BILLINGS, Mont. – After opening the 2015 season with an exhibition match against Rocky Mountain College on Tuesday, the MSU Billings volleyball team is headed for California and the Route 92 Showdown hosted by Notre Dame de Namur University and Cal State East Bay.

The Yellowjackets are set to play four matches in two days and will see NCAA Division II competition from both the PacWest conference and the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
 
"It's a great tournament for us to get established," MSUB head coach Lisa Axel said. "It will be nice to get tested right out of the water. We see a couple of PacWest and CCAA schools where we play two matches on Friday and two on Saturday. It's going to be able to give us some looks against quality opponents and see where we stack up right now."
 
With almost three solid weeks of practice, three scrimmages, and the exhibition match against Rocky under their belts, the 2015 squad is excited to start their official season.
 

"Preseason has gone really well," junior outside hitter Ashlynn Ward commented. "The newcomers have come in and worked very hard. They are very coachable and are coming together with the team really well. Our team has great chemistry; they are not like any team I have seen before."
 
MSU Billings returns to the roster five veterans and has added six newcomers for the upcoming season.

"I feel comfortable out there," Ward continued. "I am confident in my teammates. I know what they can do and that they will get the job done. Our team has meshed well together and I think that is going to help us on the court a lot."
 
"It's going well," Axel said. "The team has really been putting in a lot of work on the court. We've also been putting in a lot of different things for our new players and they have been picking it up very fast."
 
Senior setter Kyndal Williams returns to the court for her final campaign as the leader for the Yellowjackets. Williams averaged 10.54 assists per set last season for the team, 3^rd overall in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
 
Ward and junior Stormy Siemion on the outside are set to lead the offense with defensive-minded Kimmy Kirk and Mataia Roderick in the back court for the 'Jackets.

 

With a solid debut during the exhibition match against the Battlin' Bears, freshman middle blocker Miranda McConnell is one of three new faces at the center of the net for MSUB this season. McConnell will be joined by Audri Marrs and Taylor Albertson as the trio in the middle.
 
Transfer Abbie Mikelson and freshman Taylor Sherman will also be making their official debut for MSU Billings along with setter Mason Steel.
 
During the tournament in California, Coach Axel wants to see quality team effort during each point from everyone in the lineup. "I want us to be in matches," she said. "Whether we are winning or losing, we need to be in matches and giving ourselves the opportunity at the end to win against our opponents. As long as we are battling and not worrying about making mistakes, but rather doing the things we worked on in preseason, if we are doing that, I will be very happy."
 
Friday, September 4 – 9 a.m. Pacific Time
Host School: Notre Dame de Namur - Belmont, CA
Opponent:  Academy of Art
Live Stats: AAU vs. MSUB
2015 Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Ray Batalon, 1st season
2014 Record: 13-15
 
Academy of Art has a new coach for 2015, but a familiar face to the program as Ray Batalon moved up in July from associate to head coach for the Urban Knights. Last season was a momentum shift as the team earned wins over six quality programs and set several new program records in individual categories.
 
AAU returns to its roster key athletes in setter and captain Rachel Smith, and outside hitter Melissa Brum. Smith was a program record-setter last season for the Knights while Brum earned AVCA All-American honorable mention accolades last year.
 
The team also returns outside hitter Isabel Emrich and libero Kabrina Speakman to the team. Joining those four members, and looking to make an impact, are middle blockers Margaret Winkler and Amorelle Applin, as well as outside hitter Bailey Soolsma. The team added seven newcomers to the court that should provide depth and options for the Knights.
 
Last season was the first time MSU Billings faced Academy of Art. The Yellowjackets lost 3-1 at the GNAC/PacWest Crossover event in MSUB's final match of the tournament.
 
The Series: (0-1) MSUB has faced the Urban Knights just once in the programs history. The Yellowjackets lost 3-1 last year at the opening tournament of the season in San Rafael, Calif.
 
Friday, September 4 – 2 p.m. Pacific Time
Host School: Notre Dame de Namur – Belmont, CA
Opponent: Cal State Dominguez Hills
Live Stats: MSUB vs. CSUDH
2015 Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Jennifer Adeva, 5^th season
2014 Record: 3-32
 
With a young roster, including seven freshmen, last season's Cal State Dominguez Hills' volleyball team finished 11^th in the CCAA standings for 2014. This year the team has another seven freshmen on the roster, but does return top players Alijah Gunsaulus (5'10", outsider hitter) and Dana Brown (6'0", setter) who should provide experience and leadership for the Toros.
 
Looking to capitalize on a mix of seasoned veterans and fresh faces, CSDHU will be bringing to their first tournament a similar team makeup to the Yellowjackets. The Toros enter 2015 without even an exhibition warmup, as their first official contest will be against MSUB.   
 
The Series: (1-2) MSU Billings has seen the Toros on three previous occasions. The Yellowjackets lost two matches 3-0 and won a match 3-0. The last time the two teams met was in 2013 when CSU Dominguez Hills got the best of MSUB at a tournament in San Diego, Calif.
 
Saturday, September 5 – 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time
Host School: Cal State East Bay – Hayward, CA
Opponent: Holy Names University (Calif.)
Live Stats: MSUB vs. HNU
2015 Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Ali Oliver, 3^rd season
2014 Record: 2-24
 
Holy Names University is the second team the Yellowjackets will face at the opening season tournament that struggled in 2014. The Hawks finished last season with just two wins and were last in the PacWest conference standings, ending the season at 14^th in the league.
 
This season HNU returns seven athletes to its rosters and adds five newcomers. Key members returning to the court include middle blocker Kaylyn Lackey (5'9", senior) and outside hitters Melissa Munley (5'8", junior) and Marin Gibson (6'0", junior).
 
New to the roster are three transfers and two freshmen. Lihau Perreira (5'9", junior) is an outside hitter from Mt. Hood Community College where she earned AVCA Two-Year College Second Team All-American honors in 2013. Florencia Solomita (5'11", Indian River State College) on the right side and Heather Emory (5'8", Antelope Valley College) a setter complete the trio of transfers.
 
The Series: This is the first meeting between MSUB and Holy Names University.
 
Saturday, September 5 – 7 p.m. Pacific Time
Host School: Cal State East Bay – Hayward, CA
Opponent: Cal State East Bay
Live Stats: CSUEB vs. MSUB
2015 Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Jim Spagle, 20^th season
2014 Record: 10-17
 
Cal State East Bay was picked to finish 2015 in 10^th place in the CCAA, two spots ahead of Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Pioneers finished last season with a 10-17 overall record.
 
The roster for CSUEB contains just two seniors this season – libero Angie Maina and setter SueKalena Tafao. The Pioneers lost four players last year, but have a full contingent this season with 18 players in rotation.
 
Sophomore Kani Rayford is the team's top-returning offensive threat. The 5'11" outside hitter averaged 1.89 kills per set last season. Maina collected the most digs averaging 4.05 per set, while transfer Tafoa looks to set-up the offense.
 
MSU Billings and Cal State East Bay will play the last match of the tournament on CSUEB's home court – the Pioneer Gymnasium. Both teams will have played three previous matches with the Yellowjackets vs. Pioneer finale looking to close out the 2015 tournament.
 
The Series: This is the first meeting between Cal State East Bay and MSU Billings.