Lady Jackets Host WNMU for Pair of Conference Matches (9/22/05)

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings volleyball team gets its shot at the league frontrunner Friday and Saturday when the Yellowjackets host Western New Mexico in a pair of Heartland Conference matches.  Both matches begin at 7:00 p.m. at Alterowitz Gymnasium.

The Yellowjackets are 11-3 overall and 1-1 in the Heartland Conference after splitting a pair of matches with St. Mary’s last weekend.  MSU Billings won its first-ever Heartland match on Friday, defeating the Rattlers 3-1.  St. Mary’s rallied from a 2-1 deficit on Saturday to win in five games.

Western New Mexico kicked off its first and last season in the Heartland Conference with a pair of wins against Dallas Baptist.  The Mustangs—who will jump to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference next year—are 12-3 overall and 2-0 in the conference.  Winners of 11 straight, they are tied atop the league standings with St. Edward’s who is also 2-0. 

The Mustangs’ Stephanie Higgins was named Heartland Conference hitter of the week after averaging 6.58 kills per game with a .496 hitting percentage last week.  She currently leads the conference in kills a 5.67 per game.  Liz Narkon, one of the Mustangs’ top returning players and an all-conference first team selection last season, has been lost to the season with an injury.

The Yellowjackets’ Natalie Bills (Jr., Provo, UT) earned her third Heartland setter of the week award last week after averaging 13.44 assists per game against St. Mary’s.  In Saturday’s loss she had career-highs with 66 assists and seven kills.  Outside hitter Ali Watson (Jr., Calgary, Alberta) was named defensive player of the week.  She averaged 3.44 digs per game and posted her fifth 20-20 performance of the season for kills and digs on Saturday.

For the season Watson leads the Yellowjackets in both kills (4.63 per game) and digs (4.21).  Alicia Cazemier (So., Vauxhall, Alberta) is second on the team for kills, averaging 3.67 per game.  She leads the team and is third in the conference for blocks with 1.15 per game.

MSU Billings has four players averaging over 2.50 kills per game.  Along with Watson and Cazemier, Jessica Bratton (Jr., Casper, WY) is averaging 2.77 per game and Alexis Sandru (Jr., Twin Bridges, MT) is averaging 2.50.  Bratton had one of her best matches of the season last Saturday with 20 kills on a .306 hitting percentage. 

Following the weekend matches, the Yellowjackets will play at Rocky Mountain College on September 27 before taking to the road for their first Heartland Conference matches in Texas and Oklahoma.  MSU Billings plays at Dallas Baptist on September 30 and October 1.  The Jackets finish the trip at Oklahoma Panhandle on October 3 and 4.