FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu November 10, 2015 Volleyball ends season with 4 road matches, this week at Concordia and WOU
Freshman Miranda McConnell goes up for a swing on the outside.
Volleyball on Facebook Interviews with Freshman Miranda McConnell and Sophomore Mataia Roderick Volleyball Stack on ISSUU MSU Billings will finish up their 2015 season with four matches on the road. This week the team is travelling to Oregon for matches against Concordia (Ore.) and Western Oregon. BILLINGS, Mont. – The MSUB volleyball squad is on a 2-match win streak after beating Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin’s last week. The Yellowjackets defeated SPU in straight sets on Thursday before handing Saint Martin’s a 3-1 loss during Senior Night on Saturday. “After gaining some confidence this past weekend with a couple of wins at home the team is looking forward to getting back on the court this weekend,” MSUB head coach Lisa Axel said. “We started to find our rhythm in our last couple of matches. Our hitters did a great job of finding the open court and our back row did a great job of getting the ball to Kyndal so she could run our offense and put our hitters in great situations. Consistency has been our struggle most of
the season and we are finally playing at a high level every point during the match. We are just looking to get better each and every time we step on the court.” Against Seattle Pacific, the Yellowjackets had one of their most efficient matches this season. The ‘Jackets finished with their highest attack percentage of the year at .287 (37-12-87), had their fifth highest assist total this season with 36 total, and completed 8.0 team blocks – eighth highest this year. MSU Billings (6-19, 5-11 GNAC) needed four sets for the win over the Saints, but after a battle in the first three, the Yellowjackets won the final frame 25-13. Three players from MSUB finished with double-digits in kills and two players cleared more than 10 in digs. HEADING UP THE OFFENSE: Ashlynn Ward finished both matches with a team-high in kills last week. The junior outside hitter was the only member of the MSUB team in double-digits against Seattle finishing with 10, and only one error in 27 attempts for a .333 attack percentage. Against Saint Martin’s, Ward cleared 14 kills and added in eight digs – her second highest total this season. Ward is now on a 4-match hitting steak with 10 or more kills and is fourth in the conference in kills per set with 3.28. SEEING DOUBLE: Freshman Taylor Sherman moved back into the line-up as an outside hitter last week. Against Saint Martin’s, Sherman finished with a double-double of 11 kills and 12 digs. The Parker, Co., native is on an 8-match steak with 10 or digs and has had at least one service ace in the last four matches. FRESHMAN IN THE MIDDLE: Miranda McConnell has seen more playing time in the middle for the Yellowjackets in the last four matches. Last week, McConnell topped 100 kills for her first season at the collegiate level and now has 110 kills and 51.0 total bocks. She put-up four blocks in both matches last week, adding in six digs and three service aces.
Freshman Taylor Sherman had 11 kills and 12 digs in MSUB’s last match.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP: Last Saturday was Senior Day for MSUB. Kyndal Williams and Audri Marrs were honored for their contributions to the Yellowjacket program. Marrs has been at MSU Billings for just a season, but has been an impact player. The last two matches, the middle blocker put-down 20 kills and put-up eight blocks. Williams continues to climb the record books, both at MSUB and in the conference. The setter is now second all-time at MSUB in assists and 21 back from tying fourth all-time in the GNAC. All-Time Career Assists at MSUB
Rk. 1 2 3 4 5
Name Gina Langer Kyndal Williams Natalie Bills Mandi Taylor Hillary Morrison
Assists 4,354 3,883 3,782 1,932 1,849
Years Played 1996-99 2012-present 2003-06 2000-01 2007-09
All-Time Sets Played at MSUB Rk. Name Sets Played Years Played 1 Gina Langer 462 1996-99 2 Jody Newberry 458 1996-99 3 Jessica Lechner 416 2005-08 4 Alicia Cazemier 412 2004-07 5 Brandee Sayles 404 1994-97 6 Jessica Bratton 391 2003-06 7 Monica Grimsrud 387 2011-14 8 Kyndal Williams 381 2012-present 9 Chelsey Walter 370 2011-14 GNAC All-Time Career Assists Rk. Name Assists 1 Kate Reome 4,780 2 Liz Bishop 4,176 3 Jenna Von Moos 4,009 4 Erika Brunson 3,904 5 Kyndal Williams 3,883
Years Played 2001-04 2000-03 2003-06 20001-04 2012-present
School CWU WWU SPU Seattle MSUB
Thursday, Nov. 12 – 7:00 p.m. Concordia (Ore.) University Cavaliers Head Coach: Melanie Hamilton 2015 Record: 15-9, 7-9 GNAC On Tuesday, Concordia (Ore.) stopped a four-match skid with a straights sets win over Western Oregon. The Wolves had more kills, digs, and assists in the match, but the Cavaliers added points when they needed them the most. Colby Barnettee and Brenna Huwe both had 10 kills in the match. Lindsey Dorsey picked up a team-high 16 digs. The Cavaliers are hitting .194 as a team while limiting opponents to a conference second-best .152. Concordia is also second in the conference in digs with 16.76 per set. Last Time Out: Dorsey (16) and Huwe (15) combined for 31 of the Cavalier’s 47 kills in the match as CU hit .304 against the Yellowjackets. Stormy Siemion completed a season-high 14 kills and one of her three double-doubles adding in 12 digs. The Series: MSU Billings has only played the Cavaliers once in its history as Concordia (Ore.) has just joined the GNAC this year; the Yellowjackets lost in straight sets at home.
Saturday, Nov. 14 – 7:00 p.m. Western Oregon University Wolves Head Coach: Brad Saindon 2015 Record: 7-18, 4-12 GNAC Amanda Short had 14 kills and Alisha Bettinson completed 12 in the loss to Concordia. Christie Colasurdo provided 26 digs. Colasurdo continues to lead the conference in digs with an average 6.35 per set. Western Oregon has now dropped its last five straight matches. The Wolves are hitting .177 – sixth best in the league. Last Time Out: Taylor Albertson, Marrs, and Ward all finished with 10 kills in the match, but WOU hit .386 finishing with 48 kills and 14 more digs, 58-44 The Series: (20-7 A-3-12) After dropping their match to the Wolves earlier in the season, the Yellowjackets are now 20-7 all-time against WOU. On the road, MSUB is 10-4 against the Wolves.
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