SURPRISE, Ariz. – The Warriors battled for five sets but could not close out the match in a 3-2 (25-15, 20-25, 24–26, 25-22, 15-10) loss to Montana State-Northern on Saturday morning. The contest ended LC State’s time at the OUAZ Invitational.
LC is now 2-4 on the young season and will jump back into conference play next weekend at home against Northwest and Evergreen State.
Kills by Juliauna Forgach Aguilar and Gianna Anderson got things going for LC State in the opening set but Northern had the upper hand with a 6-3 advantage. The Skylights held their three-point lead before stretching the difference to 18-13 late in the set before carrying the momentum to a 25-15 set score.
MSUN continued to control the contest with a 4-2 run to start the second frame. A kill by Forgach Aguilar tied the score 5-5, and two kills by Anderson and an ace by Katie Rainville put the Warriors in front 8-7. The lead traded hands before a four-point run had Northern up 15-11.
Hallie Seaman put up a solo block out of a timeout and a kill by Sofie Langer brought LC back within two. Missy Mortensen added a kill and back-to-back aces by Makenzie Stout tied the set 16-16. Five straight MSUN errors had the Warriors ahead 22-18. A block by Karissa Lindner capped the six-point run and a kill by the freshman brought the score to set point at 24-19. Forgach Aguilar evened the match 1-1 with a kill to end the set.
Anna Merrill and Lindner teamed up for a block to begin the third frame, and a kill by Forgach Aguilar had the Warriors ahead 4-3. Esther Kailiponi dealt an ace to cap a three-point run at 5-3. LC went on a four-point stretch with a block by Mortensen and Anderson and an ace by Stout to push the lead to 9-5. The Skylights answered with a run of four to tie things up.
The Warriors rallied for four points with kills by Mortensen, Lindner and Anderson to pull ahead 13-9. Anderson and Merrill went back-to-back for a five-point lead, 15-10, and a block by Merrill and Lindner and kill by Forgach Aguilar made it 17-11. LC maintained a sizeable advantage with kills by York, Merrill and Mortensen before MSUN struck for four to cut the difference to 22-18. The Skylights erased an eight-point margin to tie the set 24-24, but kills by Mortensen and Lindner ended the set 26-24 to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead in the match.
Lindner and Forgach Aguilar notched kills to give the Warriors momentum in the fourth set, and a block by Merrill and Lindner made it 3-1. Another kill by Forgach Aguilar and two MSUN errors had the score at 7-3, and kills by Langer and Anderson gave the Warriors a five-point cushion at 10-5. A block by Merrill and Lindner and kill by Forgach Aguilar kept LC in front before a run by the Skylights evened the score 15-15.
MSUN took the lead on a seven-point run to surge ahead 20-15. A block by Mortensen and Anderson ended the skid and kills by Lindner and Anderson brought LC within two at 21-19. Northern forced a fifth set with a score of 25-22 in the fourth.
The Skylights jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the deciding frame and carried the momentum to a 15-10 victory.
Forgach Aguilar led the Warriors with 19 kills on just three errors and Anderson had a double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs. Langer handled setter duties and distributed 40 assists. Natany Felix Guimaraes collected 27 digs. Merrill and Lindner each assisted on four blocks and Stout dealt three aces.
UP NEXT
The Warriors host Northwest and Evergreen State next weekend in the P1FCU Activity Center.
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