MISSOULA, Mont.--North Dakota State senior outside hitter Kim Hebl had a match-high 18 kills Friday, Oct. 28, as the Montana Grizzlies defeated the Bison 30-22, 31-33, 30-27, 30-23 in college women's volleyball.

The Bison (1-25) had three players with double-figure kills.  Sophomore middle hitter Christy Stuewe matched a career high with 12 kills and freshman outside hitter Kelly Lopez added 11 kills.

EvaLyn Whitehead had 16 kills to lead Montana (13-12).  Audrey Jensen and Jessica Petersen each had 15 kills as Diana Thompson directed the Grizzlies' offense with 54 assists.

Montana stormed ahead to a 20-9 lead in Game 1 before North Dakota State threatened.

NDSU trailed 22-10 before gaining serve off a Hebl kill, and Sheila Parrish served the next seven points as the Bison climbed back within 22-17 with two more Hebl kills and one apiece from Stuewe and Kristen Hille.

It was 26-22 Montana after Parrish and Lindsay Shockman-Rogers combined on a block, but the Grizzlies' Jackie White had three kills as Montana won the last four points to close out the set.

NDSU blew a 29-26 lead in the second set before tying the match at a game apiece with kills from Lopez and Rogers for a 33-31 victory.

The two teams struggled through seven ties in the third game.  It was knotted at 27 before Montana got a kill from Jensen, a block by Jensen and Thompson, and a Thompson kill to go up 2-1 in the match.

The Grizzlies opened up a 16-9 lead in the fourth game and led by as many as 12 while closing out the match.

Rogers finished with a match-high six blocks as NDSU put up 10 team blocks in the match.  Parrish and libero Kari Fagnan each made a team-high 13 digs.  Parrish dished out 41 assists and had four blocks.

North Dakota State is scheduled to play at Montana State at 7 p.m. MT on Saturday, Oct. 29.

The Bobcats improved to 11-12 overall and evened their Big Sky Conference record at 5-5 with a four-game win at Montana on Thursday, Oct. 27.