Cards Spoil Jackets’ Season Finale (11/5/05)

BILLINGS, MT – Incarnate Word closed its first trip to Montana on Saturday with a 3-1 over the Montana State-Billings volleyball team.  The Cardinals prevailed 30-22, 16-30, 30-19, 30-24.  The match was the last of the regular season for the Yellowjackets.  The Cardinals defeated the Yellowjackets in five games on Friday.

Incarnate Word improved to 17-15 overall and 9-2 in the Heartland Conference.  The Yellowjackets—who lost back-to-back matches for just the second time this season—fell to 19-7 overall and 7-5 in the conference.  With two Western New Mexico victories over St. Mary’s this weekend, the field for next weekend’s Heartland Conference tournament is set.  The tournament will be held in Austin, TX, on November 11 and 12.  The winner will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Western New Mexico captured the regular season league title with an 11-1 conference mark and will be the top seed in the tourney.  The Mustangs’ only loss was at MSU Billings on September 23.  Incarnate Word has locked up the No. 2 seed with the two wins in Billings.  The Cardinals have one match remaining against St. Mary’s.  The Yellowjackets will be the No. 3 seed at 7-5.  Even if St. Mary’s knocks off UIW to finish in a 7-5 tie with the Yellowjackets, MSU Billings holds a 5-4 edge in the third tiebreaker (head to head games). 

The first round match ups for the conference tourney will be the same as this weekend’s pairings.  The Yellowjackets and Cardinals will square off for the third-straight time as will Western New Mexico and St. Mary’s.  Friday’s winners will meet for the conference championship on Saturday.

Today’s match between the Jackets and Cardinals had the makings of another five-game battle.  Through the first eight games of the two-day set, UIW won all odd numbered games and MSU Billings won all even numbered games.  The Cardinals were able to buck that trend in the fourth game Saturday to seal the match.

The Cardinals’ defense had the MSU Billings offense tied up all day.  The Yellowjackets hit just .030 as a team with only five more kills than errors.  Four of the seven Yellowjackets who had at least one attack attempt had negative averages.  Alicia Cazemier (So., Vauxhall, Alberta) led the Jackets with 13 kills on a .226 attack percentage.  Jessica Bratton (Jr., Casper, WY) added 12 kills, and Ali Watson (Jr., Calgary, Alberta) had 10.  Nicole Kruse (So., Huntley, MT) led MSUB with 14 digs.

The Cardinals, who hit .143 as a team, were led by 13 kills from Brandi Garcia.  Garcia also doubled up with 10 digs.  Kim Kvapil had a dozen kills to go with 16 digs.  For the second-straight day the Cardinals out-blocked the Yellowjackets, this time 13-5.  Kari Chapman was in on eight blocks, and Kvapil added six.

Click here for photos of this match