MSUB SPORTS – The corps of middles on the Yellowjacket all-decade volleyball team combines players who were talented playing in the front row both defensively and offensively.
 
The two starters are in the top-10 in the MSUB record books in both total blocks and hitting percentage, signifying their diverse talent and contributions to their teams.
 

Day	Release
Monday, September 28, 2020	The Middles
Tuesday, September 29, 2020	The Hitters
Wednesday, September 30, 2020	The Liberos
Thursday, October 1, 2020	The Setters
Friday, October 2, 2020	Full Team

 

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Chelsey Walter
Position: Middle Hitter
Hometown: Billings, Montana
Playing Years: 2011-2014 (4 seasons)
 
Feature Story: Walter's MSUB Volleyball Career Defined By Genuine, Positive Attitude

A four-year starter for her hometown university, Walter became one of the identifying faces of the Yellowjacket program during the first half of the decade. After two solid seasons to begin her collegiate career, Walter blossomed into a true team captain and elevated herself into one of the top players the program has ever seen over her final two seasons.
 
Walter's finest season was her senior year, when she totaled 276 kills and posted a .314 hitting percentage which was the sixth-highest single-season mark in program history. That performance earned Walter first-team all-GNAC honors, as she also totaled 64 blocks throughout the 2014 season.
 
Walter finished her career No. 9 in MSUB history in total blocks with 246, and No. 9 in school history with 196 block assists. She also stands at No. 5 in school history with a career hitting percentage of .239. She was an academic all-conference selection, and earned MSUB Volleyball Player of the Year honors as well.
 
Walter on what stood out during her MSUB career: "We had so much fun together and truly loved the game. We were all very silly and goofed off constantly. I laughed more in my four years with those teammates than I have my entire life. I'll never forget those memories."
 
Where is she now? Walter currently resides in Austin, Texas, where she is a criminal analyst supporting Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).


 

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Jody Lutz
Position: Middle Hitter
Hometown: Manitoba, Canada
Playing Years: 2008-2012 (5 seasons)
 
Lutz spent five years at MSUB, redshirting as a freshman in 2008 before four strong years on the court. As a senior in 2012 she ranked second on the team with 214 kills for an average of 2.23 kills per set. She also led the squad in blocking with 73 total and an average of 0.76 blocks per set.
 
Lutz earned honorable mention all-conference and was the GNAC Player of the Week during her career. In the MSUB record books, she ranks No. 6 in total blocks with 288, and is No. 3 in all-time block assists with 252. Additionally, she displayed strong accuracy on the attack with her career hitting percentage of .224 ranking right behind Walter at No. 6 in school history.
 
In addition to her successful career on the court, Lutz was a three-time academic all-conference selection. She was also involved in MSUB's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, helping lead the athletic department's community involvement initiatives.
 
Lutz on what she was most proud of in her MSUB career: "Being recognized as the SAAC Student-Athlete of the Year. I'm proud that my time as a student-athlete was about more than just athletics."
 
Where is she now? A native Canadian, Lutz resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she works for the Royal Bank of Canada.


 

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Miranda McConnell
Position: Middle Blocker
Hometown: Sandy Utah
Playing Years: 2015-2018 (4 seasons)
 
Feature Story: Brave

Another four-year starter during her career, McConnell matured into one of the team's key role models during the second half of the decade. McConnell steadily progressed throughout her career, and saved her best campaign for her senior season in the fall of 2018.
 
In her final year, McConnell totaled 214 kills for an average of 1.80 per set, and 98 total blocks for an average of 0.82 blocks per set. Both numbers were career highs, as were her 2.28 points per set.
 
Off the court, McConnell was a three-time academic all-conference selection and was actively involved in the athletic department as a SAAC member.


 
McConnell on what she's proud of from her MSUB career: "I am most proud of the improvement I made throughout my four years at MSUB. Each year my statistics got better, and I felt more confident and level-headed as my career progressed. I started all 30 matches my junior and senior year. I was second on the team in blocks my freshman, junior and senior year, and I held the team-high overall hitting percentage of .261 my senior year. I am also proud that I was chosen by my teammates and coaches to be a team captain my junior and senior year. I was a great example on and off the court, and I felt as though I was a leader who could be respected and trusted."
 
Casey Williams (McConnell's Head Coach 2016-2018): "Brave continually got better in her four years at MSUB. She was consistent, determined, and a genuinely good person. Physically, Brave was a force. She ran one of the best slides that I have ever seen. She is definitely someone that we have missed the last couple of years."
 
Where is she now? McConnell is a certified pharmacy technician at Omnicare Pharmacy. She continues to reside in Billings, with her sights set on enrolling in the nursing program.
 

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About the MSUB All-Decade Team Project
The top student-athletes from each of Montana State University Billings' current varsity athletic teams from 2010-2019 have been selected, and 14 all-decade teams will be revealed throughout the course of the fall of 2020. Each sport's all-decade team is comprised of the top-performing student-athletes, with weight given to individual athletic achievement and accolades, team achievement, academic achievement, as well as community service. For more information on MSUB's all-decade project, and to view each sport's all-decade teams, view the all-decade project webpage online here.