BUTTE -- Rhys Layton notched a double-double,
Payton Treadwell spiked 16 kills, and the Montana Tech volleyball team rallied from two sets down to top No. 24-ranked Dakota State, 21-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 15-7, Wednesday evening inside Valley Bank Arena.
The victory moved Montana Tech into a tie with DSU for fourth place in the Frontier Conference standings. Both teams sit at 10-7 in league play.
Things did not start off well for the Orediggers (14-9, 10-7 Frontier). Dakota State's defense held Tech to just a .128 hitting percentage over the first two sets, pushing the home team to the brink.
Montana Tech flipped the script in the third. Bolstered by five kills in the set from sophomore
Madison Biery, the Orediggers used a 5-1 run midway through to take the momentum and finished the set with a 5-0 run to begin the reverse sweep. Biery spiked the clincher.
In the fourth, the Orediggers hit a scalding .400 as a team to force the deciding fifth set.
The fifth was all Tech. A trio of Treadwell kills and a pair of blocks by
Kennedy Oman and
Piper Jette sparked a 10-3 run by the Diggers to start the set off, and the home team never looked back. Tech cruised to the win, 15-7.
Layton's first double-double of the season totaled 29 assists and 11 digs to go with two aces. Biery finished with 10 kills and eight blocks for the Orediggers, while senior
Kinnidi Willmore racked up 15 kills. Sophomore
Brooklynn Hayes anchored the back line with 20 digs. Freshman
Ellie Reinertson chipped in 27 assists and five digs, and sophomore
Austin Long made 10 digs.
Tristyn Maras piled up a match-high 25 kills for Dakota State (14-8, 10-7), while Maddi Langerock totaled 52 assists and 14 digs.
Montana Tech has won its last eight five-set matches inside Valley Bank Arena, a streak dating back to the 2019 season.
The Orediggers will have another chance to knock off a ranked opponent Thursday when No. 7 Bellevue pays a visit to Kelvin Sampson Court. The match starts at 7 p.m.
Visit Montana Tech athletics' home online, GoDiggers.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news and coverage of the Orediggers. Give Montana Tech athletics a like on Facebook, and follow the Orediggers on X and Instagram at @DiggerAthletics.
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