Jimmies split opening matches at Big Sky Volleyball Challenge

BUTTE, Mont.-- The second-ranked University of Jamestown volleyball team began the 2022 season with a pair of matches Friday at the Big Sky Volleyball Challenge, hosted by Montana Tech University.

In the opener, the Jimmies lost 3-1 to No. 12 Eastern Oregon, but responded with a 3-1 win over Cornerstone (Mich.) University in the second match.

No. 12 Eastern Oregon 3, No. 2 Jamestown 1
For the first time since the 2015 season, the Jimmies dropped their opening match of the season as the Mountaineers won in four sets (25-13, 17-25, 27-25, 25-17).

Eighteen service errors by Jamestown helped out Eastern Oregon, who were outhit by the Jimmies .188 to .127 in the match.

UJ's largest rallies in the first set were two straight points, which happened three different times.

The second set saw Jamestown look more comfortable on offense, hitting .357 with 11 kills and only one error on 28 attempts. With a 7-5 lead, UJ reeled off six of the next seven points and eventually built an eight-point lead. EOU never got within six the rest of the set, and the match was tied 1-1 heading into the third set.

Set three was a closely contested affair, as the largest lead for either side was two points until the Mountaineers took a 20-17 edge. Finally at 25-25, EOU won the final two points and went ahead 2-1 in the match.

Jamestown was never able to lead in the fourth set, getting as close as 11-10 before EOU took the next three points for a 14-10 lead. The Mountaineers outhit UJ .219 to .132 in the final frame.

Kalli Hegerle (SR/West Fargo, N.D.) posted a double-double of 14 kills and 16 assists, finishing with a team-high .371 hitting percentage. Anna Holen (SR/LaMoure, N.D.) added eight kills and had 10 digs on defense. Paige Oswald (JR/Frazee, Minn.) passed out 24 assists and Ellie Holen (JR/LaMoure, N.D.) recorded 22 digs. Lexi Olson (SO/Langdon, N.D.) and Aleah Zieske (SO/Spicer, Minn.) both had four total blocks.

No. 2 Jamestown 3, Cornerstone 1
Despite losing the first set to Cornerstone, the Jimmies rallied back to take the next three, defeating the Golden Eagles 21-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-17.

Kalli Hegerle again led the offense with 14 kills and had her second double-double of the day, adding 16 assists. She made just one error on 26 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage.

Lexi Olson (nine kills, .429 htting percentage) and Aleah Zieske (nine kills) aided in UJ's offensive attack, which was helped by Paige Oswald's 25 assists. Ellie Holen (17) and Anna Holen (15) both had double-digit dig totals, Olson finished with four total blocks, and Anna Holen and Maddie Demars (FR/Forest Lake, Minn.) each had three total blocks.

Jamestown had the advantage over Cornerstone in kills (46-45), hitting percentage (.252 to .141), assists (45-44), and digs (52-49). The Jimmies cut down their service errors in half from their first match, and had nine total blocks to Cornerstone's six.

UJ (1-1) wraps up the BIg Sky Challenge Saturday with a 10 AM match against Bushnell (Ore.) and a 4 PM match against Carroll (Mont.)