Volleyball Adds Five for 2010 Season

BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana State Billings head volleyball coach, Steve Smith, has announced the addition of five players for the 2010 season. Brooke Tolman, Taylor Adams, Nicole Davey, Adrienne Kelso and Geneva Blunt have all signed to play for the Yellowjackets in 2010.

“I’m happy with this year’s recruiting class,” said Smith. “Brook (Tolman) will be a key component for our success next season and should help us continue where we left off. We’ll be really good at the setter position and we have a lot of quality size and talent with all of these kids coming in. We’ll have seven players at 6’-1” or taller, which will make us one of the bigger teams in the GNAC. I believe one of the biggest benefits will be that these kids will raise the level of competition in practices and will give us a lot more depth off the bench.”

Tolman is a 5’-8” Junior College transfer from Central Wyoming College. A native of Honeyville, Utah, she was a setter for the volleyball team and a point guard for the basketball team. At CWCC Tolman was the setter of the year both seasons and earned all-tournament, all-conference and all-region honors both years.

At Box Elder HS in Brigham City, Utah, Tolman was a three sport athlete, participating in basketball, track and volleyball. She led her team to a school record 31 wins during her senior season and helped the team to a third place finish at the state tournament in 2005 and 2007. She was an all-state selection as well as the region MVP.

Adams, a native of Anchorage, Alaska, enjoyed a successful career at A.J. Dimond High School, starting and lettering all four years. She was named to the all-conference team three times and was all-state twice during her career.

Adams led her team to back-to-back Alaska State 4A championships in 2008 and 2009. Also in 2009, she was named the Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year in Alaska. Academically, Adams carried above a 4.0 GPA throughout school and was an active member in National Honor Society and her community service organization.

Davey was a four-year letterwinner and a two-time all-state selection during her junior and senior seasons. A Polson, Mont. native, Davey was a three-time all-conference selection, leading the conference in kills and aces during her junior and senior years.

Davey helped lead her team to state tournament appearances in 2008 and 2009, and also had successful careers in basketball and track and field. She was on the schools honor roll list all four years and is a member of the National Honor Society as well as being all-state academic in volleyball, basketball and track and field all four seasons.

A native of Bend, Ore., Kelso was a two year letterwinner in volleyball at Mountain View High School. In her senior season she led the team with 34 aces and had 136 digs, 3.2 per game. She helped lead the team to an appearance in the 2009 state 5A playoffs after finishing third in the IMC Conference.

Blunt is a native of Colstrip, Mont., leading her team to an undefeated season in conference play in 2002. She led the Eastern A Conference in blocks and was one of the top two players in kills. Blunt was an all-state and all-conference selection at Colstrip and was named to the State A All-Tournament team. She was also one of the Great Falls Tribune’s Super-State Volleyball Team members, recognizing the eight top players in Montana.

The Yellowjackets are replacing three senior from last year’s squad, including All-American Devon Crotteau. MSUB will begin the 2010 season with a two week trip to Hawaii, playing in the Hawaii Hilo Invitational Sept. 2-4, and the Hawaii Invitation Sept. 9-11. The Yellowjackets finished 17-11 overall last season and were 10-6 in the conference, finishing third.