the double-digit attack with 10.

Defensively and distribution-wise, Jansyn Carrizales and Lauren Fox anchored the floor game with double-doubles. Carrizales recorded team highs of 32 assists and 17 digs, while Fox chipped in 21 assists and 13 digs to secure the program’s first win in Butte since 2017.

Home Stand Awaits Regular-Season Finale

The Saints return home next week for their final two regular-season matches. They host Bismarck State on Thursday and Dickinson State on Friday night at 6 p.m. as they battle for upper-tier seeding in the upcoming Frontier Conference Championship.