HAVRE, Mont. - The Carroll College volleyball team made quick work of MSU-Northern on Friday night, sweeping the Skylights in straight sets inside the Armory Gymnasium.
The Fighting Saints (14-6, 9-4) picked up their first season sweep of the Skylights (8-11, 4-9) since 2015, earning a three-set sweep on the Hi-Line for the first time in five seasons.
Carroll jumped out to a 9-4 advantage in the first set and never looked back. While Northern battled back to tighten things up in the late stages, the Saints led coast to coast in an opening-frame win that saw the team hit a match-best .256 on 17 kills, 25-21.
Nothing would come easy for the remainder of the night, but Carroll would find a way to close — something it has not done in recent matchups with the Skylights. Only one match in the last five years has gone the minimum, with MSU-N picking up a sweep in the Armory last fall.
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The Saints held an early lead in the second set, but the Skylights worked their way back into contention. With Carroll up 18-13, Northern went on a 10-5 run to leapfrog into a favorable position, serving 23-23. Kaylen Hay (Pocatello, Idaho / R-SO) halted the run with her sixth kill of the frame, and Jansyn Carrizales (Sunnyside, Wash. / SR) gave Carroll the win on the next point, picking up her third kill of the set.
The third frame of the evening was tight throughout. MSU-Northern held the largest lead of the set at just three points early at 7-4. Both teams battled in a back-and-forth fight, ultimately leading to a 24-24 situation with the Skylights serving. Freshman Sydney Simone (Cody, Wyo.) came up clutch with a kill that sent Malia Allen (Great Falls, Mont. / FR) to the line to serve, and Birdie Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SO) put the game on ice with a kill that gave Carroll a 26-24 win in extra points to close their second win of the week.
Lauren Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / SR) led all players with 14 kills on the night, while Birdie was close behind with 13. Lauren Fox (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) posted a match-high 18 assists, while Norah Allen (Great Falls, Mont. / SR) anchored the back line with a team-best 19 digs.
Carroll will look to cap its three-game week with a win tomorrow, aiming to top Providence for the second time this season when they square off at 6 p.m. in Great Falls.
Be sure to visit www.carrollathletics.com tomorrow night for a full recap and for complete coverage of the Fighting Saints all season long.
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