Butte, Mont. – The OUAZ Women's Volleyball team earned a split on the opening day of the Big Sky Challenge on Friday inside the Butte Civic Center. After falling to Northwest University (Wash.) in the season opener, the Spirit rallied for a five-set victory over Indiana University South Bend to close the day and move to 1-1 on the season.
Northwest (Wash.) 3, OUAZ 0
(25-22, 25-21, 25-19)
The Spirit opened their 2026 campaign against Northwest and battled throughout the three-set match despite the Eagles securing the sweep.
Northwest jumped out to an early 9-3 lead in the first set, but OUAZ responded with a 6-1 run to pull within one point at 10-9. The Spirit continued to chip away and scored three straight points late in the frame to cut the deficit to 23-20. A service ace from Hannah Allman brought OUAZ within 24-22 before the Eagles closed out the set.
The second set proved to be another comeback effort for OUAZ. Northwest raced out to a 7-0 advantage, but the Spirit answered by winning 10 of the next 13 points to trim the deficit to 12-10. OUAZ later pulled within a single point at 18-17 and again at 23-21 following a service ace from Marielle Ramos, but Northwest finished the set with the final two points.
Set three featured six ties and several momentum swings early as OUAZ held leads of 3-2, 6-5, and 12-11. The Eagles used a 6-1 run midway through the set to build separation and eventually completed the sweep.
The Spirit actually finished with advantages in kills (42-33), assists (39-26), and digs (50-49), but Northwest's 10 team blocks proved to be the difference.
Game One Leaders
OUAZ 3, Indiana South Bend 2
(16-25, 28-26, 17-25, 25-20, 15-13)
The Spirit bounced back in impressive fashion during the evening session, overcoming a one-set deficit twice before claiming a thrilling five-set victory over Indiana South Bend.
After dropping the opening set, OUAZ found its footing in a dramatic second set that featured 14 ties. Trailing 24-23 late, the Spirit fought off set point and eventually claimed the frame 28-26 behind consecutive blocks to even the match.
Indiana South Bend regained momentum in the third set and built a 19-11 advantage on its way to a 25-17 win, placing OUAZ one set away from defeat.
The Spirit responded in the fourth. Trailing 17-14 midway through the set, OUAZ closed on an 11-3 run. Key points from Bella Reach, Marielle Ramos, McKenna Diederich, and Gloria Moye helped force a decisive fifth set.
The Titans appeared to seize control early in the final frame, opening a 7-2 lead. OUAZ steadily worked its way back behind strong play at the net. The Spirit tied the score at 8-8 before eventually taking their first lead of the set at 9-8. After the teams traded points down the stretch, key blocks from Jenna Sarff and Gloria Moye on Kadence Brumitt sealed the 15-13 victory.
Game Two Leaders
Up Next
OUAZ (1-1) concludes play at the Big Sky Challenge on Saturday with two matches. The Spirit will face No. 6 Providence (Mont.) at 8 a.m. before taking on tournament host Montana Tech at 2 p.m. in Butte.
