Blue Hawks survive Frontier Conference play-in match, edge Montana Western

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BUTTE, Mont. — The Dickinson State volleyball team’s season will continue for another day.

The No. 9 seed Blue Hawks won their biggest match of the season Thursday night, coming from behind to beat No. 8 seed Montana Western 21-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-13, 15-11 in the play-in match of the Frontier Conference Tournament at Montana Tech’s Kelvin Sampson Court.

Junior Melissa Avila led the way for DSU with team highs of 16 kills and 28 assists as well as 15 digs, four blocks and an ace.

Western (10-17) led 11-10 in the fifth set before a pair of kills by Avila swung the momentum and gave DSU a lead.

Sarah Zeibig tied it at 11, Avila had the next two points and a Western attacking error set up Kelly O’Connor’s match-wining kill.

DSU (4-22) came in on a 10-match losing skid, having not won since Oct. 4. The Blue Hawks now have an even more difficult task, facing No. 1 seed Lewis-Clark State at noon today in the quarterfinals.

Ebony Sanders had 11 kills while Zeibig had nine kills. Shaunda Dvorak had seven kills with five solo blocks and two block assists. O’Connor had just two kills, including the match winner, but added 19 assists.

Brea Mitchell led Western with 17 kills. Charelle Minor had 16 kills and four blocks.

The all-Frontier Conference teams and postseason awards were released after the match. No DSU player earned postseason awards.

DSU 21 25 22 25 15 — 3

UMW 25 21 25 13 11 — 2

Kills: DSU, Melissa Avila 16, Ebony Sanders 11, Sarah Zeibig 9, Shaunda Dvorak 7, Priscilla Frias 6, Linaya Schroeder 5, Kelly O’Connor 2. UMW, Brea Mitchell 17, Charelle Minor 16, Bailey Branson 9, Breanna Kelly 8, Emily Erickson 7, Paige Latimer 5, Jessica Brunett 2.

Blocks: DSU, Dvorak 7, Avila 4, Frias 4, Zeibig 3, Sanders 1. UMW, Minor 4, Branson 2, Kelley 2, Mitchell 2, Erickson 1, Latimer 1.

Aces: DSU, Frias 3, Avila 1, Rebecca Johnson 1, Chelsea Seibel 1. UMW, none.

Digs: DSU, Seibel 28, Avila 15, Katelyn Christensen 14, Zeibig 5. UMW, Shelby Mack 18, Branson 15, Latimer 14, Erickson 12, Kelley 12, Minor 4, Mariann Fretheim 3, Mitchell 3.

Assists: DSU, Avila 28, O’Connor 19, Christensen 1, Johnson 1, Sanders 1. UMW, Latimer 48, Maddie Mansch 4, Erickson 3.

Records: DSU 4-22, UMW 10-17.

All-Frontier Conference

First team

Ellie Graff, Carroll College, Jr., MB, Bozeman, Mont.; Kathleen Mulligan, Carroll College, So., OH, Des Moines, Wash.; Treneisha Doyle, Lewis-Clark State, Fr., OH, Vancouver, Wash.; Niurka Toribio, Lewis-Clark State, Jr., OH, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Hillary Islefson, Montana State-Northern, Sr., OH, Carlyle, Sask.; Abby Nicholas, Montana State-Northern, Jr., MB/RSH, Sandy, Utah; Shersteen Cline, Montana Tech, Sr., OH, Big Sandy, Mont.; Kimmy Kavran, Montana Tech, Fr., L, Missoula, Mont.; Korey Krumm, Montana Tech, So., MB, Anaconda, Mont.; Anna Dewald, Rocky Mountain College, So., MB, Windsor, Colo.; Kelsey VanUden, University of Great Falls, OH, Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Ashley Marchant, Westminster College, Sr., OH, Sandy, Utah.

Second team

Brianne Brown, Lewis-Clark State College, Sr., RS, Spokane, Wash.; Holly Cartwright, Montana State-Northern, Jr., L, Havre, Mont.; Jamie Elenbaas, Rocky Mountain College, Sr., L, Billings, Mont.; Esther Timofeyev, Rocky Mountain College, Sr., MB, Moses Lake, Wash.; Alyssa McEwan, University of Great Falls, So., MB, Bountiful, Utah; Emily Atkinson, Westminster College, Jr., S, Salt Lake City, Utah.

All-Freshman team

Rebecca Sweeny, Carroll College, OH, Des Moines, Wash.; Treneisha Doyle, Lewis-Clark State, OH, Vancouver, Wash.; Keisha Kennedy, Lewis-Clark State, MB, Vancouver, Wash.; Kimmy Kavran, Montana Tech, L, Missoula, Mont.; Brea Mitchell, Montana Western, MB, Pocatello, Idaho; Ahlea Billis, Rocky Mountain College, MB, Bozeman, Mont.

Most Valuable Player: Kelsey VanUden, University of Great Falls, OH, Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Libero of the Year: Kimmy Kavran, Montana Tech, Fr., L, Missoula, Mont.

Newcomer of the Year: Niurka Toribio, Lewis-Clark State, Jr., OH, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Coach of the Year: Brian Soloman, Montana Tech

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