MSUB Volleyball Splits at UCCS Tourney (8/26/06)
Match 1 Box Score
Match 2 Box Score

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – The Montana State-Billings volleyball team salvaged a tourney split at the Mountain Lion Invitational on Saturday by knocking off host UC-Colorado Springs, 3-1.  Earlier in the day the Yellowjackets lost to Armstrong Atlantic, 3-1.  MSU Billings finished the opening tournament of the season with a 2-2 record.

In the Jackets’ final match of the tournament, they overcame two tough games to cruise to the 3-1 win over the Mountain Lions.  The Jackets survived game point, trailing 29-28, to pull out a 31-29 win in the first game.  Jessica Bratton (Casper, WY) pounded out kills for the final three points of the game.  The Yellowjackets dropped the second game, 30-19, hitting just .044 as a team.  But MSUB sailed through the final two games of the match, winning 30-14 and 30-15.

Ali Watson (Calgary, AB) led all players with 18 kills on 46 attempts.  She also had a team-high 20 digs.  Bratton and Alicia Cazemier (Vauxhall, AB) each knocked down 14 kills and combined for seven blocks.

Five different Yellowjackets recorded double-digit digs.  Natalie Bills (Provo, UT) matched Watson’s 20 and also dished out 47 assists.  The 20 digs were a career high for Bills.  Nicole Kruse (Huntley, MT) finished with 19 digs, followed by Alexis Sandru (Twin Bridges, MT) with 13 and Taylor Faught (Billings, MT) with 10.  The Yellowjackets had 89 digs as a team, holding the Lions to a .112 team attack percentage.

UCCS was paced by Brooke Akers and Diane Sheldon who had 14 kills apiece.  Andrea Weedman led all players with 28 digs.

In the Jackets’ morning match, Armstrong Atlantic was too strong in a 30-27, 17-30, 30-21, 30-21 win over MSU Billings.  The Yellowjackets had just a .070 team attack percentage with four different players posting negative attack numbers.  Cazemier was the bright spot on offense, recording 21 kills on a .391 attack percentage.  She was also in on four blocks.  Jessica Lechner (Pompeys Pillar, MT) added 11 kills, and Watson finished with 10.  Sandru and Kruse led the Jacket defense with 20 and 18 digs respectively.

The Pirates were led by a trio of players with double figure kills.  Traci Knuth pounded out 18 kills with just one error for a .472 attack percentage.  Leah Schmiedge had 14 kills, and Rindy Vidovich added 10.

MSU Billings next plays at the Hampton Inn Invitational on September 2 and 3 in Durango, CO.  The tourney is hosted by Fort Lewis College.  The Yellowjackets will face Dixie State College, Eastern New Mexico, Seattle Pacific and Fort Lewis.