BILLINGS, Mont. – After starting off the conference season 3-1, MSU Billings returns home after splitting its conference matches with Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks.
 
Last Saturday, the Yellowjackets fell in four sets to the Seawolves in Anchorage, but bounced back on Monday night with a straight-set win over the Nanooks in Fairbanks.
 
Chelsey Walter had 22 kills over the two matches. Monica Grimsrud finished the trip with 24 kills. Walter hit .786 and Grimsrud .429 in the win at Fairbanks. The Yellowjackets ended the match with new season highs in attack percentage (.435) and total team blocks (12.0).
 
This Thursday MSUB will face Simon Fraser University. The Clan are 7-4, 1-2 in the GNAC. SFU lost to Alaska Anchorage and No. 11 Western Washington in straight sets, but won its match against Alaska Fairbanks in three sets.
 
Kelsey Robinson leads the Clan on the attack averaging 3.66 kills/set. In the match against nationally-ranked Western Washington, Devon May had 11 kills. May is second on the team averaging 2.48 kills/set. As a team Simon Fraser is second in the conference averaging 13.06 kills/set.
 
Senior middle blocker Amanda Renkema is averaging almost a block a set. Setter Brooklynn Gould-Bradbury leads the team in assists with an average 8.09/set. The Clan are tied for second in the GNAC in the team assist category with 12.20 assists/set.
 
MSU Billings is 6-4 all-time against Simon Fraser, but 4-0 at home. The Yellowjackets split last season's contests, winning the match at home, but losing in five sets in Burnaby.
 
Western Washington University is currently nationally ranked at No. 11. The Vikings are 9-3 overall and 2-1 in the GNAC. WWU won matches against Alaska Fairbanks and Simon Fraser, but fell at home against Alaska Anchorage in five sets.
 
Senior libero Samantha Hutchinson is leading the nation in digs per set with 7.11. In the five-set match against Alaska Anchorage, Hutchinson had 42 digs. In WWU's last three contests Hutchinson had a total of 88 digs and is the current GNAC Defense Player of the Week.
 
Kelsey Moore and Kayla Erickson are averaging 3.10 and 3.06 kills/set respectively. Last season's GNAC Player of the Year Erickson is also averaging .79 block/set.
 
Redshirt freshman Kristina Tribley is one of four setters who are averaging double-digits in assists/set, she has 10.21.
 
The Yellowjackets have never won a match against the Vikings and are 0-17 all-time. MSUB has lost the last eight matches in straight sets.
 
MSU Billings is 8-4, 3-1 in the GNAC.
 
Montana State University Billings is currently No. 1 in the GNAC in hitting percentage. On the attack the team is hitting .222.
 
Walter is No. 4 in the conference with a .365 and No. 7 in kills/set with 3.24. Grimsrud is No. 10 in kills/set with 3.07.
 
Kyndal Williams in No. 2 in the conference in assists/set with 10.47. The junior setter had 40-plus assists in each of the last three matches. Freshman libero Haley Wells is No. 6 in the GNAC in digs/set with 4.31.
 
"We are excited to be home again," head coach Lisa Axel said. "Having so many matches crammed into a short stretch has been very hectic for all of the teams in the conference. The level of play in the GNAC this year is at such a high level. Each and every time we step onto the court it is against a quality opponent."
 
MSU Billings plays Simon Fraser on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. The Yellowjackets will face No. 11 Western Washington on Saturday also at 7 p.m.
 
Live video and live stats for those contests will be available at msubsports.com.