BUTTE, Mont. – Rayna Pilgeram notched her second triple-double in three matches, and the Saints overcame a set deficit to upset No. 14 Montana Tech Thursday evening at the HPER Complex in Butte.
Early in the first set, Montana Tech looked in complete control, building a 13-7 lead en route to a 25-19 first-set win, but Carroll responded in the second set and earned a 25-18 win.
Carroll led 15-13, but Tech went on an 8-4 run and held on for a 25-22 win to go up 2-1. The Saints scored two of the last three points, and they would carry the momentum into the final two sets.
After Montana Tech went up 3-0, the Saints went on a 10-3 run to take control of the set. Montana Tech cut it to 17-14, but Carroll closed out the set 25-21.
In the fifth set, the Saints scored the first eight points to take complete control, and Carroll cruised to the 15-8 win over the Diggers.
Pilgeram notched 12 kills with a .526 attack percentage, 36 assists, and 14 digs to lead the way for Carroll.
Holly Morehouse notched a match-high 14 kills, and
Ayla Carpenter had 29 digs. The Saints tallied 13 blocks as a team, including three solo blocks and two block assists from
Brielle Bumgarner.
"Rayna kept their defense on their toes with her timely dump offs," head coach Moe Boyle said. "She hit the ball a good number of times. She also kept them off their game with the sets and made things easy for her hitters."
The Saints notched 99 digs on the day and held Montana Tech to a .113 attack percentage, the lowest of the season for the Diggers.
"Our block came alive tonight. Our blockers frustrated their hitters," Boyle said. "Our middles closed the block quite a bit and made it hard for them to find open space. Ayla had a great defensive match. She also had ten assists which made a big impact on our offense. "
The Saints are coming off a nearly two-week hiatus, and Boyle said that the time off paid dividends for Carroll.
"Our preparation and focus showed in the match," she said. "It was a battle, and we've got our focus on every point. You can only win the point you are on, and they took that approach tonight. I feel like the girls were very confident and prepared. "
Carroll travels to Lewiston, Idaho, to take on Lewis-Clark State Friday evening.
