GREAT FALLS -- Montana Tech volleyball junior
Sophie Madsen enjoyed a memorable homecoming with a double-double as the Orediggers topped defending Frontier Conference champion Providence Saturday on the road.
Madsen totaled 12 kills and 10 blocks, both career-highs, to lead Montana Tech to the 15-25, 25-17, 18-25, 25-21, 15-11 come-from-behind win in both teams' regular-season finale.
Halle Moomaw added 10 kills and seven blocks as the Orediggers (22-6, 17-5 Frontier) turned in their second-most blocks of the season with 16.
Things did not look promising for Montana Tech at the outset. The Orediggers fell behind early as Providence (20-9, 14-8) hit .406 en route to a convincing first-set win.
Montana Tech's front-row defense showed up in the second as the Orediggers evened the tally. Tech totaled seven blocks in the set, including five that Madsen was in on. The Orediggers finished the set on a block by
Morgan Jones and
Kennedy Oman, one of Oman's six on the afternoon.
After dropping the third, Tech again showed its mettle with its back against the wall.
Talan Dodson took over in the fourth, putting down six of her 11 kills in the frame as Tech won 25-21.
In the winner-take-all fifth, the Argos jumped out to an 8-6 lead to force an Oredigger timeout. Providence won the first ball out of the breather, but a Jones kill sparked a 9-2 run as Tech won the match. Fittingly, the clincher came on a block by Oman and Moomaw.
The win snapped a five-match Montana Tech losing streak against their rivals from Great Falls.
Setter
Rhys Layton dished out 40 assists in the win, while
Austin Long and
Kenedee Moore each served up three aces.
Montana Tech, which wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Frontier Conference tournament. The Orediggers will take on seventh-seeded Bismarck State Thursday at 5 p.m. at Carroll College's PE Center in Helena.
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