FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas – The Northwestern State volleyball team earned an exciting split on the opening day of the 2019 season. NSU lost in straight sets to Arkansas before battling for a five-set win over Montana State to finish the day.
Arkansas 3, Northwestern State 0
In each of the three sets, the Northwestern State volleyball team found themselves even with Arkansas at the midpoint of the race to 25. Each time however, the Hogs would make the run they needed to secure the 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-18) win over the Lady Demons.
"It was an ok match to open up versus a Power Five school," fifth-year head coach Sean Kiracofe said. "I'll put our passers up against anyone, but it took a little while for us to get going in the first match of the year.
"When we were under control we played point-for-point with Arkansas' block and defense. We just didn't have the consistency we needed to take a set from them and make it interesting. For a passing game that didn't live up to our standards, and an unbalanced offense, I'd say it was a pretty good showing against an SEC team."
The Lady Demons (0-1) started slow in each of the sets, trailing by four or more within the first 10 points. A 5-0 swing by NSU made it a 9-8 set, but Arkansas quickly turned things around with an 8-1 swing that gave them all the momentum.
Down 6-2 in the second set, junior Hannah Brister sparked the Lady Demons on a run that would give them the lead. Three kills from the preseason first team all-Southland player during the 6-2 run put NSU ahead 11-10.
NSU stayed within striking distance during its cleanest set of the day, committing only three attack errors during the second, but the Razorbacks would not be denied, sealing the set with five kills, an ace, and a block for the set point.
In the final set, after falling behind early, the Lady Demons worked back to even things a nine, but Arkansas made a run like they had before to gain an edge. Despite trading points the majority of the rest of the set, NSU was not able to close the gap as Arkansas won the match scoring the final four points in a row.
Hannah Brister led all players with 19 kills, the only player to reach double figures. It was the 11th match in a row Brister had double digit kills dating back to last season. Both Skylar Besch (15) and Cayman Sutton (11) had double figures in assists.
"Hannah had a great match and has the capability to do that no matter who we match up against," Kiracofe said. "Our setters put her in good situations and she was able to create offense in difficult situations. We know we can always count on those numbers from her, and now we need to use that to spread the offense out because other teams will be focusing on her."
Northwestern State 3, Montana State 2
The Lady Demons (1-1) had little trouble picking up their first set win of the season with a 25-22 effort to start the match with Montana State. Despite the close finish, NSU controlled play throughout, using an 8-1 run early in the frame to set the tone.
That tone would shift however in the next two sets.
The Lady Demon offense had trouble finding their footing committing 16 attack and seven service errors. The 23 gifted points led to a pair of 25-16 set losses, putting the Lady Demons backs against the wall down 2-1.
Things looked bleak for NSU in the fourth after seeing a 17-12 lead slip away and MSU go up 22-19. The Lady Demons would stare down match point at 24-22 and score three straight on a Kourtney Seaton kill and two MSU attack errors.
Tied at 26, the Lady Demons found the consecutive points they were looking for from Hannah Brister and Darria Williams to send the match to a deciding fifth set.
NSU carried that momentum to a 7-4 lead in the fifth, but the steady play of MSU made the fifth set just as close and exciting as the fourth. With four straight points, the Lady Demons reached match point of their own, before two quick scores made it 14-13.
Brister would put the match away for the Lady Demons with her 24th kill of the night of the assist from Skylar Besch.
"Montana gave us a great match and really played consistently throughout the game," head coach Sean Kiracofe said. "We had some low points as a group in sets two and three, but I couldn't be more proud of how they made a change as a group to battle back and win a close one in the fifth.
"Knowing you can make a stand and turn things around even when the other side isn't giving you an inch is going to pay off later in the year."
Brister and Alexis Warren each had double-doubles in the match. Brister with a 24-kill, 16-dig effort and Warren with a 12-kill, 15-dig night. Besch led the Lady Demons with 33 assists and Megan Lohmiller with 20 digs.
Northwestern State continues play in the Arkansas Invitational with one match on Saturday against Little Rock beginning at 1 p.m. Stay connected to Northwestern State volleyball by following NSUDemonsVB on Twitter and Instagram or liking Northwestern State volleyball on Facebook.
