HELENA -- Despite 10 kills from Payton Treadwell and 15 digs by Brooklynn Hayes, the Montana Tech volleyball team fell to No. 2 Providence, 25-19, 25-17, 25-19, Friday evening in the semifinals of the Frontier Conference tournament at Carroll College's PE Center. 

Treadwell hit .474 in the match, making just one attack error, in one of the most efficient matches of the Frontier newcomer of the year's career. Talan Dodson and Kinnidi Willmore added seven kills apiece for the Orediggers (17-13). 

Montana Tech started off hot, holding a 10-8 lead over the tournament's top seed one-third of the way through the opening set. But Providence (30-2) put together a 4-0 run to take over a lead they didn't relinquish. Tech hung around in the middle going, but the Argos made another 4-0 run to earn some breathing room and eventually took the opener. 

After UP jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the second and led the rest of the way, the Orediggers regrouped in the third. Back-to-back kills by Sophie Madsen and Treadwell cut the Providence lead to 7-6 early in the final frame, but the Argos raced off to a 16-9 advantage. 

Trailing 22-13, Tech put together a 5-1 run to climb back into the set. But after a timeout, the Argos won two of the final three points to put the match away. 

Rhys Layton tallied 17 assists and an ace for the Orediggers, while Madison Biery led the front-row defense with three blocks. 

Providence hit .419 as a team for the match, led by Bella Green's 15 kills. 

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