August 20, 2023

Butte, Montana: The No. 10 Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) Lady Lions Volleyball team sought to round off day two of the Big Sky Tournament with a pair of victories on Saturday, August 19th, when they faced Montana Tech and University of Providence (Mont.).

The Lady Lions (0-4, 0-0) split the day after losing to Montana Tech in four sets 25-23, 25-22, 25-23, 25-19. In the day's final matchup, the Lady Lions would lose to the University of Providence (Mont.). after a lengthy four-set match 25-20, 25-23, 29-27, and 25-23.

Lion Review

• SAGU allowed Montana Tech to battle back to take the first set 25-23 after jumping out to early leads of 11-3 and 18-9. The Diggs launched a 5-0 comeback. The first set's last six-point rally was their longest of the match.

• Every game was a struggle. Taking advantage of the Orediggers' match-high eight mistakes, the Lady Lions won the second set 25-22.

•  Riley Burcham provided many assists to Abby Wells as she smashed hard kills into the opponent's court, but Montana Tech won the third set. 

• Although Abby Wells and Bailee Alexander combined for 11 kills in the first match, the SAGU defense was unable to consistently provide enough stops to prevent Montana Tech from winning the fourth and decisive set.

• The Lady Lions' digs leaders, Lindi Boling, and Molly Echard, had a combined total of 30. Riley Burcham set a game-high for both teams with 45 outstanding assists. 

• In the Lady Lion's final match in the Big Sky Tournament, SAGU won the first set 25-20, but the Argos would come storming back to win the next three.

• The Argos relied on their blocking to finish the second and third sets. The game's sets were pivotal in terms of each set's last possessions, making it drawn out and emotional. 

• Abby Wells would lead the SAGU offensive again with another solid attacking effort, ending with 12 kills. 

• Karena Tipton and Emma Tompkins would each contribute 11 kills. Riley Burcham (28 assists) and Cassidy Hargesheimer (17 assists) would provide the bulk of the assists.

More from Moore

"Today we played some very good volleyball. All the sets were very close. We had some strong play from so many kids. We're incredibly proud of our three freshmen, who had a very good introduction to college volleyball. Mackenzie Smith contributed with some good outside swings and had a few blocks. Taylor Cavazos served tough all weekend, and setter Cassidy Hargesheimer had a very good weekend. Today Graduate Student Karina Tipton had the best day of her career. In the two matches today, she had double-digit kills and hit over .500. A bounce here or there, and we leave her with a win or two. We played four very good programs, all of which have a lot of NAIA National Tournament experience. This was a tough weekend record-wise; however, we will leave here with a wealth of wonderful experiences. This will serve us well as we continue to grow as a team," SAGU Head Volleyball Coach Hank Moore said.

 

The Next Step

The Lady Lions' next game will be another road test as they face the University of Jamestown on August 24th (Thu) at 7:00 PM in San Antonio, Texas.

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As a leading Christian university, SAGU educates and prepares individuals who want to serve Christ and others. SAGU helps students discover and develop their God-given callings in a Spirit-empowered, learning community. We believe in affordable tuition, made possible in part through the financial support of donors who embrace the mission of SAGU and the importance of affordable, accredited programs to train Christians for leadership in ministry, business, education, and service. Most majors are available in-person in Waxahachie, TX, and online through a wide range of associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.