BILLINGS — Tuesday's opening match of the Rimrock Rivalry volleyball series couldn't have been much tighter.
After dropping the first two sets at Rocky Mountain College, Montana State Billings rallied to win the final three including a 19-17 thriller to complete the comeback and snap a seven-match losing skid.
The Yellowjackets (3-10) overcame 16 service errors and closed the match on Emma Fairbairn's service ace to steal a road win.
Rocky (3-9) took the opening two sets 25-20 and 25-21. But the turning point was MSUB's 25-23 third set win followed by a 25-16 victory in the fourth before the nail-biting finish.
WATCH Tuesday's highlights:
Rocky and MSUB split last year's rivalry series with each winning on the opponent's home court. Their next meeting this season is Wednesday, Oct. 21, inside MSUB's Alterowitz Gymnasium.
The Yellowjackets (4-10; 0-4 GNAC) finished with 63 kills on 201 attacks and hit .174 as a team, while holding the Battlin' Bears to a .135 hitting percentage on 192 attacks. MSUB also held advantages in assists, 61-54, blocks, 18-13, and finished with six service aces. After dropping the opening two sets, the ‘Jackets responded by hitting .406 in the third set and .321 in the fourth before surviving a back-and-forth fifth set that featured multiple match points.
“The fight that this team showed throughout the match is what we have been searching for all year,” said head coach Scott Keister. “We didn’t play our best volleyball but just found a way to scrap and claw. This is exactly what we needed.”
Dorman led the Yellowjackets with 20 kills and 21 digs, producing a double-double while tying her career high in kills and setting a new career best in digs. Dorman's 20 kills matched the career high she previously established against the Battlin’ Bears in 2025, while her 21 digs surpassed her previous best of 20 against Minot State.
Emma Fairbairn added 14 kills, 15 digs, and two service aces, while Addyson Quandt recorded a career-best 11 kills and added four blocks while hitting .280. Laina Whitney contributed nine kills while hitting .318 and posted a team-high five blocks. Avery Starr guided the MSUB offense with 38 assists while adding 13 digs and two aces, and Avarey Stuff contributed 15 digs.
Rocky Mountain came out aggressively in the opening set, establishing an early advantage as MSUB worked to keep pace. The Yellowjackets stayed within striking distance throughout the frame and pulled within two points at 22-20, but the Battlin' Bears answered with three of the next four points to close out the set 25-20 and take an early 1-0 lead.
The second set again saw Rocky Mountain gain control early, although MSUB continued to battle and refused to let the Battlin' Bears pull away. The Yellowjackets remained within a few points deep into the frame before Rocky Mountain used a late 5-1 scoring run to create separation. The Battlin' Bears ultimately took the set 25-21, putting MSUB in a two-set hole heading into the break.
Needing a response, the Yellowjackets delivered their most efficient offensive set of the match in the third. MSUB recorded 16 kills against just three errors while hitting .406, consistently finding ways to answer Rocky Mountain's attacks. The teams traded momentum throughout the frame, with neither side able to establish a commanding lead. With the set hanging in the balance late, the Yellowjackets scored the final two points to secure a 25-23 victory and cut the match deficit to 2-1.
MSUB carried that momentum directly into the fourth set. The Yellowjackets quickly established control and applied pressure on both sides of the net, while their defense held Rocky Mountain to a -.061 hitting percentage. MSUB committed just one attack error in the frame and hit .321 offensively, allowing the Yellowjackets to build a lead and maintain control throughout the closing points. A 25-16 victory forced a decisive fifth set and completed MSUB's comeback from the two-set deficit.
The fifth set provided the dramatic finish the match had been building toward. The teams traded points throughout the deciding frame, with neither side able to create much separation. Rocky Mountain eventually reached match point with a 14-12 lead, but the Yellowjackets continued to fight. MSUB answered with clutch plays to extend the set, eventually pulling even and continuing the battle deep into extra points. With the match tied late, the Yellowjackets finally broke through to take the fifth set 19-17, completing the comeback and earning the five-set victory.
The Yellowjackets return to action Saturday, Sept. 26, traveling to Seattle, Washington, to face Seattle Pacific at 2 p.m. at Royal Brougham Pavilion. The matchup is the next contest on MSUB's 2026 schedule.
The Battlin’ Bears (3-9, 1-6 Frontier) resume conference play with a road trip to North Dakota this weekend to take on Dickinson State and Bismarck State.
(MSUB Athletics release contributed to this story)
