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HELENA, Mont. - A remarkable comeback at the tail-end of the opening set vaulted the Carroll Volleyball team into a lead they would never surrender, as they went on to down Rocky Mountain College in straight sets to kick-off Frontier Conference play at the PE Center on Tuesday evening.

"1-0" said Head Coach Moe Boyle with a grin after the conference-opening victory.

No two wins ever look the same, and in 22 seasons with Boyle at the helm, the Fighting Saints (6-2, 1-0) have never seen a comeback performance like they did on Tuesday - storming back from a 24-17 deficit in the opening frame to win the set 26-24.

"It's so critical looking back, because if you go down and lose that first set, there's no saying that you're going to come back and win the second - it changed the match entirely."

It was a dreadful start for the Saints in their first Frontier action of '26. Five Carroll errors and sloppy play defensively saw the Battlin' Bears (2-3, 0-1) jump out to a quick 10-4 lead. Kills by Birdie Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SO), Kendall Denny (Fairfield, Wash. / R-FR), and Lauren Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SR) would help stop the skid, but the success would be short-lived. Aided by continued Carroll errors, Rocky would go on another run, eventually serving set point with a 24-17 lead. 

One kill changed the trajectory of the match.

Kendall Denny picked up a much-needed kill to keep the Saints alive, setting the stage for Jansyn Carrizales (Sunnyside, Wash. / SR).

"When Jansyn got behind the line, you just felt confidence." 

Carrizales began the Carroll rally with a pair of aces, two of a match-high five on the evening, and the Saints were off and running.

Another Denny kill turned into a pair of errors by the Bears, and all of a sudden the Saints found themselves down by just one point. First Team All-Frontier right side McKaila Balcom (Pasco, Wash. / SR) sent the PE Center into a frenzy, twice. Balcom evened the set at 24-24 with her second kill of the frame, then gave Carroll their first lead of the match just moments later. Denny, who kick-started the comeback, found the floor for the frame's deciding point, completing one of the most unlikely rallies in program history and giving the Saints a 26-24 win.

Riding the wave of momentum, Carroll blitzed their way through the second set, hitting a match-high .297 as a team to win 25-13.  

The Bears' punched back in the third, but the Saints were not to be denied. The lead was tied seven different times over the final ten points of the set, but the Saints would persevere for a 25-22 win in the deciding frame.

"It's great starting off the season with a sweep... Now that it's done." said Boyle "Started off slow, but I'm proud of the way they fought - especially in that first set when we were down 17 to 24. I think that truly set the stage for the rest of the match."

Carrizales was the undisputed MVP of the match, leading all players with her five critical service aces, 18 assists, and 12 digs.

The Heuiser sisters, Birdie and Lauren, continued their strong start to the 2026 campaign. Lauren led all players with 11 kills on the evening, while Birdie was hot on her heels with 10. Kaylen Hay (Pocatello, Idaho / R-SO) added six to help lead Carroll to victory.

The quick start to league play was just what the Saints needed, as they have two more challenges at home before the week ends.

"We've just got to get better." said Boyle of the upcoming matches on Friday and Saturday. "Every day we have to get better. Better at the things we're strong at, bring up the things we're not as good at, and we have a couple of days to do that."

"Right now we're 1-0, and that makes going into practice a lot easier than 0-1."

No. 6 Providence will make their way to the PE Center on Friday, and then it will be a quick turnaround for a Saturday evening showdown with MSU-Northern, with both matches slated to start at 6 p.m.

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