Volleyball Preview:  Young Team Faces New Challenge

BILLINGS, MT – For the Montana State-Billings volleyball team, 2005 represents somewhat of a fresh start.  The Yellowjackets—who posted a program-best 14-11 record last year—will move from the Pacific West Conference to the Heartland Conference armed with no seniors and only four returning players. 

Head coach Pa’ulasi Matavao is entering his sixth season at MSU Billings with a career 53-84 record.  His six year tenure and 53 wins are both school coaching records, and his 2004 squad was the first in the program’s history to post a winning record. 

Despite last year’s turnaround, predicting where the Yellowjackets will finish in the new conference is tough.  MSU Billings has never faced any of the original Heartland members: Dallas Baptist, Incarnate Word (TX), Lincoln (MO), Panhandle State (OK), St. Edward’s (TX), and St. Mary’s (TX).  The Jackets do have a long history with fellow league newcomer Western New Mexico, which finished third in the PacWest last year.

The Yellowjackets open the season with four matches at the Arkansas Tech Invitational on August 26 and 27.  There they will face Fort Valley State, Arkansas Tech, Missouri Western, and Texas A&M Kingsville.  MSU Billings gets four more non-conference matches on Labor Day weekend at the Colorado School of Mines Invitational.  In Colorado the Jackets take on regional opponents Colorado-Mines, Mesa State, Western State and Colorado State-Pueblo.

“The early tournaments in Arkansas and Colorado are important,” said Matavao.  “We need to get a good start there.  We need to win some matches to get some confidence.  I don’t know how good the conference will be.  Western New Mexico will be good, and St. Edward’s was good last year.  But I haven’t seen those teams play at all.  We’ll get to see St. Edward’s at the Colorado tournament, but that will be our only chance to see any conference teams.”

The Yellowjackets’ long road continues the following week when they drive to Dillon for the Montana-Western Invitational.  They’ll face NAIA teams Westminster College, Great Falls, Montana-Western, and Montana Tech.  The Lady Jackets will be more than ready to play in Alterowitz Gym by that point having played their first 12 matches on the road.

“Overall the schedule is not as demanding as it was in the PacWest,” said Matavao.  “The spacing of the matches throughout the schedule is much better.  We don’t have to play four matches in five days like we did in the PacWest.  The only bad thing is only having seven home matches.” 

The Jackets’ home slate starts September 16 and 17 when they host St. Mary’s University for two matches.  Along with being the home opener, the September 16 match will also be the first Heartland Conference match for MSU Billings.  The Heartland schedule has teams playing half of the conference teams at home and half on the road.  The Yellowjackets will host St. Mary’s, Western New Mexico, and Incarnate Word.  They will be on the road against Dallas Baptist, Oklahoma Panhandle State, and St. Edward’s.

The entire second half of the Jackets’ schedule is comprised of Heartland Conference games with the exception of the annual cross-town rivalry with Rocky Mountain College.  Those matches are scheduled for September 27 at Rocky and October 26 at Alterowitz Gym.

Matavao says much will be expected of his returning players, particularly early in the year.  The returning players include junior outside hitter Jessica Bratton (Casper, WY), junior outside hitter Alexis Sandru (Twin Bridges, MT), junior setter Natalie Bills (Provo, UT) and sophomore middle blocker Alicia Cazemier (Vauxhall, Alberta).  All four have seen extensive playing time in the past; Bratton, Bills and Cazemier were starters last season.

“Our returnees came back in pretty good shape,” said Matavao.  “Early practice has been good.  The kids returning know what they went through last year.  We’re just trying to get the new kids to fit into the areas where they’ll help us.”

Bratton and Bills each earned All-PacWest honorable mention honors last year.  Bratton was second on the team averaging 4.48 kills per game.  Bills was one of the top setters in the PacWest and averaged 12.51 assists per game.  Cazemier was an impact player as a freshman, finishing second in the conference’s freshman of the year balloting.  She averaged 2.27 kills and 1.27 blocks per game.

“We’ll look for Jessica to carry us in the beginning while the new kids catch up,” Matavao said.  “Natalie will be in the same role as far as controlling the team as a setter.  Offensively I think we’ll be pretty good.  We’re looking for big years from Alicia and Jessica.  Alexis has been waiting for her turn.  This is the year she’ll get her chance, and I think she’ll make the most of it.  In the first week she’s been the surprise of the camp for the returnees.  She had a very good spring and a great camp so far.”

Cazemier missed the first week of fall practice, but she should be in playing shape when she arrives back in Billings.  She spent the summer traveling through Canada and Europe playing for Team Alberta.

“She’s played in competitive matches, and I think it will help her big time,” Matavao said of the sophomore.  “She’s been playing against good competition overseas.  She should be in great shape when she gets back.  The big thing she got was good competition that built confidence.  A lot of kids don’t get that kind of competition over the summer.  I think Alicia will benefit a lot from that.”

The four newcomers have some pretty big shoes to fill.  Lost to graduation were All-PacWest second team selections Olivia Munro and Andrea Donahue.  Munro was a four-year star who broke the school career kills record.  Donahue played just one season for the Jackets, but shattered the single-season school record for hitting percentage.

Filling the void will be a junior, a sophomore and two freshmen.  Junior outside hitter Ali Watson (Calgary, Alberta) transferred from Sheridan College.  Sophomore libero Nicole Kruse (Huntley, MT) will take the place of Alberta Letoa who did not return for her junior season.  Freshmen Taylor Faught (Billings, MT) and Jessica Lechner (Pompeys Pillar, MT) should also see plenty of playing time.

Said Matavao of his newcomers, “We’re looking for Nicole to step into the role left by Alberta.  She was with us all spring, so it’s nothing new for her this fall.  Ali Watson will be able to step right in.  She’s going to be a nice player.  If you’re looking for a star player on this team right away, I think it’s Ali.  She plays good defense and is strong on the outside.  I think she’ll fit right in.  Taylor Faught is the same way.  She’s playing well in practice right now.  She’s a great athlete and will get a lot of playing time this year.  As far as the freshmen, Taylor will probably be the most productive right away.  Jessica Lechner is improving and learning.  By midseason you’ll probably see a different Jessica Lechner.  She’ll be more productive.”

Another new aspect of this year’s volleyball season will be the race to qualify for the conference tournament.  The PacWest crowned its regular season winner as the conference champion and automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament.  The Heartland holds a four-team tournament at the end of the season to determine the conference’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tourney.  The top four teams after the 12-match regular season go to the conference tournament, a two-day single elimination affair hosted by the top seed.

“My goal for this team is to put ourselves in a position to make the conference tournament,” said Matavao.  “Being in the top four in the conference is our goal.  That would be an accomplishment for us this year.  There are seven teams in the conference, and I think it’s realistic to expect to play in the tournament.  I think we’ll be right there at the end.”

2005 Volleyball Schedule
8/26 – at Arkansas Tech Invitational
8/27 – at Arkansas Tech Invitational
9/2 – at Colorado School of Mines Invitational
9/3 – at Colorado School of Mines Invitational
9/9 – at Montana-Western Invitational
9/10 – at Montana-Western Invitational
9/16 – St. Mary’s
9/17 – St. Mary’s
9/23 – Western New Mexico
9/24 – Western New Mexico
9/27 – at Rocky Mountain College
9/30 – at Dallas Baptist
10/1 – at Dallas Baptist
10/3 – at Oklahoma Panhandle State
10/4 – at Oklahoma Panhandle State
10/21 – at St. Edward’s
10/22 – at St. Edward’s
10/26 – Rocky Mountain College
11/4 – Incarnate Word
11/5 – Incarnate Word
11/11 – Heartland Conference Tournament
11/12 – Heartland Conference Tournament