(Editor's note: MSUB Athletics release)
BILLINGS – Putting her stamp on a standout four-year career at Alterowitz Gym on Thursday night, Maddi Vigil emphatically slammed down the match-winning point to give the Montana State University Billings volleyball team a 3-0 sweep of visiting Miles Community College in exhibition play.
Vigil led all players in the match with 15 kills, the last of which was a thunderous blow to the back-left corner of the court in the third and final set. “It was an amazing feeling,” Vigil commented on the final point of the night. “It felt like God was bringing the ball into my life and I just smacked it. And to have everyone swarm me after was the greatest moment, to finish my season like that.”
“All of us were yelling to give it to Maddi, and it just so happened that the over pass came right to her,” MSUB head coach Casey Williams commented on the final point of the night. “Maybe an act of God or maybe just luck on our side, but I was happy that she was able to end it the way that she did.”
Vigil committed just one error on the night, posting a .412 hitting percentage and completing a double-double with 10 digs. “We have thrown Maddi in the outside, DS, and libero positions, and she has rocked everything we have thrown at her,” Williams said. “This is the first time she has swung in a couple of weeks, and I am super proud of her effort tonight.”
The Yellowjackets dominated the entire match, winning by scores of 25-12 in the opening set, 25-13 in Set 2, and finishing off with a 25-17 victory in the decisive frame. Bayli Monck also reached double figures in kills with 11, and Marissa Logozzo led the team with 16 digs. Hannah Hashbarger contributed 20 assists and Hailey Carroll added 15 as the two split setting duties for the ‘Jackets.
MSUB swung well all night with a team attack percentage of .269, while Miles CC meanwhile struggled offensively with a team attack percentage of -.073. Cassidy Acor led the Pioneers with seven kills while Angela Youngs contributed six. Jacey Rowland had 13 assists and Matilda Dietz added 16 digs for the Pioneers.
Playing in her final-career home match in Billings, Vigil did not disappoint as she was set often and set the tone offensively from the opening set of the night. “This one meant a little more to me being my last home game, and I was happy I got to spend it with the people I did,” Vigil said. “Being here for four years, it really does go by so fast. It’s like I blinked and all of a sudden I’m here. It feels like three seconds ago that I was 18 and moving away from home to come play college volleyball, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”
“Maddi was one of my first recruits when I got here, and she’s our first player who has been through all four years and graduated,” said Williams. “That’s a really big deal for not only me but the program as well. Maddi has done so much for our volleyball program, and the culture, athleticism, and everything she has brought has been so huge for us. We are going to miss her like crazy next year, but I know she is going to be successful in whatever she does.”
MSUB won all three of its home matches during the spring season, and Thursday’s victory kept a five-game winning streak alive. “It has been difficult, and we have been thrown into a season that isn’t ideal for us,” Williams commented on the modified spring campaign. “I have to give credit to our athletes for being adaptable, and being consistent through all the levels of opponents that we play.”
Freshman Shauna Stene came through with three service aces, three digs, and a kill, while Olivia Schwartz added a pair of kills and Zoe Bibb had one to highlight the performance of the team’s freshmen in the match. MSUB’s official record on the season remained at 4-1 after the exhibition affair.
THE BUZZ: Vigil was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game.
NEXT UP: The Yellowjackets close the season on March 30, with a road match at Carroll College. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. in Helena, and live coverage will be available online here. [msubsports.com]
