The Sacramento State women’s volleyball team is beginning to turn their season around with two conference victories over the weekend. The Hornet’s beat Montana on Friday in five sets and swept Montana State in three sets on Saturday. The two wins move the Hornets to third in the Big Sky standings; just half a game behind Portland State and Northern Colorado.

Friday’s game went back and forth between Sacramento State and Montana. The Hornets won the first set 25-21 after a game in which neither team ever had more than a four point lead over the other. Sacramento State took the lead after tying it up at 16-16 and never gave it up.

Sacramento State took an early lead in the second set but ended up losing 24-26. Sacramento had a lead of three points at three different times during the game. They also came back from a five-point deficit early in the set to make a comeback and take back the lead. The set went into extra point with Montana coming out with the win.

The Hornets took charge of the third set four points into the game when they took the lead and never gave it up. They finished the set with a kill by Maddison Thivierge and a decisive lead of six points (25-19).

Montana won the fourth set 25-22, leaving the victor to be decided in game five. The stands were filled with both Montana and Hornets fans and the atmosphere was tense. This was a Big Sky division game so a victory was imperative to both teams.

Sacramento fans were eager for a win. The Hornet’s record had been lackluster this season with an overall record of 4-15 going into the match and the fans were looking for glimmer of hope for the remaining season. The Montana Grizzlies had been winless on the road and the supporters in the stands wanted a win away from home.

The Sacramento State band was playing loudly during any breaks in the game. The cheerleading squad was helping to liven up the crowd and fans were stomping the stands with there feet in unison to try and distract the opponent that went up to serve.

The set was a close competition with the score being tied up seven times during a game to only fifteen points. The momentum swung in Sacramento’s favor when an error was called on Montana. Sacramento won the final set 15-13. The win moved the Hornets to 5-15 overall and 3-2 in the Big Sky.

After the game, Hornet setter, senior Rose Burke was excited about the win. “I think it gives us a confidence boost to know that we can win in five,” she said. “I don’t think a lot of teams can do that.”

Rose said the team could feel a turning point in the momentum of the game during the last set when Montana was called for a violation. She explained that if the play had gone in Montana’s favor the outcome of the game might have been different. She was looking forward to the Montana State game on Saturday, “I hope that our enthusiasm carries over and our never-die attitude.”

Sophomore Maddison Thivierge, a middle hitter for the Hornets, was proud of the way her team played. “We stayed really focused and competitive,” she said. “We had some really good attackers.” She hoped that the win would give them more confidence going into the next game.

Coach Ruben Volta seemed impressed with his team. He stressed the fact that the whole team put in a really good effort. “Kelsey (Elston) played really well in the middle,” he said. “We had some really important digs.”

Coach Volta said there really wasn’t one specific point in the match where the Hornet’s took charge. “There were a lot of turning points,” he said. “There was a really long tough rally at the end.”

The Hornet fans seemed to appreciate the victory. The crowd jumped up and yelled when Montana made a hitting error that cost them the match. All that was left for them was Saturday night’s game.

The game against Montana State proved to be just what the Hornet’s needed. Sacramento State swept the Bobcats in three sets. Sacramento State took control of the game from the beginning and never letting up. Montana States biggest lead was 5-4 in the second set. The loss kept the Bobcats to 0-6 in the Big Sky. They have lost there last nine matches.

The Hornet’s two wins this weekend mean that the team is now 65-1 at home during regular-season matches against Big Sky competition since 1999. Their next match is at Portland State on October 17th.

Amy Lewis can be reached at [email protected]