Jackets and Rattlers to Meet for HLC Title (11/3/06)
Box Score
Game Photos
Coach Matavao post game audio

BILLINGS, MT – They’ve been talking about this opportunity for almost a year.  Finally, the Montana State-Billings volleyball team will have another shot at the Heartland Conference crown.  The Yellowjackets, who lost in last year’s championship match, easily swept through St. Edward’s University on Friday night to set up a championship match-up with St. Mary’s University.

The Jackets used a swarming defense and pounding offense to cut down the Hilltoppers in straight games, 30-20, 30-19, 30-16.  The match was the second semifinal match of the night.  Third-seeded St. Mary’s rallied from a 2-0 deficit to knock off second-seeded Dallas Baptist 3-2 in the early semifinal.  The championship pairing will be a rematch of the season-ending series between the Yellowjackets and Rattlers in San Antonio.  The Jackets won both matches by scores of 3-0.

The Hilltoppers, who lost to the Jackets twice in Billings in mid-October, took the initiative to start the match.  They jumped to a 4-1 lead behind kills from Lindsey Douglas, Kristen Lozano, and Lauren Munselle.  MSUB shook of its early-game jitters to catch St. Ed’s at 6-6.  After three more ties and four lead changes, the Yellowjackets took the lead for good at 10-9 on an Alicia Cazemier (Vauxhall, AB) kill.  The Jackets didn’t trail from that point forward in the game or in the match.

“We started a little slow,” said Yellowjacket head coach Pa’ulasi Matavao.  “The girls were anxious to get on the floor, and we were a little bit too excited about the situation we were in.  It took us a few points to get settled in.”

The MSUB defense was all over the floor, picking up balls seemingly out of reach.  Nicole Kruse (Huntley, MT) led three Yellowjackets with double-digit digs with 18.  Setter Natalie Bills (Provo, UT) picked up 15 digs, and Alexis Sandru (Twin Bridges, MT) added 10.  Many of Sandru’s diving digs came with her hand pancaked flat to the floor.

“We played really solid defense last weekend, and I think that carried over into tonight,” said Matavao.  “We had a lot of good hustle plays from Alexis and Nicole.  Ali Watson had some big digs.  That really gave us a lot more opportunities on our side, and we were able to turn those into points.”

While the Jacket defense was recording 20 more digs than the Hilltoppers, the Yellowjacket attack was hitting at an unstoppable pace.  MSUB hit .300 or higher in all three games and finished the match with a .312 attack percentage.  Watson (Calgary, AB), recently named the Heartland Conference Player of the Year, pounded out a match-high 17 kills on a .342 attack percentage.  Cazemier finished with 16 kills and just two errors on 29 attempts.

The Yellowjackets finished the night with 30 more kills than the Hilltoppers.  Jessica Bratton (Casper, WY) had 11 kills for the Jackets.  Jessica Lechner (Pompeys Pillar, MT) chipped in with nine.  Bills kept the MSUB offense running with 42 assists.

“Alicia was very effective in the middle tonight,” said Matavao.  “Ali was her usual self.  She’s one of those players who has been consistent all year, and she gave us another big game.  Same thing with Jessica Bratton.  Our two outsides had very solid games offensively.  But the key for us winning tonight was solid defense.”

St. Edward’s was paced by 15 kills from Douglas.  She had just three errors and hit at a .308 clip, but the rest of the team combined for a -.041 average.  For the match the Hilltoppers hit .080 as a team.  Stephanie Martin handed out 23 assists, and Kelsey Teal had a team-high 11 digs.

“I hope we can continue to play good, solid defense,” said Matavao of Saturday’s championship match.  “We’ve been playing solid defense in the past couple weeks.  St. Mary’s is coming off a big win against Dallas Baptist.  They’re coming in with some momentum.  I’m hoping we can control the momentum with good defense.”

The Yellowjackets and Rattlers will tip off at 7:00 p.m. MST at Alterowitz Gym.  The winner will hoist the 2006 Heartland Conference trophy, and more importantly earn the conference’s automatic spot in next week’s NCAA Tournament.  Neither MSU Billings nor St. Mary’s has ever qualified for an NCAA Volleyball Tournament.