BILLINGS, Mont. - With three matches this week, MSU Billings is on a busy schedule. After playing a tight battle against Rocky on Tuesday, the Yellowjackets are welcoming conference opponents Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Anchorage to Alterowitz this week to finish out a five match home stand.
 
On a quick turnaround, MSUB played a match against crosstown rival Rocky Mountain College on Tuesday, Oct. 20. The two Billings institutions went back and forth, but it was the Battlin' Bears that found an answer in the fourth set, taking charge and ending the match on a 10-3 run.
 
Montana State University Billings (3-16) is on a four match slide, but as the Yellowjackets are headed into the second half of Great Northwest Athletic Conference action, head coach Lisa Axel is looking forward to seeing each opponent again.
 
"The team is looking forward to starting the second half of our conference schedule this weekend," Axel said. "We did not have the results that we wanted after the first half and we are looking to start fresh with our match against Fairbanks. We are still looking for the match that we compete hard every point and start reducing our hitting errors. If the team can do both of those things we will give ourselves a great shot at winning more matches."
 
ADDING ANOTHER M TO THE MIX: Junior Abbie Mikelson has become a force for MSUB on the right side. The transfer this year to the Yellowjackets started the last two matches, racking up 15 kills and three blocks. She joins Audri Marrs and Miranda McConnell in the front row attack from the middle and opposite side.
 
S AND S ON DEFENSE: Taylor Sherman and Stormy Siemion have moved up the ranks defensively for the 'Jackets. Sherman just passed the 200 mark in total digs this season and is now second on the team in digs per set with 2.94. Both players tallied more than 10 digs in their last two outings with Siemion completing her second double-double of the season last Saturday against Concordia (Ore.) recording 14 kills and 12 digs.
 
WARD ABOVE 20: Ashlynn Ward is ranked No. 18 in the GNAC in attack percentage at .225. Sitting at 3.29, the junior outside hitter is the only member of the MSUB squad averaging above three kills per set.
 
BLOCKING ADVANTAGE: Tuesday's match against Rocky was the first time this season MSUB has broken the double-digit figure in team blocks. Led by six from Marrs, the Yellowjackets combined for 10.0 total.
 
Thursday, Oct. 22 - 7:00 p.m.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks
Head Coach: Brian Scott, 1^st season
2015 Overall Record: 2-16, 2-9 GNAC
 
The Yellowjackets begin the second half of their conference schedule against Alaska Fairbanks, an opponent they beat earlier in the season on the road 3-1.
 
The Nanooks have lost their last five matches, including four in straight sets, before taking the first set from No. 13 Alaska Anchorage Tuesday.
 
Alaska's two conference wins this season were back-to-back contests at home against Saint Martin's (3-2) and Seattle Pacific (3-1).
 
UAF come into Thursday's  match against MSUB as the top-ranked service team in the GNAC with three Nanooks ranked in the top-5. Alaska is averaging 1.88 aces per set and is led by sophomore Riley Podowicz, who is serving up a conference-best 0.54 aces per set.
 
Senior Sam Harthun comes into Thursday's match third in the GNAC in kills per set with 3.54.
 
Last Time Out: Across the board, MSU Billings dominated Alaska statistically. MSUB outhit UAF 51-40 and ended the match with more digs (57-49), assists (51-40) and blocks (8.0-5.0). The Yellowjackets finished the match with a team .231 attack percentage (51-20-134) while limiting Alaska to .126 (40-24-127). The second set was a marathon finishing with MSUB's second-highest set victory this season at 31-29.
 
The Series: (25-26, H: 18-11) MSU Billings is one just one match back from evening the program's win total against Alaska Fairbanks. The Yellowjackets have won the last four straight matches against Alaska, including a win earlier in the season on the road.
 
Saturday, Oct. 24 - 7:00 p.m.
The University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves
Head Coach: Chris Green, 7^th season
2015 Overall Record: 17-2, 9-2 GNAC
 
Alaska Anchorage has fallen in the national rankings since the first time the Seawolves met the Yellowjackets this season. This week, UAA moved to No. 13 in the nation. After starting the year on a 14-match win streak, Alaska Anchorage dropped matches against Northwest Nazarene and Western Washington and are now 9-2 in the conference which makes the team second in the league behind a perfect 10-0 from WWU.
 
The No. 13 Seawolves lead the conference in hitting percentage at .263 and are limiting their opponents to a stingy .121. Five players from UAA are listed in the top-20 in attack percentage. Katelynn Zanders leads the league in kills per set with 3.75. Setter Morgan Hooe is second in the GNAC in assists per set at 10.52.
 
Last Time Out: During MSUB's first conference road match, the Seawolves rolled to a 3-0 win over the Yellowjackets limiting MSUB to scores of 11, 10, and 13. Ward was the offensive players of the match for MSUB, with Kirk on defense tying for a match-high 10 digs.
 
The Series: (10-40, H: 6-20). The Seawolves hold a 20-6 record in Alterowitz against MSUB. The Yellowjackets have lost the last 11 straight to UAA, but the last win against the Seawolves was a home match in 2009, 3-1.