Volleyball Preview: New Faces Add Valuable Experience (August 21, 2003)

BILLINGS, MT – The 2003 edition of Yellowjacket Volleyball can once again expect to face one of the toughest schedules in the country.  Playing in the powerful Pacific West Conference, MSU Billings will face the defending NCAA National Champion as well as other top regional contenders during the conference schedule.  To combat opposing rosters loaded with athletic players boasting vast international experience, Coach Matavao has added size at all positions.

“From what I’ve seen in fall camp, it looks like we can be a lot more competitive in the conference,” said Matavao.  “Although it looks like some of the other teams in the conference got better, too, I think our ability to put a tall line-up on the court will help us.  If we want to, we can every position filled by someone who is at least six-feet tall.  The added height will help us be able to put up better blocks against the All-American hitters that we face in the conference.”

Coach P thinks one of the Yellowjackets’ other key strengths will be their experience.  Although only four players return from last year’s roster, the Jackets have what Matavao calls better “volleyball experience.”  The question that the Yellowjackets will have to answer early in the season will be, How well and how fast can the new and returning players mesh together?  With just over two weeks of practice before their first tournament, the Yellowjackets will need to learn to play together quickly. 

“We’ve got more volleyball experience even though we have a lot of new faces,” said Matavao.  “We have three transfers that have played a lot of volleyball and our freshmen will be good.  The freshmen may not be quite as athletic as we had last year, but their skills are more refined and they understand the game better.  Understanding how to play goes a long way in college.”

Matavao added, “Plus our four returners have been here long enough and understand our system.  They have been here two to three years and have grown a lot.  It is so nice to have kids who understand volleyball.  That was a key in our recruiting this year--getting kids who understand how to play.  Our veterans definitely fit into that category and so far we’ve had some great surprises in camp.  Our freshmen are better than we expected.”

Two other areas that the Yellowjackets have tried to improve in the off-season are their setting and defense.  After graduating a senior setter in each of the last two seasons, Matavao went out this year and signed a Division I transfer and a junior college transfer who was an all-conference player last year.  Coach P also thinks his outside players will will be stronger defensively than in year’s past.

Schedule
The Yellowjackets schedule is as tough as always in the conference portion, but they could build momentum during the early-season tournaments.  Five of the six teams they face over the first two weeks posted records below .500 last season.  MSUB will open at the Clash in the Foothills on August 29-30, facing three Division II teams from the Midwest Region and a Division I team.  They’ll follow that with a tournament at Humboldt State the following week, playing four matches against Pacific Region foes. 

The home portion of the schedule will open on September 17 when the Yellowjackets host Rocky Mountain College.  MSUB will be looking to avenge two losses to their cross-town rival last season.  The Jackets will jump into conference play the following Monday and Tuesday when they host defending NCAA National Champion Brigham Young University-Hawaii.  They will follow with two-match weekend series against Hawaii Pacific, who was picked by league coaches to finish second in the PacWest race behind BYU-Hawaii. 

After its two-week homestand, MSUB hits the road for seven straight matches over three weeks in October, starting with four matches in five days in Hawaii.  The Yellowjackets will follow the Hawaii trip with their final PacWest road matches at Western New Mexico before playing at Rocky Mountain on October 22. 

“The biggest challenge in the schedule is always the Hawaii trip,” said Matavao.  “Playing four matches in five days is tough, especially when you have to travel that far.  The other challenge will be going on the road early in the season and coming together as a team.  I think we could get off to a good start at the early tournaments if we play together.  The game experience of our individual players should win a lot of games for us.”

The Yellowjackets will close the season with six straight home matches.  At the end of October, they’ll host Chaminade, who qualified for the NCAA regional tournament in 2002.  They’ll follow with a pair of matches each against Hawaii-Hilo and Western New Mexico.  Last year MSUB matched up well with both UHH and WNMU, winning two of three matches against Hilo and splitting four matches with Western. 

Outside Hitters
Always one of the Jackets’ strongest positions on the floor, Matavao thinks this year’s group could add a level of defensive play that will make the Yellowjackets much improved.  Olivia Munro (Jr., Toronto, Ontario) is poised for a breakout season after showing great promise in her first two seasons.  She is on pace, if her final two season at MSUB are productive, to threaten the career school record for kills.  Cortney Metzler (Jr., Roundup, MT) also had a productive season in 2002, her first as a Yellowjacket.  She will move from middle blocker to the right side in 2003.  Munro and Metzler are joined by newcomers Alexis Sandru (Fr., Twin Bridges, MT), Jessica Bratton (Fr., Casper, WY), and Kari Jones (Jr., Hermiston, OR).  Jones is a transfer from D-I Portland State. 

Middle Blockers
While the Yellowjacket middle blockers can challenge the outside hitters as the strongest position group on the floor.  Matavao will open the season with three middle blockers on the roster, all upper classmen and two returning from last season.  Katrina Dahlgren (Sr., Missoula, MT) was a second team all-conference selection last year and could shine with the Jackets’ improved setting game.   Sandy Beal (Sr., Troy, MT) also return after productive seasons in 2002.  Brittany Uffelman (Sr., Thermopolis, WY) transfers from Black Hills State to lend added size at the net. 

Setters
The setter position will be up for grabs entering the season and could be filled by committee.  Kari Jones can play either the setter or outside hitter position.  Natalie Bills (So., Provo, UT) was an all-conference setter at Snow College last season.  Alberta Letoa (Fr., Laie, HI) will add depth to the position.