Upset of No. 11 Montana Western Highlights Trojans’ Perfect Start

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A perfect 2-0 start to the season for Taylor volleyball was highlighted by a sweep of No. 11 Montana Western after pulling away in the final set of a five-set thriller with tournament hosts Keiser (0-2).

The win over No. 11 Montana Western is the highest-rated team for TU to defeat since a 2014 victory over No. 3 Wayland Baptist, which went five sets also in the state of Florida.  

The Trojans began the match with a sterling .375 hitting percentage en route to a set win. The Trojans built a sizeable 18-9 lead before the Bulldogs clawed back to within one at 22-23. Two errors from the bulldogs sealed the set for Taylor.

The second set saw Taylor grab an early lead before Montana Western knotted it at 10. Back-to-back kills by Daya Vestal gave the Trojans breathing room and they continued to extend their lead before finishing off the set 25-20.

A tight final set saw the squads trade points until Taylor went on a 5-0 run for a 16-11 lead. Montana Western made a run before TU secured nine of the final 11 points to close out the match and earn the upset.

Ellie Frey led the team with 10 kills, while McKaylah Flagle recorded 17 of the team's 53 digs. Vestal was efficient up front hitting .500 with six kills in ten attempts.

The Trojans began the day with a hard-fought victory over Keiser (0-2) in a five-set thriller. Frey led the squad with 23 kills and recorded 21 digs for an impressive 20-20 double-double. Lindsay Springer carded 24 assists and eight digs.

The first set was tight with neither squad leading by more than a pair. The Trojans took an call an early timeout after three straight points from Keiser gave them a 10-8 lead. Taylor kept it close and even grabbed the lead at 19-17 and led 22-21 before Keiser scored four of the final five points to take the set.

The Seahawks carried their momentum into the second set, taking early leads of 5-1 and 12-7, before three attacking errors cut the lead to a pair and forced a timeout from the home team. The Seahawks stayed in control until Taylor rattled off five straight points to take an 18-17 lead. Taylor took its largest lead of the set at 24-21 after a block from Frey and Alexa Mader, who racked up six blocks in the victory. Two points from the Seahawks only delayed the win for the Trojans after a timeout.

The Trojans controlled the third set, taking an early lead and keeping it large until a 5-1 run from the Seahawks cut the advantage to 19-17. Taylor responded with four consecutive points to get a comfortable 25-19 victory.  

The fourth set followed a similar script to the second set as Keiser took a commanding lead at 12-7 before Taylor knotted it at 13 with a kill by Frey. A 6-1 by each squad late set up TU's first match point, which was denied, followed by four more until Keiser scored the final three points for a 31-29 win in a marathon set.  

Taylor left no doubt to begin the deciding set, going ahead 5-1 and slowly building the lead in a dominant showing. The Trojans hit .300 and collected three blocks, with Reagan Salzbrenner slamming down a kill for the final point.

The Trojans continue play at the Palm Beach Juniors Classic on Saturday, with a pair of games. Taylor begins the day with a matchup against Florida National (0-2) at 8:00 am before playing Florida College (0-1) at 10:00 am.