Munro’s School Record Highlights Easy Win over Rocky (Sept. 21, 2004)
Box Score

BILLINGS, MT – The new school record for career kills at MSU Billings is 1,045…and counting.  Olivia Munro (Sr., OH, Toronto, Ontario) entered Tuesday’s rivalry match with Rocky Mountain College needing 12 kills to surpass Brandee Sayles on the all-time career kills list at MSU Billings.  Her 13 kills on just 26 attempts led the Yellowjackets to a quick three game sweep of the Bears, 30-17, 30-19, 30-16.

The win was the Yellowjackets’ seventh of the season and third straight over the Bears dating back to last year’s two-match sweep.  MSU Billings now has a 22-9 all-time edge in the series with its cross-town rivals and a 5-3 record since 2000.  By improving to 7-3 overall, the Yellowjackets have already eclipsed last season’s win total by one.

In each of the first two games Tuesday, the Bears were able to hang around until about the midpoint of the game.  The Yellowjackets quickly closed the door from that point to take a 2-0 advantage in the match.

In the opening game, Rocky was within two points at 13-15 before MSU Billings went on a 15-4 run to end the game.  Munro notched six of her kills in that first game.  Setter Natalie Bills (So., Provo, UT) went out of the first game early with an injury and did not return until midway through game number two.  Munro took over the game after Bills’s exit, giving momentum to the Yellowjackets.  Bills would later return to finish with a match-high 24 assists. 

Rocky moved to a 10-8 lead in the second game behind three-straight service aces from Jen Buening.  The Yellowjackets tied the game at 11 and never trailed again in the match.  A balanced attack from the Jackets’ front line along with a host of Rocky errors contributed to an MSU Billings run of 19-8 to end the game.

Game three was never in question after MSU Billings jumped to a 9-3 lead.  The only suspense was when Munro would reach the school record.  She entered the third game needing two kills to tie Sayles and three to pass her.  She knocked down No. 1,043 to give MSU Billings an 11-4 lead, and No. 1,044 for the Jackets’ 22^nd point.  Four straight kills from MSU Billings, one from Munro, one from Andrea Donahue (Sr., MB, Whitefish, MT) and two from Jessica Bratton (So., Casper, WY) closed the game and the match.

Bratton finished the night with 11 kills on 21 attempts and Donahue added six kills on eight attempts.  Freshman Alicia Cazemier (MB, Vauxhall, Alberta) had eight kills and was in on nine blocks.

Kari Jones (Sr., MB, Hermiston, OR) filled in with 13 assists in place of Bills while she was out.  Both setters were effective in setting up the Yellowjacket hitters.  MSU Billings hit a blistering .352 as a team, committing just 13 errors on 88 attempts. 

Rocky struggled finding the floor, posting a team hitting percentage of just .010.  Courtney Arthun led the Bears with seven kills.  Kelly Fox added six.  Seven of the 11 Bears who saw action in the game finished with negative hitting percentage.

The Yellowjackets now enter the heart of the PacWest Conference schedule with four matches in Hawaii between September 27 and October 2.  They will face BYU-Hawaii on September 27, ninth-ranked Hawaii Pacific on September 28, Chaminade on October 1 and Hawaii-Hilo on October 2.  MSU Billings next plays at home on October 8 and 9 when the Yellowjackets host BYU-Hawaii.