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HELENA, Mont. - The Carroll College Volleyball team picked up a big win on Thursday night, sweeping Dakota State in the nightcap of the 2026 Frontier Conference Championship Quarterfinals in front of a great crowd at the PE Center.

For the sixth-seeded Fighting Saints (20-10), they knew it was do or die, and didn't let an extended wait following a long day of quarterfinal action derail their plans. They made quick work of the third-seeded Trojans (19-10), picking up the only sweep of the first day of the tournament to set up a monumental matchup on home court tomorrow night.

Thursday's sweep was the perhaps the most explosive the Carroll attack has been all season long, as the Saints hit better than .300 in all three frames, while finishing with just seven total errors on the night.

A back-and-forth beginning of the first frame would give way in favor of the Saints following an 8-8 tie. Jansyn Carrizales (Sunnyside, Wash. / SR) sparked a 6-1 Carroll run with a pair of aces alongside thunderous kills from First Team All-Conference selection Birdie Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SO) and Honorable Mention selection Kaylen Hay (Pocatello, Idaho / R-SO). Heusier and Hay, paired with Second Team All-Frontier selection McKaila Balcom (Pasco, Wash. / SR), combined for 13 kills in the set to help Carroll power towards a 25-16 victory.

Much like the first frame, the second started to slant in favor of the Saints following a 10-10 tie. A 5-0 Carroll run saw First Team All-Frontier middle hitter Lauren Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SR) put away a kill and follow it up with an ace, giving the Saints breathing room and momentum at media timeout. While the set win would feature contributions across the board, it was Lauren Hueiser who took control down the stretch. The senior had five kills in the set, including three-straight in the closing points to put Carroll in front two sets to none.

The Saints hit a match-best .359 in the final frame, never allowing the Trojans to gather any sort of momentum. Birdie Hueiser hammered down a trio of early kills, then followed it up with an ace to help Carroll jump out to a 7-2 lead. From there, it was continued success at the net by Carroll's quartet of All-Conference honorees that would help close out the win. DSU pulled within three at 21-18, but a pair of Trojan errors and kills by Hay and Alli Devine (Wasilla, Alaska / SO) would close the door on their season.

Balcom led all players with 11 kills in the win, while the Heuiser sisters both added 10 each. Carrizales posted a match-best 20 assists, while Lauren Fox (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) chipped-in 18.

Defensively, Sofia Kimmel (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) and Norah Allen (Great Falls, Mont. / SR) each finished with a team-best 11 digs.

The quarterfinal win sets up a Friday night showdown at 7 :30 p.m. on homecourt against rival Montana Tech, who beat Bismarck State in four sets earlier this evening. While added motivation is never necessary in the rivalry, should top-seeded Bellevue win their semifinal against Montana Western, the winner of the Carroll-Tech semifinal will secure the Frontier's second automatic qualification for the upcoming NAIA National Championship.

Both of tomorrow's semifinals will be aired live on SWX throughout Montana.