BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Sacramento State's defensive effort was not up to the standard it has set all season in a four-set loss (20-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-15) at Montana State Thursday evening in Shroyer Gym.

The Hornets allowed the Bobcats to hit .267, easily the best mark by a Big Sky Conference opponent against Sacramento State this season. The previous high had been .230, set by Northern Colorado on a pair of occasions. MSU had 11 more kills than the Hornets (60-49), and the Bobcats posted at least 13 kills in all four sets.

Sacramento State, in the midst of its final regular season road trip, fell to 11-13 overall and 7-5 in league play. The Hornets conclude the trip on Saturday afternoon at Montana. The Hornets and Bobcats (10-14, 6-6) split the season series, as Sacramento State swept MSU in quick fashion on Oct. 8 in the Nest.

With four matches left in the regular season, only two games separate the top five teams in the Big Sky standings. The Hornets hold down that fifth spot while Portland State, which lost tonight to Montana, remain in first at 9-3. Between PSU and SAC are Northern Colorado, Weber State and Montana.

After winning the first set with relative ease, Sacramento State and Montana State were locked in a close second set. After the Hornets won back-to-back points to cut their deficit to 23-24, a very costly Sacramento State service error gave the Bobcats a very important second set victory. MSU never looked back, quickly dispatching the Hornets in the third and fourth frames.

The Bobcats had eight more digs than the Hornets (61-53), but Sacramento State did have 10.0 team blocks compared to 5.0 for MSU. Four Hornets had multiple blocks, comprised of Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin (5), Caitlin Volkmann (4), Ashtin Olin (3) and Kalani Hayes (2). Kamba-Griffin also hit .364 with six kills.

Olin had three kills, a 1.000 hitting percentage, 40 assists, three aces and 13 digs to go along with her three blocks. Bridgette Smith led the team with 13 kills while Volkmann had 11. Hayes had nine kills, and Ellie Tisko five. Libero Caty Cordano posted 16 dis.

The Hornets had no answer for Montana State's Kira Thomsen who had 22 kills and a .354 hitting percentage. In the Hornets' three-set sweep of the Bobcats last month, Thomsen was limited to four kills and a .000 hitting percentage.

Sacramento State's match at Montana on Saturday will begin at 11 a.m. PT.