Coach Patrick Hiller contends that his Missoula Sentinel team is still learning how to fight back when it finds itself in a tough spot.

If that's the case, the Spartans got themselves in one heck of a sparring session Tuesday night, scrapping their way through some sticky situations before finally dispensing of pesky Missoula Big Sky 3-1 in a crosstown Western AA volleyball match at Sentinel gym.

"We're starting to figure out how to battle a little bit," Hiller said, after his team had secured the 25-17, 25-23, 20-25, 25-22 win. "I think at the beginning of the season everything came a little too easy for us. ... You can see now - instead of this team getting down and getting behind - you watched them work out of it today."

After rolling through game one, the Spartans (5-4 in conference, 11-5 overall) trailed 22-20 before eking out victory in the second, lost a hard-fought third and then had to claw back from a five-point deficit to steal game four.

Bailey Branson collected a block and two of her match-high 13 kills down the stretch in that game while Sentinel capitalized on six errors by the Eagles (0-9, 2-13) in the final 10 points to ultimately put an end to things.

"You could see them get together as a team," Hiller said, "and decide that they weren't going to lose the fourth game."

The Eagles made things interesting throughout with strong play at the net and an attack that looked effective when firing on all cylinders.

Katie Showers ended with 10 kills, two aces and nine digs for Big Sky. Corri Blair had five of nine team blocks.

Three of those blocks came in the third game, when the Eagles were able to limit their errors long enough to secure the five-point win.

"That was a big step (forward)," said Big Sky coach Audrey Tomsich, whose squad is still looking for its first conference win. "We finished in that third game. I can't be disappointed. They left it all out on the floor tonight."

Natalie Jones contributed 12 kills and four blocks for the Spartans, while Morgan McCarthy contributed four of 10 total aces.

But it was Branson who received most of setter Kelsey Becker's 33 assists when Sentinel needed points the most.

One of her kills brought the Spartans back to a 23-23 tie after trailing in the late stages of game two. Another effectively put an end to the Eagles' chances in the first, extending the Spartans' lead to 17-8. The last of her shots put Sentinel up 22-20 in the fourth and when the Spartans finally capped the win, it came with Branson on the serve.

Just for good measure, the 5-foot-8 senior also finished with 10 digs.

"I ask her to play at about every position on the court, if you can't tell," Hiller said. "She'll pass middle, she'll pass left. She'll hit right, middle and outside. Just short of her setting the ball, we're asking Bailey to do a lot of stuff and putting a lot of weight on her shoulders. Obviously, she's rising to it."

Sentinel def. Big Sky, 25-17, 25-23, 20-25, 25-22.

Kills - Big Sky 36 (Katie Showers 10), Sentinel 42 (Bailey Branson 13, Natalie Jones 12). Blocks - Big Sky 9 (Corri Blair 5), Sentinel 8 (Jones 4).Digs - Big Sky 29 (Showers 9), Sentinel 38 (Branson 10). Assists - Big Sky 24 (Sarah Lidstrom 23), Sentinel 35 (Kelsey Becker 33). Aces - Big Sky 4 (Showers 2), Sentinel 10 (Morgan McCarthy 4).