BILLINGS, Mont. – Having already played a five-set affair with Rocky Mountain College Tuesday night, the Yellowjackets are step right back into competition this week against strong opposition.
 
First, MSUB hosts the Western Washington Vikings, who have recently climbed to No. 2 in the latest NCAA Division II national poll. The match is scheduled for Thursday, October 25 at 7 p.m. Then on Saturday, October 27 Simon Fraser University is in Billings for a 7 p.m. first serve. Both matches are sanctioned by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
 
Montana State Billings (11-13, 5-9 GNAC) is 2-1 in the midst of a five-match homestand and the team is also 4-3 in the month of October. MSUB was narrowly defeated by Rocky Mountain College Tuesday night 21-25, 25-18, 19-25, 25-17, 15-12 at Alterowitz Gymnasium. Izela Alvarez posted 31 digs and Maddi Vigil had a double-double with 24 digs and 14 kills.
 
The Yellowjackets have ground to make up in the GNAC standings. Currently, MSUB is tied with Northwest Nazarene for eighth place with a record of 5-9. Just ahead is Concordia (6-8). The 'Jackets are also two games ahead of Western Oregon (3-11).
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Montana State Billings ranks seventh in the GNAC in hitting percentage (.164), 10^th in assists (10.74), 11^th in kills (11.21), seventh in blocks (1.89), sixth in service aces (1.52), and eighth in digs (15.71). Miranda McConnell is up to 11^th individually in hitting percentage (.268) and Maddi Vigil ranks 17^th in kills per set (2.58).
 
 
Alvarez had 31 digs against Rocky Mountain College, which did not count toward conference statistics, but still ranks seventh in the GNAC in digs per set (4.58). Alvarez is also seventh in service aces per set (0.34) and has 33 aces total. Alvarez needs to continue making 30 or more digs per match to contest the MSUB single season record for digs, which Alvarez set as a freshman in 2017.
 
Scouting #2 Western Washington
Game Day: Thursday, October 25 – 7 p.m.
2018 Record: 20-3, 15-0 GNAC, 8-0 home, 9-0 away, 3-3 neutral
2017 Record: 27-4, 19-1 GNAC, 10-0 home, 10-1 away, 7-3 neutral
Head Coach: Diane Flick-Williams (19^th season)
 
Western Washington University comes to Billings ranked as the No. 2 team in the country. The Vikings are currently on a 20 match win streak after a 3-0 sweep of Simon Fraser Tuesday night. The Vikings have not lost since August 25 versus No. 7 Regis University. The last time WWU lost to a fellow GNAC opponent was September 2016 against Northwest Nazarene.
 
Against Simon Fraser, senior outside hitter Abby Phelps posted a double-double with 10 kills and 15 digs. Phelps is now 40 kills short of breaking the GNAC record for kills in a career with 1,474.
 
Junior middle Kayleigh Harper made nine kills and three blocks, and senior setter Brette Boesel contributed 36 assists, 10 digs, and three blocks in a match that was described by head coach Diane Flick-Williams as a "full team effort".
 
The Yellowjackets know they will have to play their best volleyball of the year if they want to have a chance to win. Both teams are on a quick turnaround from the previous week's matches and like MSUB, the Vikings have played three matches in the last six days.
 
When the Yellowjackets travelled to Western Washington in September, the Vikings routed MSUB 3-0. MSU Billings has just one win all-time against WWU and it came in 2014 in Billings. The Vikings have won the other 24 total matchups dating back to 1991.
 
Harper is 13^th among NCAA Division II players in hitting percentage at .394. Phelps ranks 22^nd in kills per set at 4.01. Boesel is 10^th in assists per set at 11.90. The Vikings also rank No. 4 in blocks per set (2.84).
 
Western Washington fell in the NCAA West Regional Final last season to Cal State San Bernardino and just missed a chance to advance to the elite eight. Phelps, Boesel and Harper were all on the 2017 squad.
 
Scouting Simon Fraser
Game Day: Saturday, October 27 – 7 p.m.
2018 Record: 10-11, 7-8 GNAC, 5-3 home, 3-5 away, 2-3 neutral
2017 Record: 15-13, 12-8 GNAC, 8-2 home, 5-6 away, 2-5 neutral
Head Coach: Gina Schmidt (sixth season)
 
Simon Fraser University has had an up and down season in 2018. The Clan's current road trip has not gone well and they have losses against Alaska (3-2), Alaska Anchorage (3-0), and #2 Western Washington (3-0) in the last week. No player was able to reach double-digit kills for the Clan in their most recent contest against Western Washington Tuesday. Kirsten Pinkney led the team defensively with 16 digs.
 
Simon Fraser's roster is composed of three seniors, six juniors, two sophomores, and six freshmen. Senior middle blocker Tessa May leads the team with 240 kills and is hitting at a .338 clip. Pinkney is just three kills behind May at 237 and junior outside hitter Betsie de Beer is third with 220 kills. Sophomore Julia Tays handles the setting duties and has contributed over 80 percent of SFU's total assists for a total of 806.
 
Senior Jayme Bratsburg is likely to start at libero for the Clan. Bratsburg has 335 digs and averages 4.53 digs per set. Simon Fraser also has four players over 200 digs.
 
The Yellowjackets suffered a 3-0 loss to Simon Fraser on September 9 in Burnaby, British Columbia. SFU won the match 25-23, 25-18, 25-20. May hit .500 with 12 kills and Pinkney and de Beer also had double-digit kills for the Clan. The Yellowjackets were outhit in the match .247 to .094. Vigil led MSUB with 17 digs.
 
MSUB is 6-13 all-time against Simon Fraser and the 'Jackets have not won against the Clan since September, 2013 in Billings.
 
TEAM SNAPSHOT: MSUB has nine returning letter winners from last season and three roster newcomers. The team finished 9-21 (5-15 GNAC, 9^th) in 2017.
 
BIG PICTURE: There is not a conference tournament for women's volleyball in the GNAC. However, between three and five teams usually qualify for the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament receiving an at-large bid. Additionally, the team with the best record in the regular season in the conference gains an automatic entry to the regional tournament. Western Washington (15-0) is currently 4.5 games above second place Alaska Anchorage and Central Washington, who are tied for second at 10-4.