Lady Yellowjackets Home Opener Set for This Weekend (Sept. 9, 2004)

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings volleyball team opens the home portion of its schedule this weekend with a three team tournament at Alterowitz Gymnasium on Friday and Saturday.  The Yellowjackets will host Montana State-Northern and Minot State in a round robin tournament with each team playing four times. 

On Friday, the Yellowjackets open the tournament against MSU-Northern (4-4) at noon.  Minot State (3-4) and Northern will meet at 2:00 p.m., with MSU Billings and Minot State playing the evening match at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday’s matches begin at 10:00 a.m. with Minot and Northern squaring off.  The Yellowjackets will then take on the Beavers at noon and the Lights at 5:00 p.m.

The Yellowjackets started the season last weekend by winning the Aspen Hotels Invitational in Anchorage, Alaska.  MSU Billings (3-1) defeated host Alaska-Anchorage in the championship match, 3-0.  Jessica Bratton (So., OH, Casper, WY) was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after averaging 4.79 kills per game with a .250 hitting percentage. 

Olivia Munro (Sr., Toronto, Ontario) and Natalie Bills (So., S, Provo, UT) were named to the all-tournament team.  Munro averaged 4.43 kills and 5.14 digs per game.  Bills guided the Yellowjacket offense with 13.43 assists per game.

Newcomers Andrea Donahue (Sr., MB, Whitefish, MT) and Alicia Cazemier (Fr., MB, Vauxhall, Alberta) had solid weekends in their first matches as Yellowjackets.  Donahue averaged 3.36 kills per game, third on the team, and also added nine total blocks.  Cazemier led the team with 19 total blocks for a 1.58 blocks per game average.  She also averaged 2.17 kills per game.

Friday, September 10
12:00 p.m. – MSU Billings vs. MSU-Northern
2:00 p.m. – MSU-Northern vs. Minot State
7:00 p.m. – MSU Billings vs. Minot State

Saturday, September 11
10:00 a.m. – MSU-Northern vs. Minot State
12:00 p.m. – MSU Billings vs. Minot State
5:00 p.m. – MSU Billings vs. MSU-Northern