Bismarck State College Mystics Athletics

BUTTE, Mont. -- Bismarck State volleyball pushed conference-leader Montana Tech to the brink in a tight third set, but the Mystics couldn't sustain the momentum, falling 3-1 (25-18, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20) on the road Friday night at Valley Bank Arena.

The loss drops BSC to 2-7 overall and 0-4 in Frontier Conference play. Montana Tech, which entered the weekend receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25, improved to 9-1 overall and 4-0 in conference, extending its win streak to nine matches. They are one of three teams in the Frontier currently without a conference loss, alongside Bellevue (Neb.) & Dakota State (S.D.).

Set One: Orediggers Close Strong

Montana Tech grabbed an early 2-0 edge, and although the Mystics answered with points from Reese Duchsherer and Ashlee Stanger to tie it at 3-3, the hosts pulled away late. After BSC trimmed the deficit to 14-17, Montana Tech reeled off six straight points -- punctuated by a Brooklynn Hayes ace -- to go up 14-23. BSC answered with four in a row of its own, but it wasn't enough, and Montana Tech closed it out 25-18.

Set Two: Mystics Fall Just Short

BSC opened with a 3-0 lead behind back-to-back kills from Ellie Baumstarck, and the set stayed tight throughout, with the Mystics still up 20-18 late. But Montana Tech closed on a 3-1 run, flipping a 22-22 tie into a 25-23 set win for the hosts.

Mystics Rally in Set Three

Trailing 21-23 late, Bismarck State closed the set on a 4-0 run to steal set three, 25-23, for its lone set win of the match. The stretch featured a kill from Baumstarck, a service ace from Aislyn Hogan, and back-to-back kills from Duchsherer and Baumstarck to close it out.

Set Four: Slow Start Proves Costly

Montana Tech answered immediately, opening the set on a 6-0 run -- including another Brooklynn Hayes ace -- to seize control at 1-7. BSC clawed back with a 3-0 run of its own, capped by an Aubrey Flynn ace, to make it 4-8, but Montana Tech maintained its cushion the rest of the way, closing out the match with a 25-20 set win.

Mystics Key Performers

• Reese Duchsherer led the way with a team-high 13 kills and a team-high 13.5 points, adding 11 digs
• McKenna Brendel added 12 kills on .222 hitting for 12.0 points
• Ashlee Stanger chipped in eight kills for 8.5 points
• Ellie Baumstarck was efficient in three sets, hitting .333 with seven kills for 10.0 points and two block assists
• Jordyn Rood added six kills for 8.0 points
• Aislyn Hogan ran the offense with 38 assists to go with five digs and a service ace
• Piper Harris paced the defense with a team-high 15 digs

Game Notes

• BSC hit .128 as a team, led by a .333 mark from Baumstarck
• Montana Tech has yet to be pushed to a fifth set in conference play this season.

BSC concludes its initial five-game conference road trip on Saturday, facing Montana Western at 11 a.m. CT (10 a.m. MT) in Dillon, Mont. The Bulldogs defeated Dickinson State (N.D.) on Friday evening in five sets.

See the volleyball schedule for more information.