No. 3 seed Skylights hold off No. 6 seed Fighting Saints in Frontier quarterfinals five-set thriller

November 13, 2025 HELENA, Mont. – In a five-set thriller inside the Carroll College PE Center, No. 3 seed Montana State-Northern outlasted No. 6 seed and host team Carroll College 3–2 to advance in the Frontier Conference Tournament’s semifinals, winning by scores of 25-18, 25-27, 25-22, 19-25, 18-16. The match stretched over two and a half hours and featured long rallies, high-volume defense, and standout performances from both teams to wrap up the first day of the Frontier Conference Women’s Volleyball Quarterfinals round. First Set – MSU-Northern 25, Carroll 18 The Skylights opened the night with a fast start, racing to a 4–0 lead and never surrendering control. Macee Selman set the tone early with multiple kills, while Lexi Jones was dominant at the net, recording several key blocks. Carroll struggled offensively (.026 hitting), and Northern’s balanced attack secured the opener. Second Set – Carroll 27, MSU-Northern 25 Carroll responded with grit in a back-and-forth frame that featured 10 ties. The Saints used a late push, fueled by Elizabeth Heuiser, McKaila Balcom, and back-row anchor Molly O’Connor (43 digs on the night), to steal the set in extra points. Carroll out-dug Northern 33–29 in the frame and evened the match. Third Set – MSU-Northern 25, Carroll 22 Set three mirrored the intensity of set two, but Northern’s consistency at the pins made the difference. Selman again delivered crucial kills—17 going into the fourth—and Lexa Stock added several clean swings late. The Skylights’ efficient transition scoring pushed them ahead 2–1. Fourth Set – Carroll 25, MSU-Northern 19 Carroll controlled the fourth set from the opening serve, piecing together multiple small runs. Sidney Gulick had her best offensive stretch, and Balcom continued to terminate in rhythm. The Saints’ front row generated timely blocks, and they forced Northern into eight attacking errors to force the decisive fifth. Fifth Set – MSU-Northern 18, Carroll 16 The race to 15 became a marathon to 18 as both teams traded momentum. Carroll surged ahead 3–0 behind two early kills from Heuiser and Balcom. Northern answered with clutch swings from Selman, Hasler, and Stock, eventually tying the set at 12–12. The final points included dramatic defensive rallies on both sides, but Northern found the last separation with a kill from Selman and a Carroll attack error to seal the 18–16 win and the match. Team Notes MSU-Northern 71 kills, .143 hitting 24 kills from Macee Selman, 31 assists, 22 digs – a monster all-around performance Lexa Stock added 18 kills on .289 hitting 125 digs as a team 11 total blocks, led by Lexi Jones (9 block assists + 1 solo) Carroll McKaila Balcom: 15 kills (.306), 3 blocks Elizabeth Heuiser: 10 kills, 7 blocks Sidney Gulick: 10 kills, 23 digs Molly O’Connor: 43 digs, 2 aces Team defense: 117 digs, 16 total blocks Up Next MSU-Northern (18-11 overall record) moves on to the semifinals round Friday evening, facing No. 2 seed Bellevue (Neb.) at 7:30 p.m. (Mountain Time). Carroll ends their 2025 season with an overall record of 17-14.