Lady Jacket VB Starts Stretch Run (10/19/05)

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings volleyball team begins the stretch run of the Heartland Conference schedule this weekend in Austin, TX, with two matches at defending league champion St. Edward’s University.  The Yellowjackets will face the Hilltoppers Friday night at 7:00 CDT and Saturday afternoon at 2:00.

Ranked fifth in the most recent NCAA Southwest Region poll, the Yellowjackets can clinch a spot in the Heartland Conference tournament with at least a split at St. Edward’s this weekend.  MSU Billings is 17-4 overall and 6-2 in conference play with four conference matches remaining.  St. Edward’s, which earned the right to host the conference tournament by winning last year’s tourney, are just 2-5 in the conference.  One Yellowjackets win this weekend will likely eliminate the Hilltoppers from the conference tournament, which they will host November 11 and 12.

MSU Billings was idle last week and hasn’t played a match since October 4.  The Yellowjackets have won five-straight dating back to September 27, including their last four Heartland Conference matches.  Following the trip to Austin, MSU Billings will finish the regular season with three home matches beginning October 26 against Rocky Mountain College.  Heartland frontrunner Incarnate Word will visit Billings November 3 and 4.

For the first time in the program’s history, MSU Billings is in contention for a league championship and an NCAA Tournament berth.  The Heartland Conference Tournament champion will receive an automatic entry to the NCAA Tournament.  The Yellowjackets could also receive an at large bid if they remain ranked in the top eight in the region.

The Yellowjackets have used a balanced lineup this year to post the program’s best-ever record.  Three different players are ranked in the top 10 of the conference for kills per game.  Junior Ali Watson (Calgary, Alberta) is second in the league at 4.17 kpg; sophomore Alicia Cazemier (Vauxhall, Alberta) is third at 3.75 kpg; and junior Jessica Bratton (Casper, WY) is ninth at 2.93 kpg.

Cazemier is having a standout season offensively and defensively.  Along with being one of the conference’s kills leaders, she is second in the Heartland and fourteenth in the nation for attack percentage at .398.  Cazemier also leads the Heartland in blocks at 1.22 per game.

Running the Yellowjacket offense—which leads the league in kills and assists—is junior setter Natalie Bills (Provo, UT).  The three-time Heartland setter of the week leads the conference in assists per game at 11.96.  Bills also has Yellowjacket hitters attacking at an impressive .226 clip.

St. Edward’s won the conference tournament last year and was the overwhelming choice to repeat in the preseason coaches poll.  However, the Hilltoppers are just 6-18 overall and have won back-to-back matches just once all season.  They are near the bottom of the league in most statistical categories and are allowing a league-high 14.40 kills per game.  Kristen Lozano and Lindsey Douglas lead the team at just over two kills per game each.