No. 2 seed Montana Tech defeats Bismarck State in four sets

November 12, 2026

HELENA, Mont. - Second-seeded Montana Tech (23-6 overall record) defeated seventh-seeded Bismarck State of North Dakota in four sets Thursday at the Carroll's (Mont.) PE Center in the 2026 Frontier Conference Women's Volleyball Postseason Tournament. Montana Tech won 25-19, 23-25, 25-15, 25-18, moving to Friday's semifinals versus the winner of No. 3 seed Dakota State (S.D.) and No. 6 seed Carroll.

Bismarck State opened with a 3-0 lead capped by a Reese Duchsherer ace, but Montana Tech moved ahead 9-7 on an ace by Rhys Layton. Consecutive kills from Halle Moomaw later stretched Montana Tech's advantage from 21-18 to 23-18. Payton Treadwell finished the opening set with a kill off a Layton assist.

An Aislyn Hogan ace gave Bismarck State a 14-6 lead in the second set before Montana Tech rallied to tie it at 17-17. Ellie Baumstarck's kill put Bismarck State ahead 23-21, but consecutive blocks involving Kennedy Oman, first with Moomaw and then with Treadwell, pulled Montana Tech even again. McKenna Brendel answered with a kill assisted by Ashlee Stanger, and a Treadwell attack error gave Bismarck State the set to even the match.

Montana Tech took command of the third set with nine consecutive points after a 7-7 tie. Layton served the final eight points of the run, which Talan Dodson capped with a kill for a 16-7 lead. Bismarck State hit minus-.175 in the set, and a Duchsherer service error ended it with Montana Tech ahead two sets to one.

Montana Tech delivered its most efficient attacking set in the fourth, recording 17 kills without an attack error on 34 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage. A Morgan Jones ace made it 15-7, and a Dodson kill extended the lead to 20-11. Bismarck State scored the next three points, ending with a Duchsherer kill, before Dodson and Oman answered with consecutive kills. Sophie Madsen delivered the match-ending kill off a Layton assist.

Dodson led Montana Tech with 17 kills and a .366 hitting percentage. Moomaw added 12 kills and seven block assists, while Layton finished with 43 assists, 10 digs and two aces. Brooklynn Hayes collected 30 digs, with Kenedee Moore and Austin Long adding 10 apiece. Treadwell contributed eight kills, Madsen had seven and Oman recorded six block assists. Montana Tech finished with 51 kills and hit .262.

Stanger paced Bismarck State with eight kills, followed by Baumstarck with seven. Duchsherer contributed six kills and 15 digs, while Jordyn Rood added six kills, two solo blocks and four block assists. Hogan recorded 30 assists, 13 digs and three aces, and Piper Harris led the defense with 22 digs. Maddie Gefroh supplied four kills without an attack error on seven attempts. Bismarck State hit .026 with 39 kills and 35 attack errors, but held an 8-5 edge in service aces.

Bismarck State was playing in their first-ever Frontier Conference Women's Volleyball postseason appearance. The Mystics finished their season with an overall record of 13-15.