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BUTTE, Mont. – Following a pair of impressive Friday performances the Heuiser sisters doubled-down on Saturday, helping lead the Carroll Volleyball team to comeback victories over Northwest (Wash.) and Indiana University – South Bend to close out the 2026 Big Sky Challenge in Butte.
 
For the second straight Saturday, the Fighting Saints (5-2) put up a pair of wins, continuing to build momentum as the 22-game Frontier Conference regular season quickly approaches. While last weekend's wins saw Carroll get out in front early, the Saints were forced to come from behind in Saturday's sweep of the Eagles (1-3) and Trojans (3-6).
 
GAME ONE: Carroll 3, Northwest (Wash.) 1

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 Just 24 hours removed from a career-high 19-kill performance, Carroll senior Lauren Heuiser (Helena, Mont.) matched it. Heuiser was on fire again in the morning match, leading all players with 20.5 points, hitting .395 and adding three digs, a block, and an ace in the impressive all-around performance.
 
It was a slow start for the Saints in the opening frame, as Northwest raced out to an 11-3 lead. A trio of Lauren Heuiser kills steadied Carroll briefly, but the Eagles would go on another run to make things 21-12 in a hurry. Back-to-Back aces by Malia Allen (Great Falls, Mont. / FR), seeing her first action of the season this weekend, paired with multiple kills from Kendall Denny (Fairfield, Wash. / R-FR) helped Carroll pull within three at 23-20, but the late-set rally would fall short.
 
The second frame was a back-and-forth battle throughout the early stages, with neither side able to find much wiggle room. Carroll eventually found themselves down 20-15, in danger of going down two sets to none. They responded with an 8-2 run that featured three more Lauren Heuiser kills, storming back to grab the lead. The Eagles put together two-straight to serve set point at 24-23, but kills by Heuiser and McKaila Balcom (Pasco, Wash. / SR), paired with an NU attack error helped Carroll even the match at one set apiece.
 
The Saints capitalized on the momentum-swing, burying the Eagles 25-12 in a third set that was never in question following a 19-6 run. Birdie Hueiser (Helena, Mont. / SO) began to heat up in the frame, finishing with four of Carroll's 14 kills.
 
Leading 20-18 and needing just five points to close out both the set and match in the fourth, Kendall Denny stepped up. Denny powered down three consecutive late-frame kills, setting the stage for Heuiser's 19^th kill of the match to put an exclamation point on the morning victory.
 
Both Birdie Heuiser and Kendall Denny finished with double-digit kills in the win (Heuiser 14, Denny 11).
 
True freshman Malia Allen led all players with an impressive five aces, while Jansyn Carrizales (Sunnyside, Wash. / SR) tallied a season-high 29 assists.
 
 
GAME TWO: Carroll 3, IU-Sound Bend 2

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 While senior leader Lauren Heuiser's second career-high kill performance in as many days was the story of the morning, it was the outstanding play of the Carroll sophomores in the final game of the event that stole the show.
 
Birdie Hueiser capped the tournament with a career-high 22 kills, becoming the first player since her oldest sister Elizabeth to record 22 kills in a match all the way back in August of 2022 (22 kills vs OUAZ).
 
Meanwhile, Lauren Fox (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) more than doubled her career-best in assists, leading all players with 51 to become the first Saint since Hannah Schweikert in 2024 to record 50-plus assists in a match (11.7.24 – 54 vs RMC).
 
Trailing 15-13 in set number one, the Saints went on a 5-0 run spurred by kills from Kaylen Hay (Pocatello, Idaho / R-SO) and both Heuiser sisters, appearing to garner control of the frame. Carroll had a 24-21 lead, serving set point, but couldn't find a way to close things out. The Trojans stormed back, ultimately winning the opener in extra points, 29-27.
 
The second frame was equally as tight. Carroll found a way to finish the Trojans off 25-22, thanks in large part to another 5-0 run late in the frame that saw a pair of kills from Lauren Heuiser and an ace from Fox.
 
Appropriately, threes were wild in the third set, as the teams spent much of the frame exchanging three-point runs. Again, Carroll found themselves in the driver's seat in the late stages, but it was IU-South Bend that would come out on top. Trailing 23-22, the Trojans scored three-straight points to steal a set from the Saints' hands and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
Needing a win to force a fifth frame, the Saints went to work. Four of Heuiser's team-high 22 kills came in the fourth, and Carroll was aided by IU-South Bend hitting negative as a team in the frame (-.025), as they cruised to a 25-16 win.
 
Knotted at seven-all in the fifth set, the Saints were gifted some breathing room following three Trojan errors and a Lauren Heuiser kill. IU-South Bend strung together a last-gasp 4-0 run after trailing 13-8, but Birdie Heuiser sealed the deal on the Carroll win with kills on each of the Saints' last three points of the match to secure a 15-13 win.
 
Lauren Heuiser posted 17 kills in the tournament finale, while Hay reached double-digits with 10.
 
Sofia Kimmel (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) led the defensive effort for Carroll, finishing with a team-high 16 digs.
 
Carroll will enjoy a quick day of rest, then hit the road once again on Monday for a 6 p.m. exhibition match at the University of Montana.

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