BILLINGS, Mont. – Bringing its 2021 spring season to a close on Tuesday evening, the Montana State University Billings volleyball team will play its final match at Carroll College.
 
First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the PE Center in Helena, with live coverage available online here. "It is cool to see the growth that has happened throughout the spring, and I think it gets us super excited as we are ending on a good note," senior middle blocker Joelle Mahowald said. "All around we have been working super hard, so I am expecting big things for tomorrow."
 
"We just had a really good practice getting ready for tomorrow, and we have had a little bit of success this year so I think the girls' spirits are high," MSUB head coach Casey Williams said. "Not only did we have five wins, but we got them with different personnel almost every time we played. It is a total team contribution right now, and I'm hoping that we get a lot of different girls in again tomorrow."
 
The Yellowjackets (4-1) enter their final contest of the year red hot having won each of their last five competitions. In a busy week at the outset of the month, MSUB defeated Rocky Mountain College in five sets, won three road NCAA Division II matches against University of Mary, Black Hills State University, and South Dakota School of Mines, and finished off with a three-set exhibition sweep of Miles Community College. "It has been a little while, but it has been super beneficial as well," Mahowald commented on the 12-day gap between matches. "We have been able to get a lot of reps in the gym and have pretty intense practices which helps when we have a lot of off time. Those five games were super fun. It was cool to see everyone come together and step in at different roles. Having those five games allowed everyone to see the court."
 
"Especially with us not being able to play a fall season, it was so important just to get that confidence," Williams commented on the team's successful spring campaign. "This whole spring was getting ready for next fall, and I think the girls have gelled together nicely. We have a great group right now, and I hope we just continue to build upon our tempo. We have seen a faster and faster offense as we have moved throughout the spring, so we want to continue to implement that."
 
Tuesday's match will be the final appearance for senior Maddi Vigil, who is completing a four-year career with the Yellowjackets. Entering the match, Vigil is tied for No. 7 in school history with 1,081 digs and ranks 10th in school history with 925 kills.
 
Carroll College Saints
2021 Record: 10-6, 10-6 Frontier Conference
All-Time Series: Carroll 23, MSUB 5
At Carroll: Carroll 9, MSUB 1
Last Meeting: September 7, 2002 – Carroll 3, MSUB 1 (at Billings, MT)
 
Tuesday will mark the first meeting between the teams in nearly 20 years, with the Saints topping the 'Jackets in four sets in September of 2002. The Saints have won 12 matches in-a-row and lead the all-time series 23-5 dating back to the 1984 season.
 
Off to a 10-6 start this spring, Carroll is being led by Taelyr Krantz at 3.39 kills per set, and Lexi Mikkelsen at 3.08 kills per set. Defensively, Julia Carr's 5.24 digs per set leads the team and Krantz is the top blocker averaging 1.11 blocks per set.
 
"We know that Carroll is going to be a good team, and they have had a lot of good competition this spring," Williams said. "We know they are going to be battle tested, and we just need to make sure we come out on our side and get ready to play some good volleyball."