FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu September 30, 2016 'Jackets sting Nanooks with sweep at home MSUB Volleyball on Facebook | MSUB Volleyball Stack on ISSUU | Box Score Post Match Interviews featuring Highlights with head coach Casey Williams, sophomore Miranda McConnell and junior Mataia Robinson
MSU Billings won its first GNAC match of the season with a sweep of Alaska at home in Alterowitz.
A straights set sweep earns MSU Billings its first conference win of the season as the Yellowjackets decisively deliver a loss to the visiting Alaska Nanooks during a match Friday at Alterowitz. BILLINGS, Mont. – A big night from Miranda McConnell and Mataia Robinson helped the MSU Billings volleyball team to their first conference win of the season with a decisive 25-20, 25-17, 27-25 sweep over the visiting Alaska Nanooks Friday at Alterowitz. The Yellowjackets had to fight off a third frame surge from the Nanooks, including saving three set points to finish the sweep. The league victory stopped a 12-match losing streak and earned head coach Casey Williams and the Yellowjackets their first Great Northwest Athletic Conference win of the season. Montana State University Billings is now 2-12 on the season, and 1-4 in GNAC competition. Alaska falls to 2-11, and 1-5 in GNAC play.
“Overall I thought it was a good effort for us today,” Williams said on the team’s victory. “We had some people step-up and produce in multiple positions on the court. Miranda did a great job of staying aggressive and eliminating her errors and Mataia did a good job of picking stuff-up defensively, had a good service night, and distributed the ball well. I thought the win we got should help our confidence and we are looking forward to it translating to our match tomorrow.” McConnell finished with a match-high 10 kills on a .588 (10-0-17) attack percentage that included no errors on 17 attempts. Robinson produced 22 assists, seven digs, and a match-high four service aces. At the net, junior Casey Rich posted a season-high seven block assists and added six kills for the ‘Jackets. Angala Jensen posted her own season-high with six block assists, adding in 12 assists. Kylee Cornelio finished with a match-high 16 digs. Ashlynn Ward contributed eight kills and Stormy Siemion seven kills and 11 digs. The Yellowjackets finished with more kills (41-31), digs (51-38), and blocks (9.0-8.0). MSUB also matched Alaska in service aces with four and topped the Nanooks in attack percentage .168-.074. The Nanooks were led by seven kills from Maddie Davis, while Amberly Jeane finished with six and Kim Wong added five. Rachel Nichols had 26 assists and seven digs. Meagan Olson finished with a team-high 12 digs. To set the tone of the match, MSUB thundered out to a 9-4 opening lead. A joust at the net was won by Rich for 11-7. Four straight points continued the rally with Rich winning a point on a nice tip into the block that dribbled down the net. McConnell rescued a ball that was pushed off the top of the tape and Ward finished the point with a nice directed attack off the hands of the outside block. Two service aces from Davis began a rally push from Alaska. The Nanooks took the lead at 18-17 on a MSUB error. Out of the right side, MSUB’s Lexa de Jesus provided two big kills, one into the arms of an Alaska player and a second to the open court in the back. Ahead by two, 22-20, McConnell was there on an overpass from the Nanooks to play the ball down. Great defense from the Yellowjackets provided MSUB the opportunity for the set as MSUB finished off the opening frame with four straight points. A float serve from Robinson kicked off the second set as Alaska was unable to handle the pass earning MSUB the opening point. Up at the net, McConnell kept finding openings in the block, adding three kills to her night’s total. Robinson fed Rich a short set in the middle for a 7-3 lead. At the middle of the net, Rich put back an overpass on a Ward serve to pull MSUB ahead 10-5. Alaska used a short run to cut the deficit to one before a kill from McConnell won the ball back for the ‘Jackets. McConnell and Jensen on the outside kept up the momentum with a double block on the outside. A huge serving run from Robinson that included four service aces fired MSUB ahead 17-10. Two straight kills from de Jesus from the right side, a double block from Ward and Rich, and a sneaky setter’s dump from Robinson gave the Yellowjackets their biggest lead of the night at 23-11. The Nanooks fought back. A service ace from Jenna Hickel kicked-off a 6-point rally. Needing a momentum switch, a timeout from MSUB allowed some breathing room for the ‘Jackets. Closing the door on the frame, a kill down the line from de Jesus earned MSUB a set point as an error from Alaska put the Yellowjackets ahead 2-0.
A block from Jensen and Rich tied the third set early at six points each. Keeping tall, a solo block from Rich pulled MSUB to one point back, 9-8, and an error from the Nanooks tied the set at nine. A 6-2 rally from Alaska that ended on a kill from Davis swept the Nanooks ahead 15-11. McConnell saved a miss-timed set with a short bump over the net. A kill from Ward off the block drew MSUB to within one, 17-16. Ward went deep into the back court for a defensive ball, setting up Siemion who capitalized with a smart off-speed shot into the center of the court to tie the set at 17. Jeane pounded a kill into the block to push Alaska ahead. A service error from the Nanooks followed by a huge block from McConnell and Jensen earned MSUB the lead. Three straight kills from Davis pulled Alaska ahead 21-20. After a terrific defensive play from Alaska, Robinson back set McConnell who hit a kill cross court. Alaska drove ahead 24-22, but McConnell saved a set point with a kill down the middle off a feed from Robinson. A block from de Jesus and Rich evened the score at 24. A counter block from the Nanooks gave Alaska a second set point. This time it was Ward with a tip kill that tied the set at 25. She followed that up with the loudest kill of the night, a hard ball down the line, that provided MSUB with its first match point. Jensen and Rich again at the net with a double block delivered the winning point for the Yellowjackets. THE BUZZ: McConnell named the St. Vincent Healthcare Athlete of the Match...the victory takes MSUB’s win-streak to six over Alaska. UP NEXT: MSU Billings is hosting No. 10 Alaska Anchorage on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. --msubsports.com | #JacketNation--