BILLINGS, Mont. – The Rocky Mountain College volleyball team picked up its second sweep of crosstown rival MSU Billings this season on Tuesday night at Alterowitz Gym.
 
Rocky (19-9) faced little resistance during the first two sets before needing a rally in the third for the 25-20, 25-28, 25-21 win. The Battlin' Bears scored 10 straight points in the third – including a stretch with four consecutive blocks – to rally from seven points behind to take a lead they never gave back.
 
The offense was working for Rocky as they racked up 46 kills while hitting .153. They posted 16 kills in both the first and third sets with another 14 in the second. MSU Billings (6-16) only had 19 kills through two sets and they finished the match with 33.
 
Behind the strength of those four straight blocks, Rocky finished the night with nine blocks. They also posted 89 digs – a season-high for digs in a three-set match – as they held the Yellowjackets to .085 hitting.
 
Daniella Russell led the Battlin' Bears with 14 kills on a .262 hitting night. She recorded five of those kills in the final set to notch her 11 double-digit kill effort of the season.
 
Hailey Copinga added 12 kills after getting six in the opening set. She also posted 12 digs and seven blocks in her sixth double-double this year. Sydney Matheny had nine kills and six blocks.
 
Natalie Hilderman ran the offense with 36 assists while adding a career-high 20 digs. Holland Fergurson also had 20 digs for the 13th time this season.
 
Rocky will now turn its attention to Frontier Conference play where they are one-half game behind Montana tech for first with three matches to play. They Battlin' Bears host Tech on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Fortin Center.