Jackets Garner Top Heartland VB Honors (11/1/06)
Click here for complete all-conference teams

BILLINGS, MT – On the eve of the Heartland Conference Championship Volleyball Tournament, the league has released its 2006 all-conference teams.  Regular season champion Montana State-Billings placed five players on the all-conference teams including three first team selections.

MSUB took home two of the conference’s top honors.  Senior outside hitter Ali Watson (Calgary, AB) was selected as the Heartland Conference Player of the Year.  Yellowjacket head coach Pa’ulasi Matavao was named the Heartland Conference Coach of the Year in voting by his peers.  The Yellowjackets were 23-4 overall this season and posted a perfect 10-0 conference record.

MSUB will be the No. 1 seed and host of the 2006 Heartland Conference Championship Tournament, which starts Friday at Alterowitz Gym.  Dallas Baptist and St. Mary’s (TX) will meet in the first semifinal match at 3:00 p.m. on Friday.  The Yellowjackets will take on St. Edward’s (TX) at 6:00 p.m.  The winners will square off at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday for the conference crown.  The tournament champion receives an automatic berth to next week’s NCAA Tournament.

Joining Watson on the All-Conference First team were senior setter Natalie Bills (Provo, UT) and junior middle blocker Alicia Cazemier (Vauxhall, AB).  Watson, Bills and Cazemier are each repeat first-team selections from last season. Watson ranked second in the league for kills, Bills led the conference in assists, and Cazemier was tops in the conference for hitting percentage and blocks.

Jessica Bratton (Casper, WY) was selected to the All-Heartland Second Team.  The senior outside hitter was an honorable mention selection last year.  Bratton broke the MSUB school record for career blocks this season.  Nicole Kruse (Huntley, MT), a junior libero, was named to the honorable mention team.  She ranked fifth in the Heartland for digs per game.

Matavao	Watson	Bills	Cazemier	Bratton	Kruse

Click here for the complete all-conference teams