BILLINGS, Mont. – Coming home from playing a pair of games in Alaska, the Montana State University Billings volleyball team squares off against Western Oregon and Saint Martin's this Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
 
From there, the team will also stay home next week for a non-conference, crosstown rivalry game against Rocky Mountain College, then a Saturday afternoon game against Seattle Pacific. According to MSUB head coach Casey Williams, this four-game homestand is favorable to have at this point in the season – especially after all the travel the team has done so far.
 
"We've been on this rollercoaster of really high highs and really low lows, so I think we need to find our groove as a team," Williams said. "We have a really good home presence, so I know playing comfortably in our home gym is going to be huge for us. Being able to play four matches at home is really a blessing for us to have at this point in the season."
 
Historically, the Yellowjackets have favored well in recent years against this week's opponents. MSUB has beaten Western Oregon in five of the teams' last six meetings in Alterowitz; whereas the Yellowjackets have a 22-6 record all-time against Saint Martin's – including a 13-1 record at home.
 
And while it has been several years since MSUB has played either team, the Yellowjackets have done plenty of in-person scouting against Saint Martin's in particular, as the Saints played at the Yellowjacket Invitational to open the season, then followed MSUB down to Hawai'i for Chaminade's Hawai'i Challenge.
 
"They're a good, scrappy team," Williams said of the Saints. "I think they have a strong offense, I think they click really well and they're pretty close to us from a physical standpoint. They have one go-to player, so I'm hoping we can shut her down and focus on our defense at the net."
 
ABOUT LAST WEEKEND: Speaking of defense, Williams cited MSUB's defense at the net, plus strong back-row play from true freshman libero Christine Funk as some of the bright spots from last weekend's Alaska series.
 
Playing against two undefeated GNAC teams who received votes in the last three AVCA Coaches' Polls, MSUB came up empty against Alaska Anchorage and Alaska in three-set losses. Both matches were mirror images of one another. Against Alaska Anchorage, the 'Jackets showed some gusto early, jumping out to a lead in the first set while playing in front of the biggest road crowd the team has faced all year. Then the team started out cold against Alaska, but mustered a comeback attempt late in the third set – mostly from critical blocks from Hannah Hayden (who finished with six total against Alaska), Joelle Mahowald and company.
 
"Morgan Walters, who does most of our blocking scheme, is good at teaching what we're looking for with our defense at the net," Williams said. "I think we have a lot of athletic kids in the frontcourt who do a really good job of staying disciplined and making good moves. It has been cool to see them blossom up at the net, and it also helps us be able to play defense around them."
 
"Our backcourt players have been able to make really good moves because of the front," Williams added.
 
So far, MSUB ranks fifth in the GNAC with 2.10 blocks per set; three of the teams ahead of them either are nationally ranked (that'd be Western Washington and Central Washington), or are undefeated in league play and received votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll (hello, Alaska). Williams says the strong defense up front also bolsters the back line and Funk, who impressed last week by making some tough reads against difficult opponents.
 
"Christine does a really good job of holding down that left back position," Williams said. "I definitely think that after watching some film and looking at the plays she made last week. It's been really cool to watch her play so far."
 
Elsewhere, setter Hannah Hashbarger cited positive leadership moments from Jahsita Fa'ali'i and others as one of the in-game highlights of the trip.
 
"I think there were a lot of really great leadership moments – especially from Jahsita," Hashbarger said. "She had a really great weekend before the trip, but last weekend was more of a battle for all of us. But I think she did a great job stepping up with her leadership skills by pulling everyone into the middle for an extended period of time, just letting us reset and slow down the game, which was super helpful."
 
Aside from the specifics of play, Williams also says the team's adaptability has impressed her so far. From starting the season 3-1 in MSUB's home tournament, to playing several challenging teams in Hawai'i, to the opening salvo of conference play, Williams has been impressed with how the team has been willing to make changes along the way.
 
"Another positive is being adaptable as a team, no matter what I throw at them," Williams said. "It's been good to see our girls being ready to go, plus our players stepping up off the bench and helping out the team."
 
Hashbarger echoed her coach's sentiments, specifically citing the dynamic between herself and fellow setters Hailey Carroll and Briel Norman thus far in the season.
 
"A lot of being able to be adaptable working with each other and supporting each other," Hashbarger said. "I'm really excited for what Briel has done and will continue to do; I'm really excited for what Hailey has done and will continue to do, and for myself and how we'll play this weekend."

STAT CORNER

• Bayli Monck (4th, 3.38 kills per set) and Skylar Reed (14th, 2.69 kills per set) both rank amongst the conference's top 15 players in kills.
• Led by Hannah Hayden and Joelle Mahowald – both of whom are in the conference's top 15 in blocks – the Yellowjackets rank fifth in the GNAC with 2.10 blocks per set.
• Libero Christine Funk ranks seventh in the GNAC's top-10 digs rankings at 4.05 digs per set. She is the only true freshman in the top 10.
• After the second set against Alaska on Saturday, Monck moved up to fifth all-time in program history with 408 career sets played. If Monck plays in at least three sets in both of this week's games, then she will move up to fourth all-time.

MSUB Volleyball Career Sets Played