A Long Day in Montana

8/21/2026 10:59:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BUTTE, Mont. --- IU South Bend volleyball opened the Big Sky Challenge on Friday with a pair of challenging matchups, including a five-set battle with Ottawa University of Arizona to close the first day of competition.

The Titans began their trip to Montana against No. 6 Providence, with the nationally-ranked Argos taking the match in straight sets, 25-16, 25-19, 25-17. IUSB stayed within striking distance for stretches of the first two sets, but Providence's size at the net and consistency proved difficult to overcome.

Emalee Maesch led the Titans with eight kills, while Alyssa Carson followed with seven. Kadence Brumitt added four kills and six digs, and Teressa Campanello put away three kills. Mia Norris handed out 13 assists with five digs, while Mallorie Elliott contributed eight assists.

IUSB found some success at the net defensively, recording three solo blocks and eight block assists. Kendall Gerdes was involved in four blocks, while Carson added a solo block and block assist. Emily Adams led the back row with eight digs, and Renee Shrewsbury served two aces.

The Titans quickly turned the page in their second match of the day.

What followed against OUAZ was a completely different affair — five sets filled with momentum swings, extended runs and a deciding frame that remained up for grabs until the final points.

IU South Bend set the tone with one of its sharpest sets of the young season. The Titans scored the first three points and quickly opened a 10-3 advantage before stretching the margin to double figures. IUSB put down 15 kills on just 22 attempts and hit .500 in the opening frame, rolling to a 25-16 victory.

The second set swung the other direction early, but the Titans refused to let it get away.

Trailing 17-12 and later 23-20, IUSB mounted a late charge. Maesch delivered three kills during a four-point surge that turned the five-point deficit into a 24-23 Titan lead. From there, neither side gave much away. Maesch put IUSB back in front at 25-24 before another OUAZ answer extended the frame, with the Spirit eventually escaping with a 28-26 decision to even the match.

IU South Bend responded immediately in the third.

After falling behind 6-4, the Titans ripped off six consecutive points to take control. Maesch and Gerdes helped spark the turnaround before Brumitt, Carson and Brynn Lake kept the offense moving. A later push stretched IUSB's advantage to 19-11, and the Titans never allowed OUAZ to seriously threaten from there, closing out a 25-17 win for a 2-1 advantage in the match.
The fourth was another tug-of-war. IUSB grabbed an early 7-3 advantage behind consecutive Lake aces and a Maesch kill, only for OUAZ to erase the margin. The Titans rebuilt their lead to 17-13, but the Spirit responded with five straight points to move ahead. The teams were still even at 19 before OUAZ found the separation it needed late, taking the set 25-20 and sending the match to a fifth.

Brumitt went to the service line with the fifth set tied 2-2 and helped IUSB build a 7-2 advantage, recording consecutive aces along the way. OUAZ answered and eventually moved ahead 9-8, but the Titans had another response. Carson tied the set at nine, Lake pushed IUSB back in front and a Brumitt kill later extended the advantage to 12-10. Brumitt's next kill brought the Titans within two points of the match at 13-11. OUAZ answered one final time, scoring the last four points to take the deciding set 15-13 and conclude a match that went back and forth throughout the night.

Three Titans reached double-digit kills in the five-set battle. Brumitt led IUSB with a season-high 18 kills and added eight digs and four aces. Maesch was right behind with 17 kills, two aces and three block assists, while Carson delivered 16 kills on .242 hitting.

Gerdes turned in an efficient performance in the middle, putting down seven kills on 13 attempts with only one error to hit .462, while also contributing four block assists. Norris finished with 29 assists and 12 digs, and Lake provided a spark with 17 assists and four aces. Adams collected a team-best 18 digs.

The Titans finished with 60 kills and 12 service aces against OUAZ, producing their highest kill total through the opening six matches of the season. IUSB will look to carry the fight from Friday night's five-set battle into the remainder of the Big Sky Challenge.

Saturday will bring two more opponents for IU South Bend including Arizona Christian at 3:00 pm (ET) and Carroll College at 7:00 pm (ET).

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