Ryan Hilgemann; Black Hills State Sports Information
BILLINGS, Mont. – Kristin Carmichael did not have to wait very long to pick up her first victory as the head coach of Black Hills State University.
The former Yellow Jacket All-American led the Yellow Jackets to a split on the first day of the Montana State-Billings Jackets' Volleyball Classic Friday in Billings, Montana.
Black Hills State (1-1) defeated the University of Mary (0-2) 3-1 in the second match of the day by scores of 21-25, 25-11, 25-18 and 25-20. Earlier in the day, the Yellow Jackets fell 3-0 to Minot State by scores of 31-29, 25-23 and 27-25.
A rough start for the Yellow Jackets doomed them in the first set as the Marauders jumped out to a 7-0 lead. A late surge brought the score within one at 22-21 but Mary held off the Yellow Jackets winning 25-21.
The Yellow Jackets used the momentum of the comeback from game one to carry them to a 25-11 win in the second set. Two runs of six-straight points carried BHSU to the convincing win which sparked a victory of winning the next three sets.
The third set was close throughout with the two squads splitting the lead through the first seven points. The Yellow Jackets took the lead for good at 8-7, later opening a 10-7 lead with a pair of Danielle Torpey kills. Mary would keep within striking distance until a Meghan Sipe kill gave the Green and Gold a 19-17.
The Yellow Jackets would hold the Marauders to just one more point enroute to the 25-18 victory.
In the fourth and final set, BHSU turned a 6-6 set into a 15-10 lead behind a series of errors from the Marauders combined with a block from Chloe Zimmer and a Kill from Shelby Mayer. The lead was one that the Yellow Jackets would not relinquish, as they pulled away for the 25-20 victory.
Mayer led the Yellow Jackets with 12 kills while Holly Hamlin added 10. Zimmer had 29 assists. Sipe, Hamlin and Zimmer each had a service ace.
In the day's opening match, the Yellow Jackets had a hard-fought 3-0 loss to Minot State. The three set scores were 31-29, 25-23 and 27-25.
In set one, BHSU twice had leads of four points, at 10-6 and 16-12 before the Beavers fought back to knot the score 18-all. After allowing Minot State to open a 20-18 lead, The Yellow Jackets tied it at 21-21 behind a kill from Mayer and an assisted block from Zimmer and Mayer. A service error from MSU also gave the Yellow Jackets a point.
Neither team would be able to grab a hold of the lead until the final score of 31-29 behind a pair of Beaver kills from Tarah Dabovich and Briliegh Boyce.
The Yellow Jackets again jumped out to a lead in the second set, led by a pair of kills from Hamlin and Torpey along with Zimmer's ace and an attack error from Boyce to give BHSU the 4-0 lead.
Minot State tied the score at 7-7 to begin a back-and-forth affair much like set one with neither team grabbing a lead of more than two points, leading to the final 25-23 score.
The third set acted much like the previous two with neither team grabbing a hold of the lead. The largest lead of either team came at a 10-6 and 12-8 BHSU leads but the Beavers again fought back to knot the score at 20-20. Just like the first set, the third set went extra points as the Beavers scored three-straight for the 27-25 victory.
Torpey and Sipe led the Yellow Jackets with 10 kills apiece while Zimmer had 31 sets and. Zimmer and Stevens each had a service ace.
The Yellow Jackets return to action at the MSU-Billings Jacket's Volleyball Classic Saturday with a contest against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference member Chadron State at 2 p.m. and a 7 p.m. match against host MSU-Billings.
