The Sacramento State women’s volleyball team went 1-1 in its matches last weekend in Montana, marking the second time in as many weeks that they have split their matches.

The Hornets fell to Montana State, but rebounded to defeat the University of Montana.

The split brought their record to 14-7 overall and 5-1 in the Big Sky Conference.

Sac State first traveled to Bozeman, Mont. on Friday to take on Montana State. Hornet head coach Debby Colberg thought going into the match that the Bobcats would be tough.

Those thoughts were confirmed. The Hornets lost 23-30, 26-30, and 20-30 thanks to MSU’s stifling defense.

Sac State was outblocked 14-9 and was held to a .096 hitting percentage, its second lowest percentage of the season. It was the first time in over two years that the Hornets were swept in conference play.

“We played okay,” Colberg said. “They just blocked us to death. It made us too timid at the net.”

Four MSU players had at least four blocks, with Ana Schanze and Megan Zanto leading the way with seven. Schanze also had a hitting percentage of above .400, along with Kamber Kelly and Amy Halyk.

Sac State, on the other hand, struggled. Sophomore outside hitter Sandra Bandimere was the only Hornet to reach offensive double figures, recording a team-high 14 kills. Senior outside hitter Jayme Wright and freshman defensive specialist Mallory Hook were the only two Hornets with double figures in digs, and only four Sac State players had a hitting percentage of .200 or better.

Despite the tough match, Colberg did not see things as completely negative.

“There are things you can do to work against the block, we just didn’t do them,” Colberg said. “But we should be able to make the adjustments we need to make in the future.”

Sac State was back in action again on Saturday night against the Montana Grizzlies. The Hornets won the match in a hard fought five games.

“(Montana) made a few more mistakes than Montana State and that made it easier for us, but we were still fortunate to get out of there with a win,” Colberg said. “We got more competitive as the match ended and did enough to win.”

Montana was on the verge of victory after leading the fifth and final game 11-7, but the Hornets came back to tie, 13-13, eventually taking the lead at 16-15. The Grizzlies came back to tie it in extra points, 16- 16, before a kill and an error gave the Sac State the 18-16 win.

The win gave the Hornets a 4-1 record in five-game matches this season. Colberg sees the record as an indication of the Hornets’ pride.

“I think they realize that we’re going to have to work hard in every match. It was good to see that even when they weren’t playing well, they were willing to fight for the win,” Colberg said.

Bandimere had a game and career-high of 27 kills. Junior setter Lisa Beauchene was just two kills short of earning her fourth triple-double on the season, while also recording 50 assists and 20 digs.

Freshman middle hitter Shannon Arts was in the starting lineup for the second time this season. The lineup change paid dividends. Arts had five kills and a .417 hitting percentage.

“I needed to get her in the game,” Colberg said. “She’s been good in practice, and we’ve struggled to find her a spot, but we moved (Kazmiera Imrie) and got some more size up front.”

The Hornets hope to build on their success against Portland State University on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Hornet Gym, before welcoming conference juggernaut Eastern Washington University on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The Eastern Washington Eagles are 19-0, and ranked No. 15 in the national poll. They defeated the Hornets in the Big Sky Championship Game last season to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Box Score: vs Montana State

Box Score: vs Montana