BILLINGS, Mont. – The Rocky Mountain College volleyball team put together one of its best defensive efforts of the season and cruised to a 3-0 sweep of Lewis-Clark State College on Saturday night in the Fortin Center.
 
Rocky (15-6, 6-1 Frontier) totaled 11 blocks and 63 digs in the 25-13, 25-15, 25-19 home win. They held Lewis-Clark State (7-11, 1-5 Frontier) to only 26 kills and negative-.023 hitting. The Battlin' Bears only needed 36 kills to earn the sweep.
 
The defensive effort started in the opening set as the visiting Warriors only managed five kills and negative-.152 hitting in the frame. Rocky held LC State to negative-.023 hitting and 10 kills in the second set before allowing 11 kills in the third.
 
Rocky only managed 10 kills in each of the first two sets, but the Battlin' Bears got going in the third to record 16 kills on .195 hitting to close out a victory.
 
Hailey Copinga had a hand in everything the Battlin' Bears did on Saturday. The junior tied for the team lead with nine kills while adding 10 digs, seven blocks and two service aces. She hit .238 and contributed four assists.
 
Tess Hellerud added a season-high seven blocks – two solo – while getting four kills. Sydney Matheny added seven kills and four blocks. Daniella Russell had nine kills.
 
Holland Fergurson finished with 21 digs for Rocky. It was the second straight match with 20-plus digs for the senior and the ninth time she has hit the mark this season. Natalie Hilderman added 28 assists and 12 digs for a sixth straight double-double.
 
With the win, Rocky remains one-half game behind Montana Tech for first-place in the Frontier Conference. The Battlin' Bears will step out of conference next weekend as they travel to Des Moines, Iowa to play four matches at the Grand View Tournament.