FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu September 28, 2016 Volleyball welcoming the Alaska schools to Alterowitz MSUB Volleyball on Facebook | MSUB Volleyball Stack on ISSUU | GNAC Standings Preview Interviews with Mataia Robinson, Miranda McConnell, and head coach Casey Williams
Mataia Robinson earned her first career double-double for MSUB last week on the road.
The Yellowjacket volleyball team returns to Alterowitz to host their second conference series of the season. BILLINGS, Mont. – MSU Billings returns home to host a pair of conference matches this week. The Yellowjackets will face a big test when they go up against the two Alaska schools. MSUB begins with Alaska on Friday, Sept. 30, followed by No. 10 Alaska Anchorage on Saturday, Oct. 1. The Yellowjackets are looking for sustained momentum and returning to Alterowitz should help the confidence of a team that has been close in sets, but hasn’t been able to finish. Against Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington on the road, Montana State University Billings (1-12, 0-4 Great Northwest Athletic Conference), pushed both opponents into extra points, and led the third set against CWU 23-21, but were unable to close the door on the Wildcats.
MSUB head coach Casey Williams has varied the lineup this season and is still searching for a combination that carries through a complete set-up. ROBINSON’S RESULTS: Stepping-up in contributions for the Yellowjackets is Mataia Robinson. The junior went into the lineup as a setter for the ‘Jackets last week at Central Washington and Robinson capitalized, recording her first career double-double at MSUB with 13 digs and 12 assists. Robinson posted double figure digs in both matches, coming away with 23 total. She is 11th in the conference in service aces with 18 on the season and an average .35 per set. STORMING THE SETS: Senior Stormy Siemion is nearing the 200 mark in kills this season with 189. The outside hitter is ranked seventh in the nation in total attempts and is third in the GNAC in kills per set with 3.71. Siemion added her sixth double-double this season last week against Central Washington with 10 kills and 13 digs. The native of Huntley, Mont., is ranked 26th in the nation in total kills. RE-WARD’s: Posting her second double-double this year was Ashlynn Ward. The senior collected 15 digs and recorded 14 kills against CWU after smashing 14 kills two days earlier at NNU for a total of 28 across the two conference matches. Ward has accumulated 940 career kills and needs 11 to move to No. 8 all-time at MSUB. JOINING JENSEN: Freshman setter Angala Jensen combined for 49 assists, taking her season total to 461 for MSUB. Jensen added seven digs and two block assists last week and has 20.0 total blocks on the season. DEFENSIVE COURT: Recording double-figures in digs last week, Kylee Cornelio posted 13 against NNU and 12 at CWU. The senior leads the team with 166 total digs on the year and is averaging 3.25 per set. Faith Taylor is just short of entering triple digits this season in digs, adding nine last week for a total of 91. TEAM TOTALS: MSUB is second in the conference in total attacks (1,810) and second in team kills (611). Friday – Sept. 30 – vs Alaska Nanooks – 7:00 PM Alterowitz Gymnasium – Billings, MT – Live Video – Live Stats 2016 Record – 2-9, 1-3 GNAC Head Coach: Brian Scott, 2nd season 2015 Record: 6-21, 6-14 GNAC, 9th After winning their opening conference match against Seattle Pacific, the Alaska Nanooks have fallen in the last three. Both matches last week were on the road where Alaska lost to Simon Fraser in four sets before being swept at Western Washington. The Nanooks are led offensively by freshman Kim Wong. The middle blocker is sixth in the GNAC in hitting percentage at .308 (92-28-208). Amberly Jeane is producing 2.52 kills per set. Riley Podowicz is second on the team in blocks with an average .70 per set. Podowicz is fifth in the conference in service aces with an average .45 per set. Alaska is third in the GNAC in service aces as a team, averaging 1.70 per set. The Series: (26-26, 19-11 Home) The Yellowjackets are an even 26-26 all-time against Alaska, but are on a 5-match win streak versus the Nanooks. Last season MSUB won in four in Fairbanks and in five sets at home in Alterowitz. The last time MSUB lost was Sept. 19, 2013.
Last Time Out: MSU Billings won a 5-set battle against Alaska at home 16-25, 25-15, 25-22, 23-25, and 16-14. Saturday – Oct. 1 – vs Alaska Anchorage University Seawolves – 7:00 PM Alterowitz Gymnasium – Billings, MT – Live Video – Live Stats 2016 Record – 14-1 Head Coach: Chris Green, 8th season 2015 Record: 27-3, 18-2 GNAC, 1st After dropping a match to Chaminade in Hawaii during their opening season tournament, the nationally-ranked Seawolves have torn through their schedule, picking up steam and are on a 12-match win streak. Alaska Anchorage has steadily moved up in the national AVCA poll and sits at No. 10 in NCAA Division II competition. Nationally, UAA is No. 20 in service aces per set (2.00), and sixth in opposing hitting percentage (.112) Led by Erin Braun’s .308 hitting percentage (111-29-266), Alaska Anchorage is third in the GNAC in attach percentage. Leah Swiss is ninth at .272 (194-42-558) and is the team’s top offensive threat with 3.66 kills per set. Swiss leads the team in service aces at second in the GNAC at .47 per set while Braun is third in the GNAC in blocks per set at 1.23. On defense, sophomore libero Kyla Militante-Amper is second in the league in digs per set at 5.87. Morgan Hooe is fifth in the conference in assists with 9.68 per set. The Series: (10-41, 6-21 Home) MSUB has faced Alaska Anchorage 51 times in the two school’s history with UAA holding the overall edge. The Seawolves are on a 12-match win streak against the Yellowjackets. The last time MSUB won a match was Sept. 28, 2009 at home in four sets. Last Time Out: MSUB lost both matches to UAA last season in straight sets. --msubsports.com | #JacketNation--