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HELENA, Mont. - It took five sets, but the Carroll Volleyball team found a way to close out a five-set victory over MSU-Northern at the PE Center on Saturday, capping an undefeated first week of Frontier Conference play.

For the first time in 11 years, the Fighting Saints (8-2, 3-0) have opened their Frontier Conference slate 3-0 in league play. The last hurdle in the three-game sprint to start the '26 conference season, MSU-Northern (5-3, 1-1) did everything they could to prevent it from happening, but Carroll found a way to prevail.

Just 24 hours removed from their first Top-10 victory since 2017, a 3-1 win over No. 7 Providence, the Saints showed no signs of a let down in the second-game of a back-to-back and third game on the week. The first set, while back-and-forth never felt out of reach for the Frontier's hottest team. Trailing 22-20 late in the frame, a Lauren Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SR) kill and a pair of kills by Kaylen Hay (Pocatello, Idaho / R-SO) would catapult Carroll into the lead. Moments later, a booming Bridie Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SO) kill would close the set for the Saints 25-23.

The second set was tight early, but the Saints would begin to pull away as the frame wore on. Hay, both Heuiser sisters, and '25 First Team All-Frontier right side McKaila Balcom (Pasco, Wash. / SR) kept things rolling for the Saints in the second, as Carroll hit .152 to Northern's .083 en route to a 25-19 win and a two-set advantage in the match.

Recent matchups between the Saints and Skylights have seemingly all gone four or five sets, and Saturday night was no different.

Northern hit a match-high .283 as a team in the third set, overpowering Carroll in a 25-21 win. The Skylights proceeded to even the match at 2-2, taking advantage of Carroll's worst hitting frame of the evening in the fourth (.091) for a 25-22 win.

In the deciding fifth frame, the Heuiser sisters and Sofia Kimmel (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) combined for eight kills, while Kaylen Hay put the exclamation point on Carroll's big week with a walk-off kill to keep the Saints unbeaten in Frontier play, alone at the top of the league with three wins.

Lauren Heuiser led all players in kills once again, adding 17 more to her team-leading tally. Kaylen Hay finished with a career-high 16 kills on the evening, while Birdie Hueiser rounded out the attack with 12 kills of her own.

Jansyn Carrizales (Sunnyside, Wash. / SR) finished her strong week of play with a game-high 36 assists, while Lauren Fox (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) added 25. 

Sofia Kimmel (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) posted a season-high 26 digs to lead her team defensively.

The Saints will enjoy some much needed rest ahead of their next game, a 6 p.m. showdown with No. 19 Bellevue on Friday, September 11 at the CC PE Center.