Yellowjackets Selected Sixth in Preseason GNAC Volleyball Poll

BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State Billings volleyball team has been selected sixth in the annual Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason poll as voted on by the league’s coaches.  Western Washington earned the top spot, while Alaska Anchorage was second in the poll.  Each team had four first place votes.

Seattle Pacific was third, followed by Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene rounded out the top five.  MSUB also earned a first place vote was sixth, followed by Western Oregon, Alaska Fairbanks, GNAC newcomer Simon Fraser was ninth and Saint Martin’s was picked 10th.

MSUB returns five starters from a year ago when it went 17-10 and 10-6 in league play finishing tied for third in the league standings.  The Jackets graduated the school’s first All-American in volleyball in Devon Crotteau, but returns two honorable mention all-conference selections in Jennifer Boe and Jody Lutz.

Boe averaged 2.94 kills, 2.89 digs and 33 blocks as a junior, while Lutz added 1.41 kills and had 108 blocks ranking her fourth in the conference as a redshirt freshman.  Also returning is junior Melissa Porter and sophomores Hannah Johnson and Morgan Moss.

Alaska Anchorage returns four starters from last year’s squad which reached the NCAA Division II regional semifinal a year ago.  UAA went 14-2 in league play last season with both losses coming to the Yellowjackets.  WWU has everyone back from a 17-10 squad that barely missed postseason.

The Yellowjackets open the 2010 season versus Western New Mexico at the Vulcan Classic hosted by Hawaii-Hilo, Sept. 2-4.  The Yellowjackets then compete in the Equus Challenge in Hawaii the following week before heading home for the GNAC opener versus Northwest Nazarene Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. in Alterowitz Gymnasium.

Great Northwest Coaches Poll            2009 Records          Pts
1.       Western Washington (4)                17-10 (10-6)            72
2.       Alaska Anchorage (4)                     23-8 (14-2)             67
3.       Seattle Pacific                              17-12 (11-5)            53
4.       Central Washington                        16-11 (8-8)             52
5.       Northwest Nazarene                      15-14 (8-8)            42
6.     Montana State Billings (1)                17-11 (10-6)            39
7.     Western Oregon                              8-19 (5-11)             37
8.     Alaska Fairbanks                            12-15 (6-10)            24
9.     Simon Fraser                                  3-17 (3-17)             19
10.    Saint Martin’s                                  3-23 (0-16)               9

(Note: First-place votes in parenthesis.  Points awarded on a 9-8-7-6-5-4--3-2-1 basis.  Each coach ranked other nine teams).