BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Sacramento State sophomore Morgan Stanley posted team highs in kills (12), digs (11) and hitting percentage (.579) to lead the Hornets to a three-set sweep of Montana State (25-20, 25-21, 25-17) on Friday evening in front of 704 fans at Shroyer Gym.

The victory allowed the young Hornets (6-18, 1-8) to snap an eight-match losing streak, win their first Big Sky Conference contest of the season, and improve its winning streak over Montana State to eight matches dating back to 2010. Sacramento State, which has suffered through some growing pains with a roster consisting of eight freshmen, five sophomores, three juniors and zero seniors, returns to action tomorrow night when the team plays at Montana at 6 p.m. PDT.

Amazingly, Sacramento State trailed just once the entire match, and that came when Montana State scored the first point of the third set to take a 1-0 lead. The Hornets hit .287 as a team with 40 kills and just 13 errors in 96 total attacks. The hitting percentage was the best mark against a Big Sky opponent, and the third best overall mark of the season. Sacramento State hit .250 in the first frame, .243 in the second, and .355 in a third set in which the team opened up a 20-9 lead.

In addition, the Hornets had five aces, 11.0 team blocks, and just one service error, easily a season low. Sacramento State was challenged late in the second set when Kennadie Clute's kill got the Bobcats within, 21-20, of the Hornet lead. However, Sacramento State scored four of the final five points of the frame on kills from Lauren Kissell, Stanley, Kendall LaVine and a combo block from Stanley and LaVine.

Perhaps most impressive about Stanley's performance is she was playing on the right side for just the second time of her Sacramento State career. With Kissell playing her first match of the season last Saturday, it is Sloan Lovett and Kissell that have assumed the outside hitter spots while Stanley shifted to rightside hitter. Stanley responded with 12 kills and just one error in 19 total attacks. The 11 digs gave Stanley her third double-double in the last five matches. The .579 hitting percentage was a season high and not far off her career best of .611, set last year against Montana State.

Four different Hornets had at least eight kills and 19 swings, comprised of Stanley, Kissell (nine kills), Lovett (eight kills, two aces, two blocks) and Madeline Cannon (eight kills, six blocks, including three solos). Freshman setter Kennedy Kurtz had 35 assists, an ace and two blocks, Julia Wright had two aces, and Lexie Skalbeck finished with nine digs. LaVine posted three kills and four blocks.

"We really played well as a team tonight," Sacramento State head coach Ruben Volta said. "We served well, played good defense, and really attacked well. I thought Kennedy (Kurtz) did a good job of distributing the ball, and tonight was just a good all-around effort by everybody. This was a much-needed win, and we're hoping to build on this momentum."

The 11.0 team blocks were the most in a three-set match this season by the Hornets, and were a big factor in Montana State being limited to a .165 hitting percentage. The Bobcats were forced into 23 errors in 97 attacks, and had just 4.0 team blocks. Clute was the only MSU player with more than seven kills as she finished with a match-best 13 kills. Kasey Schlatter added a match-high 16 digs.

Sacramento State will now make the three and a half hour trek across the state to take on Montana in Missoula tomorrow night. The matchup will mark the first and only time the two teams will face each other this season.