California Baptist University
2-3,0-0Big West
University of Montana
3-2,0-0Big Sky
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 18 | 25 | 16 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
| California Baptist | 25 | 18 | 25 | 23 | 9 | 2 |
CBU Falls to Montana in Five Sets to Close Out the ASICS Invitational
9/5/2026 12:23:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
CORVALLIS, OR--- The California Baptist University volleyball team finished the ASICS Invitational on Saturday morning, losing in five sets to the Montana Grizzlies. The loss pushes CBU to a 2-3 overall record in the early going of the season.
CBU came out of the locker room sloppy, falling behind 5-0 to the Grizzlies, with a few errors serving as the early catalyst for the deficit. The Lancers shook it off quickly and executed an 8-1 run to force Montana into a timeout and capture the momentum. The Lancers would never relinquish that momentum and would ride it to a 25-18 set victory. Montana responded in the second set, turning the tables on the Lancers and winning the frame by the same score of 25-18 to even up the match.
The Lancers dominated the critical third set behind a six-kill frame from freshman Nalanie Neal, leading to CBU winning the period 25-16 to take a 2-1 match lead.
The Grizzlies jumped to an early lead in the fourth set as they would attempt to force a decisive fifth frame. Montana led by as many as four points early on, but a 7-1 CBU run would be a major turning point as the Lancers took control back from the Grizzlies. A Montana timeout would breathe new life back into Montana as they would tie the match up at 20 to force Trevor Johnson to call one right back. Montana would execute a critical 4-0 run to reach set point, followed by a Lancer point. The Grizzlies would ultimately force the fifth set, capitalizing on a CBU service error to win 25-23.
In the fifth set, the Grizzlies would be the aggressor from the jump and ride that identity to a 15-9 final, winning the match 3-2.
Despite the loss, Nalanie Neal set a new career high with a 24-kill, 12-dig double-double. Avery Barber led the passing game with 32 assists, while Devyn Masi made the most of her first start with ten digs.
NEXT: The Lancers will return home as they host North Dakota, Sacred Heart, and Idaho at The Joust Tournament from September 10-12 in Van Dyne Gym.
