BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State Billings volleyball team returns home to host to host Alaska Fairbanks, Thursday at 7 p.m. at Alterowitz Gymnasium, and then hosts Alaska Anchorage Saturday at 7 p.m.  The Yellowjackets enter the week with a 1-12 record overall and a 1-4 mark in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

MSUB earned its first victory of the season last week with a five-set thriller at Saint Martin's.  The Jackets battled back from a 2-0 deficit and won the fifth set 15-13.  MSUB then dropped a 3-1 decision at Western Oregon and a 3-0 decision at No. 17 Seattle Pacific Monday.

Against the Saints, the Jackets played arguably one of their best matches of the season as they hit .275 with 61 kills, 69 digs and 58 assists. The team committed 20 errors for the match and had just six miscues in the final three games.  Geneva Blunt recorded a season-high 19 kills in the match. 

Leading the way for the Jackets this season is senior Jennifer Boe who leads the team with 149 kills and 165 digs.  She moved up the career lists in both categories as she now ranks sixth all-time in kills with 1014 and seventh in digs with 1003.  She became just the fourth player in school history to reach 1,000 career kills and digs.  She joins Devon Crotteau, Olivia Munro and Brandee Sayles on the elite list.

Brooke Tolman leads the team with 381 assists at a 7.47 average. She is hitting a team-best .211 and has just eight miscues on the year for the fewest among everyday starters.  Boe is second on the team in assists with 16.

As a team, the Yellowjackets are hitting .109 on the year with 478 kills, 435 assists and 717 digs.  Conversely, the opponents are hitting .218 with 665 kills, 607 assists and 823 digs.  MSUB has made 291 miscues while the opponents have committed 274 errors.

Alaska Fairbanks enters the match with a 4-7 record overall and a 2-3 record in league play.  The Nanooks are led by Tereza Bendlova, a transfer from the University of South Alabama.  She leads the team with 166 kills and is tied for second in digs with 109.  Mandy Grierson leads the team with 391 assists, while Jordyn Montgomery leads with 139 digs.  Erica Gage leads the team with 42 total blocks and 13 solo blocks.

The Nanooks are hitting .145 on the year with 525 kills, 487 assists and 643 digs.  The opposition is hitting .194 with 530 kills, 496 assist and also has 643 digs. 

UAF leads the all-time series 22-18, but the Yellowjackets own a 13-11 record in Billings.  The teams split the two meetings last year with each winning on their home court.  The Jackets have won four of the last six.  The Nanooks had won 18 of the past 23 prior.

Alaska Anchorage enters the week with an 8-5 record overall and a 3-2 mark in conference play.  The Seawolves are led by two players with over 100 kills.  McKenzie Moss leads the team with 141 kills, while Jackie Matthisen is second with 121 and Lee Golden is third with 91.  Siobhan Johansen leads the team with 283 assists and Adriana Aukusitino has 199.  Both Matthisen and Moss have over 100 digs each, 160 and 101, respectively. 

As a team, the Seawolves are hitting .196 on the year and holding teams to just .135.  They have 579 kills with 536 assists and 671 digs. In addition, UAA is good in the blocking department with 135.5 total blocks.  Cortney Lundberg leads the team with seven solo blocks and Robyn Burton leads with 60  total blocks.

UAA leads the all-time series 29-10 and 15-6 in Billings.  However, the Yellowajckets were the only team to sweep Alaska Anchorage last year as it won the conference crown.  The two losses to MSUB were the only two conference defeats for UAA in 2009.  MSUB also has won six of the past seven meetings in the series.  Prior to the streak by the Yellowjackets, UAA had won 28 of 32.