HELENA – Montana Tech's volleyball team kept its hopes of a Frontier Conference title alive Thursday with a four-set quarterfinal win over Bismarck State at the Carroll PE Center.
Talan Dodson put down a team-best 17 kills,
Halle Moomaw totaled 12 kills and seven blocks, and the second-seeded Orediggers won the match, 25-19, 23-25, 25-15, 25-18. Montana Tech moves on to play No. 6 seed and tournament host Carroll in Friday's second semifinal.
After a quick start for both teams, Tech (23-6) ripped off a 6-1 run to command the first set. Leading 21-18, Moomaw put down back-to-back kills to spark a 4-1 Oredigger barrage that ended it.
The Mystics (13-15) took the second set in a tight one. The teams traded leads throughout to wind up at a 23-23 tie, but BSC won the final two points. In the third, the Orediggers raced out to a 16-7 lead and used three of Dodson's kills to win the set.
Dodson and
Payton Treadwell went off in the fourth, combining for 12 kills. Tech hit .500 in the frame to clinch the match. The Orediggers again jumped out to a lead, 15-7, and never looked back.
Rhys Layton had a double-double with 43 assists and 10 digs for Montana Tech, along with two aces.
Brooklynn Hayes had a team-best 30 digs.
Montana Tech and Carroll will square off at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the semifinal round of the tournament.
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