Box Score EPHRAIM, Utah (March 12, 2021) -- The third-ranked Snow College women's volleyball team battled No. 4 Utah State Eastern to a five-set victory on Friday, avenging the Badgers' only two losses on the season. WIth the win, Snow improves to 17-2 on the season and moves into a tie with Salt Lake C.C. for the lead in the conference standings. The win marks the Badgers' eighth win of the season against a top-20 opponent, and the sixth overall victory against a top-10 opponent.  

After dropping a close first set, 23-25, the Badgers came back to take the second set 25-19. In the third set, USUE came back from a four-point deficit and rallied to a 33-31 hard-fought victory. Once again, Snow rebounded in the fourth set to take the 25-19 victory. In the fifth set, Snow trailed 8-10 before going on a five-point run to take a 13-10 lead. After USUE scored to cut the lead, All-American Lydia Montague picked up career kill number 501 to give Snow a 14-11 advantage. The Eagles scored on the ensuing serve to pull within two, but freshmen Macy Short and Macie Gordon connected for the 10th time on the night to give the Badgers the 15-12 victory in the final set. 

"I would have expected nothing less from these two teams," Snow College head coach Jeff Reynolds said. "USUE is having an amazing season. They are such a solid team, both offensively and defensively. They play so well together and execute at a high level. This is a really good win for our program, against the toughest team we have played all season -- no question. I really couldn't be more excited for our team. Tonight was a must-win for us, and they fought it out until the very end."

Montague, a 2019 NJCAA All-American, had another outstanding performance, leading the Badgers with a career-high 25 kills on 38 attempts to hit an astounding .525 clip for the match. With her 24th kill on the night, the 6-foot-1 middle hitter registered her 500th career kill at Snow College. 

"It's not very often a player comes along who can take over a match like that," Reynolds said. "Lydia was outstanding tonight and played with such passion and determination. She played at another level tonight and was a significant factor in the outcome of the match."

Sophomores Bridgett Talia and Camden Strain both registered 11 kills for the Badgers, while Gordon also had another solid performance with 10 kills on 16 attempts with no hitting errors. Short recorded her ninth double-double of the season, equaling her season high with 50 assists and 14 digs. Sophomore Jentry Ison recorded a team-high 19 digs for the Badgers.

The win also extends the Badgers' home win streak to 15 consecutive victories, dating back to October 18, 2018. Snow College will continue its homestand with back-to-back matches agaisnt Southern Nevada on Thursday, March 18 and Friday, March 19 at the Horne Activity Center. Thursday's match will begin at 6 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. match on Friday afternoon.