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Warrior volleyball team moves to 13-0
A balanced attack and a suffocating blocking effort at the net helped the Lewis-Clark State College women’s volleyball team successfully kick off its defense of the Frontier Conference title with a 25-11, 25-17, 25-13 win over Montana Tech in the league opener for both at LCSC Activity Center on Thursday night.
LCSC, ranked No. 12 in the NAIA, improved to 13-0 on the season with a dominating performance before a boisterous crowd of nearly 800. The Warriors hit .429 for the match, compared to .079 for Montana Tech, and outblocked the Orediggers 8-1.
“I thought we came out very aggressive and set the tone early,” LCSC coach Jen Greeny said. “It was a great win and the crowd really made it a fun match.”
The Warriors, off to their best start since the 2000 season when LCSC won its first 19 matches, put up some big blocks early against Tech, 7-6 overall, and controlled the net for most of the night.
“They (the Orediggers) are such a hard-hitting team, but we were able to block a few early and that forced them to change what they wanted to do,” Greeny said. “Our blocking and defense was great tonight. And we hit .429.”
With junior Anile Clemente leading the way, the Warriors jumped out to a 13-5 lead in the first game and continued to roll from there, pushing the lead to 16-6 and then 21-9.
“We came out with a bang,” junior right-side hitter Dana Christiansen said. “We really worked on blocking this week and we got off to a great start. It was really fun having a crowd like that tonight.”
The Orediggers stayed close in the second game. LCSC led 11-7 and 14-11, but then rolled off six straight points for a 20-11 advantage. Montana Tech couldn’t get closer than seven the rest of the way.
In the third game, LCSC raced out to a 10-2 lead and was never threatened. Greeny was able to use all 16 players during the match.
“For us to come out and play this well is a great start,” Greeny said. “This is a tough league and I know Montana Tech will be a tough battle over there.”
Clemente led the Warriors with 10 kills and two service aces, while Christiansen and Julie Maciboba had seven kills apiece. Christiansen hit .700 for the match and added three digs.
Freshman Abby Bruya had 14 assists for LCSC, while Lisa Davis had 13. Bruya also had three service aces, while David and Katie Hinrichs had two each. In all, LCSC had 10 service aces to one for Montana Tech. Hinrichs also had 10 digs.
Maria McNeil led Montana Tech with 12 kills, while Jodi Hogart had 21 assists. Cassie Hodges added seven digs.
LCSC returns to conference action on Saturday when it plays host to Montana Western at 2 p.m. at the Activity Center.
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