WNMU kept their dream season alive with a 3-1 victory over MSU-Billings in the Heartland Conference Championship game Saturday night in Austin. The Mustangs (26-4) gained the Heartland's automatic bid to the NCAA Regional Championship next week in Kearney, NE by beating Billings 31-33, 30-14, 30-16 and 30-24.

Junior Stephanie Higgins (Biggsville, IL/) proved again why she is the best power player in the conference by posting 24 kills on the night. Jennifer Snowbarger (Oskaloosa, IA/Oskaloosa High School) and Janiel McNeill (Thatcher, AZ/) also reached double figures in the Championship, recording 13 and 10 kills respectively.

Courtney Heiser (Tempe, AZ/Marcos de Niza High School) accounted for 50 assists from her setter position.

Defensively Mehgan Watson starred for WNMU with 21 digs, but got help with 17 each from Jessica Lindgren (Albuquerque, NM/Cibola High School) and Melanie Tang (Honolulu, HI/Mary Knoll High School).

Higgins and O'Neill were named to the All-Conference team, and Heiser capped off a remarkable year setting by being named as Heartland Conference Volleyball's Most Valuable Player.