Watson and Bills Named POTW Again (9/7/05)

BILLINGS, MT – Montana State-Billings volleyball players Ali Watson and Natalie Bills have been selected as Heartland Conference players of the week for the second straight week.  The Yellowjackets are off to a 6-2 start after splitting four matches last weekend at the Colorado School of Mines tournament.

Watson, a junior from Calgary, Alberta, was named Heartland Conference hitter of the week for the second time.  She had a huge tournament in Colorado and was named to the all-tournament team just as she was the previous week at the Arkansas Tech tournament.  Watson averaged 5.57 kills and 5.36 digs per game in Denver.  She knocked down a season-high 23 kills against Colorado Mines.  In the Jackets’ tournament opening win over Colorado State-Pueblo she picked up a season-high 26 digs.  Watson had a double-double for kills and digs in three of the four matches over the weekend and has seven double-doubles in eight matches this year.  She currently ranks second in the Heartland Conference for kills per game (4.80) and third for digs per game (4.67).

Bills, a junior from Provo, UT, had another consistent tournament as the Yellowjackets’ setter to earn Heartland Conference setter of the week honors for the second time.  At the Colorado Mines tournament she averaged 12.64 assists per game and never had fewer than 37 in a match.  Bills handed out a season-high 56 assists in the Jackets’ win over Colorado State-Pueblo.  She posted two double-doubles for assists and digs with a season-high 14 digs against Colorado Mines.  She also recorded seven service aces in the four matches and currently leads the team with 17.  Bills leads the Heartland Conference in both assists per game (11.40) and aces per game (0.57).

The Yellowjackets next play at the University of Montana-Western tournament September 9 and 10 in Dillon.