The CWU volleyball team will play Montana State University Billings (MSUB) on the road Oct. 6.

The Wildcats come into the matchup with an overall record of 14-2, including a 8-1 record within the GNAC. MSUB enters the matchup with a 7-8 overall record and a 1-7 record within the GNAC.

This will be the Wildcats’ first time facing the Yellowjackets this season after a 2-0 season sweep against MSUB last year. But even with the momentum the Wildcats currently have from their three-game winning streak, they are preparing for a tough test.

Although MSUB has a poor record, the Wildcats still want to approach this game well prepared.

“They [MSUB] were a young team last year, they have a year under their belt,” head coach Mario Andaya said.

With MSUB starting the season 6-0, they have since lost momentum in conference play, currently 1-7 in GNAC play. Senior middle blocker Sarah Joff says the team has not lost its focus.

“I think we’re really excited to put to work everything we’ve been doing the last few weeks and continue how we’ve been playing,” Joff said.

The chemistry of the team will play a large role in their GNAC success. Redshirt junior outside hitter Bridgette Webb talked about the team’s ability to work together.

“I feel like we really know our advantages, so whenever we are down we tend to look back on our advantages and then play to our strengths,” Webb said.

Joff echoed that team chemistry has been a pivotal strength of the team this season. The team has developed their chemistry through improved communication and trust.

“As a team we have lot of trust in each other and we’re able to communicate a lot better,” Joff said. “I think that’s definitely helped us grow as a team this year and pushed us to new heights that we never reached before.”

The one major worry about going into the game at MSUB is the travel. With the Wildcats playing at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho this Tuesday, Oct. 2, the team is looking to stay focused on what will be a difficult road trip.

“The weakness of being on the road is being out of routine,” Webb said.

As far as a game plan against MSUB, the Wildcats are trusting that the preparation will help.

“We got to make sure we are doing some nice things that’ll be tough for them to stop or handle,” Andaya said. “Really offensively, we have to set the tempo.”

With tempo being a key point the coaching staff has preached throughout the season, it is a game plan that the team believes in.

As the Wildcats prepare for these next few games, they will rely on the leadership of the team and stick to the game plan of an up-tempo game.