Lady Argos meet Tech
The University of Great Falls volleyball motto is “Be Resilient” and the Argos were nothing if not that.
The Argos rallied down from a 2-1 deficit to defeat NAIA 20th-ranked Montana Tech 25-23, 27-29, 22-25, 25-19, 16-14 in their first home game since Aug. 25.
“We were not about to let down,” junior hitter Madison Wilhelm said. “We’re a team that fights for every point.”
Argo head coach Arunas Duda said it was a great effort by his team to come back after losing the second and third sets.
“After that second set we lost that opportunity to close it out,” Duda said. “It was really nice to see them stay with it and really play tough down the stretch.”
Tied at 14 in the final set, the Argos were able to put Tech away on consecutive kills by Wilhelm and Tiffany Marks to close out the match in front a loud home crowd.
Wilhelm said a victory over such a tough opponent was very rewarding.
“Tech is always a really hard match,” Wilhelm said. “We’ve been on the road for so long too, to be able to come home and beat them especially since they’re ranked is awesome.”
Wilhelm paced the Argos with 28 kills and Dani Norling chipped in 41 assists.
Duda said Wilhelm’s volleyball IQ and drive combine to make her a great player.
“She’s a very smart player, smart hitter,” Duda said. “She was so determined to get this ‘W’ tonight. She kind of put the team on her shoulders. Both captains played, well, Kelsee Montagna as well.”
Montagna tallied 17 kills and 14 digs for the Argos.
The first set was very tight with neither side holding more than a three-point advantage throughout.
The Argos took an 8-5 lead in the first set after consecutive blocks by junior Tiffany Marks, the second-leading blocker in the Frontier, but Tech put up three straight points to tie the game.
The teams traded points from there, with Tech eventually taking a 21-20 lead.
The Argos ripped off three points in a row, led by a Wilhelm who put up a kill and an ace on consecutive points.
Coming out of a timeout, the Orediggers tied the set at 23 apiece. However, the Argos closed out the set, capped off by a Marks block.
Wilhelm paced UGF in the set with five kills.
The second set provided drama as well, with momentum shifted at a moment’s notice.
The Argos raced out to a 9-4 lead after another Wilhelm spike, but the Orediggers fought back to knot the set at 10 after a wild volley.
The score continued to swerve one way and the other before UGF took a 24-20 lead, needing one point to go up 2-0, but Tech responded with a 4-0 run, tying the set at 24.
After Tech took a 27-26 lead, Marks laid down the hammer for a kill to tie the score once again. The Orediggers were able to regain the lead, however, and close out the Argos to win the set and tie the game at 1-1.
Tech controlled a majority of the set three, taking a lead out of the gate it would not forfeit.
The Argos made things interesting late, rallying from a 23-17 deficit to cut the lead to 23-21 but the Orediggers staved off the surge, taking the set 25-22 and a 2-1 match lead.
Needing a win to stay alive, the Argos responded by taking an early 7-3 lead in the fourth set, but the Orediggers responded with a 6-0 run to go up 9-7.
The score would land at 17-17, where UGF assumed control of the set. The Argos scored eight of the final 10 points to close out the frame, capped off by a Marks kill.
The Argos would continue their resiliency in the final set, answering every Oredigger run with one of their own to close out the set and the match.
Sydney Norris and Jordan Danz tallied 19 and 14 kills for Tech, respectively and Makenzie Bauck put up 50 assists.
The win for UGF snaps a two-game losing streak, which Duda said is a big morale boost.
“I just think they needed this one,” Duda said. “We lost some tough ones on the road so to get back home and play in front of our home crowd, that’s a big win for them and I think it will build some momentum.”
UGF moves on to the Phoenix tournament in Phoenix, Ariz. on Oct. 12.