@UNCBearsVB Sweeps Way to First Big Sky Win of Season

Thursday, October 1

Greeley, Colo.

7:00 pm

University of Northern Colorado

5-11, 1-2Big Sky

Montana State

3-8, 1-2Big Sky

Montana State

Northern Colorado

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

10/1/2015 10:23:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Northern Colorado volleyball swept Montana State Thursday night for their first Big Sky win of the year

By: Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. -- A return home to the Bank of Colorado Arena was just what the doctor ordered for the Northern Colorado volleyball team Thursday night. The Bears (5-11, 1-2 Big Sky) swept Montana State (3-8, 1-2 Big Sky) to snap a four match losing streak and earn their first Big Sky Conference win of the season.

UNC used a complete team game to earn the victory. The Bears out hit the Bobcats .250-.115 and out blocked them 9-1.

"I thought this was a good match for us. We were well rounded offensively and it was good to have Ashley back out there," head coach Lyndsey Oates said. "We blocked well after we really focused on it this week in practice and it was good to see it pay off."

The Bears controlled the first two sets winning them 25-19 and 25-16, including never surrendering the lead in the opening set.

After the break, MSU came out swinging. In the third set the two teams were tied nine times and exchanged the lead four times. The Bobcats gained an early lead in the set, 7-4, but UNC battled back to tie it up. The teams traded points back and forth all the way to 23 all. Emily O'Neil toed the service line leading to an Alex Kloehn kill and finished the match on an attack error by Montana State

O'Neil paced Northern Colorado's offense hitting .538 with eight kills and only one attack error. She played well on both sides of the net, adding in five block assists.

"We really harped on blocking this week and I knew I needed to improve upon that individually," O'Neil said. "That work showed tonight and we can continue to get better."

Timarie Nymeyer led the team in kills with 10, and added three block assists. It is the eighth straight match that UNC had a different player lead them in kills.

UNC's offense welcomed back Ashley Guthrie who finished tied with Ryleigh Haynes for team high in assists at 17.

If the Bears weren't getting the blocks at the net, senior Meagan Garcia once again proved to be her reliable self, leading the team with 11 digs. With another 11 digs on Saturday, Garcia will become the 22nd player in program history achieve 1,000 career digs.

Northern Colorado will now turn its focus to Montana. The Griz were swept Thursday night at North Dakota. First serve for the Dig Pink match with be a 2:00 p.m. in Bank of Colorado Arena.