BILLINGS, Mont. -- Senior Sam Harthun enjoyed her second career 30-kill performance, but the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team dropped a thrilling 3-2 (25-16, 15-25, 22-25, 25-21, 14-16) decision at Montana State Billings in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action on Thursday night.
Thursday's loss extends the Nanooks (2-17, 2-9 GNAC) losing streak to six matches, as they fell in heartbreaking fashion to Montana State Billings. Alaska forced the match into a decisive fifth set after a come-from-behind win in the fourth frame, but the Nanooks would not be able to finish off the Yellow Jackets as MSUB jumped out early in the decisive set to capture the season sweep of the Nanooks.
Harthun put together one of her most dominating outings in a Nanook uniform, as the senior collected a season-high 30 kills and hit a career-best .393 in the loss. It is only the second career 30-kill game for Harthun, as she was just one kill shy of tying her career-best mark of 31 set during her freshman year. Thursday's performance also puts Harthun just 21 kills away from tying Mallory Bergstrom for first on the school's all-time kills list.
Senior setter Miranda Grieser also enjoyed a career-night, as the Maple Valley, Washington native handed out a career-best 52 assists to go along with a career-high 18 digs to post her fourth double-double of the year. Junior libero Meagan Olsen matched Grieser's 18-dig performance, as the Nanooks posted a 68-65 dig advantage over Montana State.
Alaska put together arguably its best set of the season to open the night, as the Nanooks hit .467, led by Harthun's eight first-set kills, to cruise to a 25-16 victory. The Yellow Jackets returned the favor in the second set, as they regrouped and posted a 25-15 win to pull even at 1-1 entering the break. Alaska held a 20-15 lead in the third set after a block from Kensey Mix and Lilah Hudson, but MSUB would close the frame on a 10-2 run to score the come-from-behind 25-22 set win.
The Nanooks would perform their own comeback in the fourth, as they faced an early 12-8 deficit. Alaska pulled even with Montana State Billings at 17-all and the two teams battled back and forth until a Harthun kill gave the Nanooks a 23-21 advantage. Alaska would close out the set with a 25-22 win, to force its fourth five-set match of the year.
In the decisive set, Montana State jumped out to an 8-5 lead at the switch. The Nanooks would rally again and pulled within one at 14-13, but the Yellow Jackets would survive this Alaska comeback attempt, as they took the set 15-13 to capture the season sweep of the Nanooks.
MSU Billings had four hitters post double-digit kills on Thursday night, as Audri Marrs collected a team-best 16 kills. Ashlynn Ward (14) Stormy Siemion (10) and Tayler Albertson (10) joined Marrs in the double-digit kill category, as Montana State Billings picked up its first home win of 2015.
The Nanooks will be back in action next Thursday, as they continue their season-long four-match road trip at Seattle Pacific. First serve from Brougham Pavilion is set for 6 p.m.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team, follow @NanooksVB on Twitter of like Alaska Nanooks Volleyball on Facebook.
