BUTTE, Mont. - The Carroll College Volleyball team dropped a five-set marathon match to Montana Western at the Frontier Conference tournament on Friday afternoon in Butte, Mont.
Carroll's (14-13, 6-4) season came to an unfortunate end on Friday, losing a heartbreaking five set match to the sixth seeded Bulldogs of Montana Western.
The Saints jumped out to an early advantage, hitting .242 in a 25-13 first set win.
The Bulldogs would respond, outlasting Carroll in a tightly contested second set and winning in extra points, 26-24. Western followed that up with a 25-15 third set victory, putting the Saints season in serious jeopardy.
Carroll would go on to win the fourth set in convincing fashion, 25-16 to force a fifth and deciding set.
After going down early, and finding themselves in a 14-9 hole, the Saints would battle back and tie the set at 14-14, before the Bulldogs scored the final two points to win the set 16-14 and end Carroll's season.
Elizabeth Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SO) led the Saints with 16 kills on the afternoon. Julia Carr (Portland, Ore. / JR) had a game-high 34 digs, and Frontier Conference Setter of the Week Hannah Schweikert (Columbia Falls, Mont. / SO) finished with 47 assists.
The Bulldogs were led by Jazi Smith and her game-high 21 kills, alongside Kaylee Fritz's game-high 53 assists.
Western will now play the second seed Rocky Mountain College tonight at 7 p.m.
Saints fans have plenty to be excited about. With a roster loaded with underclassmen talent, Carroll will look to make a deep run at the Frontier title in 2023.
Visit www.carrollathletics.com to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.
