MSUB Volleyball Plays at UM-Western Tourney (9/8/05)

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings volleyball team will play at its third tournament in as many weeks this Friday and Saturday when they travel to the University of Montana-Western tournament in Dillon.  The Yellowjackets will face Westminster College and University of Great Falls on Friday, and UM-Western and Montana Tech on Saturday.

The Yellowjackets are off to a quick 6-2 start after strong showings at tournaments in Arkansas and Colorado.  MSU Billings won the Arkansas Tech Invitational to open the season two weeks ago.  The Yellowjackets went 2-2 at last weekend’s Colorado School of Mines tournament.  Junior Jessica Bratton (Casper, WY) said this week, “I like telling people that we’re 6-2, and we were 6-20 when I was a freshman.”

Along with Bratton, fellow juniors Natalie Bills (Provo, UT) and Alexis Sandru (Twin Bridges, MT) were on that 6-20 team.  Last year the Yellowjackets posted the first winning season in the program’s history with a 14-11 mark.  Solid play from Bratton, Bills, and Sandru this season has had a lot to do with the turnaround. 

Bills has been the Heartland Conference setter of the week two weeks running.  She has also climbed past Krissy Janney for third on the all-time career assists list at the school with 1,541.  Bratton recently passed Tegan Harris for seventh all-time for career kills with 726.  Sandru is having a career season offensively and is third on the team for kills.

Newcomer Ali Watson (Jr., Calgary, Alberta) has been an immediate impact player.  The transfer from Sheridan College has been the Heartland Conference hitter of the week twice and has been named to the all-tournament team at both tournaments.  Fellow Canadian Alicia Cazemier (So., Vauxhall, Alberta) has picked up where she left off as a freshman, dominating at the net.  She is second on the team for kills, first for blocks, and leads the conference in hitting percentage.  Watson, Cazemier, and Sandru are 2-3-4 respectively in the Heartland Conference for kills.

The Jackets will look to use the UM-Western tournament as their final tune up before Heartland Conference play begins.  MSU Billings will play its first Heartland Conference match on September 16 when the Yellowjackets host St. Mary’s University.  Twelve of the Jackets’ 14 remaining matches after this weekend will be Heartland Conference matches.  The regular season results of those conference matches will determine the four teams that qualify for the Heartland Conference tournament that will be held November 11-12 in Austin, TX.