MSUB Volleyball Tabbed Fourth in Heartland Poll (8/22/05)
BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings
volleyball team has been picked to finish fourth in the Heartland
Conference according to a poll of league coaches. The
Yellowjackets are in their first season in the seven-team
conference after moving from the Pacific West Conference. The top
four teams during the regular season qualify for the Heartland
Conference Tournament.
St. Edward’s University received four first
place votes and 43 total points in the poll, earning the favorites
tag to repeat as Heartland Conference champions. The Hilltoppers—who
have won the last two conference titles—finished last season 24-15
overall and 8-2 in the conference. They qualified for the NCAA
Tournament and advanced to the South Central Region semifinals.
The Yellowjackets received 27 points in the
poll, 10 points behind St. Mary’s University. MSU Billings
received two third place votes, three fourth place votes, one
fifth place vote, and one sixth place vote. Former PacWest foe
Western New Mexico was second in the polling with 41 points,
including two first place votes.
MSU Billings opens the season this weekend at
the Arkansas Tech Invitational. The Yellowjackets will face Fort
Valley State and Arkansas Tech on August 26. On the tournament’s
second day they will take on Missouri Western and Texas A&M
Kingsville.
MSU Billings plays its first 12 matches on
the road, all of them coming in four-match round robin
tournaments. After Arkansas they will travel to the Colorado
School of Mines Invitational (Sept. 2-3) and the Montana-Western
Invitational (Sept. 9-10). The Yellowjackets open their home
schedule with Heartland Conference matches against St. Mary’s on
September 16 and 17.
Heartland Conference Volleyball Poll
1. St. Edward’s University – 43 (4)
2. Western New Mexico University – 41 (2)
3. St. Mary’s University – 37 (1)
4. Montana State University-Billings – 27
5. University of the Incarnate Word – 25
6. Dallas Baptist University – 13
7. Oklahoma Panhandle State University – 10 |
