BILLINGS, Mont. – After opening the 2011 season with a respectable 6-3 mark, the Montana State University Billings volleyball squad is slated to commence their Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule this week with a pair of road matches.

The Yellowjackets will first travel to Northwest Nazarene University on Thursday, Sept. 15 (7 p.m.) to challenge the Crusaders who were tabbed to finish sixth in the GNAC according to the preseason poll before heading to Central Washington University where they will tangle with the preseason fifth-ranked Wildcats on Saturday, Sept. 17 (7 p.m.).

MSUB was tabbed to finish seventh in the preseason poll; however, a strong start to the season in tournament play has the Yellowjackets looking to shake the preseason expectations.

In its final tournament of the season, MSUB went 2-3 in the Grand Canyon Invitational downing Notre Dame de Nemur University and Colorado Christian University both in four sets.

For the second consecutive week, senior setter Brooke Tolman was voted to the all-tournament team. The Sept. 6 GNAC Player-of-the-Week currently leads the team with 355 assists for the season and has recorded a team-best 16 service aces.

A lethal pair of freshmen and one senior lead the Yellowjacket attack with freshman Monica Grimsrud leading the team with 126 kills for the season and a squad-best 3.6 kills per set. Fellow freshman Krista Norris is not too far behind Grimsrud as she has recorded 90 terminations and is averaging 2.57 kills per set.

Senior middle-hitter Melissa Porter is third on the team in kills (71) and kills per set (2.22) while junior libero Morgan Moss leads the team with 158 digs and is second on the squad with 10 service aces so far this season.

As a team, MSUB is currently hitting .174 and have held their opponents to .161. The Yellowjackets have recorded 63 total blocks compared to 55 tallied by their opponents.

NNU is currently 3-3 overall and are already 1-1 in league play. The Crusaders lone conference victory came over the Clan of Simon Fraser as the Crusaders have struggled through 35 service reception errors and 55 service errors but have still been able to hit .195 for the season.

CWU currently holds a season mark of 6-3 and are also 1-1 in the league with their win having come over Simon Fraser as well. The Wildcats are currently hitting .214 but have 52 service errors this season.

After the two road matches, MSUB will finally commence their home schedule with a pair of home GNAC matches on Thursday, Sept. 22 and Saturday, Sept. 24. Saint Martin's will first visit Billings on Thursday before Western Oregon calls on the Yellowjackets next Saturday. Both matches will commence at 7 p.m.