BILLINGS, Mont. –The Montana State University Billings volleyball team will being a five game home stand, starting with Great Northwest Athletic Conference matches against Saint Martin's University and Seattle Pacific University.
The match versus Saint Martin's on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 7p.m., will be the annual "Pink Night" where the team and MSUB, along with partnership with St. Vincent Healthcare, honor breast caner survivors. The team invites all breast cancer survivors to the gym floor to be honored prior to the start of the match, before taking the court clad in pink uniforms. All women and anyone wearing pick will be admitted free of charge to Thursday's match.
In the final two matches in the first half of Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, MSUB begins with Saint Martin's (0-18, 0-9 GNAC) on Thursday, then the Yellowjackets welcome Seattle Pacific (6-7, 2-4 GNAC) on Saturday, October 19 at 2p.m.
Live video and live statistics will be available online through the
MSUB Stretch Internet portal here.
The Yellowjackets (5-12, 3-5 GNAC) will look to build on the momentum they gained in their last match, a five set thrilling victory of Northwest Nazarene University on October 12.
"I think we match up really well with both opponents this weekend," commented head coach
Casey Williams. "I really like the way we have been moving the ball around in the last couple of matches and I believe that if we continue to move the ball around on offense and play scrappy defense, we will be successful."
LAST TIME OUT: The Yellowjackets split games against Central Washington University and Northwest Nazarene. MSUB fell on the road 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-18) CWU, on October 10. The Wildcats over powered MSUB on both sides of the ball as MSUB finished with a hitting percentage of .096 to CWU's .226. Junior
Bayli Monck led the team with her seventh double-double (11 kills and 13 digs),
Skylar Reed also finished with 11 kills and setter
Hannah Hashbarger had a double-double of 28 assists with 10 digs.
MSUB would need a late surge to come back and defeat NNU on the road on October 12. Falling behind 2-1, the 'Jackets rallied to a thrilling 3-2 (21-25, 25-23, 26-28, 25-23, 17-15) victory for their fifth GNAC win. MSUB was able to get their offense going as they had a .243 hitting percentage and held NNU to a .219.
MSUB's ability to produce improved as the match wore on as they played their best in the fourth set, notching a match high 20 kills. MSUB would finish with 71 kills and 67 assists, NNU had 65 kills and 60 assists. The Yellowjacket's defense was also superior as the team finished with 88 digs and 14 blocks to NNU's 86 digs and 11 blocks.
Monck again led MSUB with team high 19 kills, a team high 26 digs, 5 block assists and a hitting percentage of .298. Reed continued her consistent offensive production, with 18 kills and a game high .324 hitting percentage.
Maddi Vigil was able to get back on track with a double-double of 16 kills and 14 digs while hitting .240. Joelle Mahowlad also had a solid game with a hitting percentage of .290 carrying 13 kills and five block assists.
Freshmen setter
Hannah Hashbarger finished with a career high 62 assists and 10 digs for her second consecutive double-double. Hashbargers 62 assist are the highest mark by any 'Jacket setter since 2013.
"We have been doing a good job in the last couple of weeks on getting good touches at the block and I would like to see us continue to have a good defensive mindset at the net," said head coach
Casey Williams". "We had great production offensively at NNU and I would like to see us continue to move the ball around to keep everyone involved this weekend."
BY THE NUMBERS: Monck has become a focal point as she has consistently produced on both side of the ball. She now leads the team with 173 kills (2.66/set), is second in digs with 197 (3.03/set), third on the team with 42 blocks (0.65/set) and has a team high eight double-doubles including three in the last four matches. Hashbarger has command of the offense, making plays and decisions beyond her years, improving each game to lead MSUB with 455 assists (9.55/set) which is the seventh best mark in the GNAC.
Freshmen libero/defensive specialist
Marissa Logozzo is tops on the team in digs and has vaulted herself into the top ten in the GNAC, currently ninth with 217 digs (3.74/set).
Makayla Baca, another freshmen libero/ds, has 153 digs (2.39/set) on the year.
Vigil is second on the team with 172 kills (2.65/set), third with 176 digs (2.71/set), and is tied for the team lead with 18 service aces. Reed, an outside hitter, also has 18 service aces, a hitting percentage of .200 and is third on the team with 154 kills (2.37/set).
Mahowald carries the highest hitting percentage of any 'Jacket at .269 which is 12
th best in the league. She is also 11
th in the GNAC with 57 blocks (0.89/set). Sophomore
Eavan Taylor is second with 43 blocks (0.81/set), has 62 kills and a hitting percentage of .153.
As a team, the Yellowjackets enter the week averaging 11.29 kills and 15.60 digs per set. MSUB currently holds a team hitting percentage of .182 while their opponents are averaging .233 when they play the 'Jackets. The team is sixth in the GNAC is blocks with 113 total (1.74 per set).
"This week we have two competitive matches against SMU and SPU," commented Williams. "I think that we match up very well with both teams."
Saint Martin's University
Game Day Thursday, October 17 – 7 p.m.
2019 Record: 0-18, 0-9 GNAC, 0-5 home, 0-6 away, 0-7 neutral
2018 Record: 4-22, 2-18 GNAC, 1-9 home, 1-11 away, 2-2 neutral
Head Coach: Jon Killingbeck (4th Season)
The Saints (0-18, 0-9 GNAC) are currently in last place in the GNAC, falling to Seattle Pacific 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-23) this past Tuesday, Oct. 15. They struggle as a whole to produce on both sides of the ball hitting a dismal .094 hitting percentage as a team, while allowing opponents to hit .267. Overall, they are at the bottom of all statistical categories besides digs, where they currently rank ninth (902, 14.55/set) in the GNAC.
Freshmen Mackenzie Carter is starting to shine through as a right spot for the Saints as she is eighth in the GNAC with an average of 3.16 kills per set and a total of 120 kills. Kylie Alos is one of the best defenders in the GNAC, currently third in digs averaging 4.80 per set with a total of 221.
Last season, MSUB swept SMU in both match-ups. The Yellowjackets won a hard fought five set match on the road in Lacey, Wash. 3-2 (24-26, 25-20, 21-25, 25-21, 15-13).
Skylar Reed finished with 15 kills.
Bayli Monck had 14 kills to go with 16 digs.
Eavan Taylor recorded a match high six blocks.
In Billings, Mont. The 'Jackets prevailed 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 25-19).
Maddi Vigil was all over the court exploding for 18 kills, 11 digs, three aces and three blocks. Taylor again led all players with five blocks.
Seattle Pacific University
Game Day: Saturday, October 19 – 2 p.m.
2019 Record: 6-11, 3-6 GNAC, 1-3 home, 3-4 away, 2-4 neutral
2018 Record: 11-16, 9-11 GNAC, 5-7 home, 6-5 away, 0-4 neutral
Head Coach: Abbie Wright (3rd season)
After sweeping SMU 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-23) this past Tuesday, the Falcons (6-11, 3-6 GNAC) find themselves one game back of MSUB (5-12, 3-5 GNAC) in the GNAC standings. For the Falcons,
Maddie Batiste had 13 kills,
Gabby Oddo had 12, and SPU dropped in 12 service aces as a team against SMU.
SPU currently ranks sixth in the conference in assists (702, 11.14/set) and in kills (748, 11.87/set). They are fifth in service aces (108, 1.71 per set), but only eighth in digs (930, 14.76/set).
MSUB will look to limit SPU's offense as Maddie Batiste is fifth in the conference and leads the team in kills by the slimiest of margins with 207 (3.29/set). Oddo is sixth in the league and has smacked 206 kills (3.27/set). Gabi Stegemoller holds a .255 hitting percentage with 102 kills (1.62/set) as the trio spearheads the offensive attack.
Maddie Donohoe has 227 digs on the year (3.66/set). Oddo and Batiste are active on both sides of the ball much like MSUB's Monck. Batiste is second on the team with 191 digs (3.03/set), Oddo is third with 189 digs (3.00/set).
The 'Jackets and the Falcons battled is two five set matches last year seeing each team successfully defend their home court. In Seattle, Wash., the Falcons prevailed 3-2 (25-20, 15-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-3). Oddo paced SPU with 15 kills, while Vigil leads msub with 15 kills of her own. Reed posted 13 kills for MSUB and Taylor again was a defensive force with seven blocks, not to be out done by SPU's Stegemoller who led all players with 9 blocks.
Four short weeks later, MSUB evened the series winning in Billings, Mont. 3-2 (26-24, 22-25, 25-20, 18-25, 15-6). Reed had 15 kills and a hitting percentage of .289 for MSUB. Oddo went off for the Falcons, leading both teams with 23 kills. Vigil played stellar defense and carried the defense for MSB with 21 digs.
Live stats and video can be found at
msubsports.com.
