MSUB SPORTS – "Ok ladies, go ahead! One for eight."
 
It's the call of the floor official at least a half dozen times per game when the Montana State University Billings volleyball squad is in action, but it's one that holds a much deeper meaning than simply a substitution for the Yellowjackets.
 
The well-rehearsed cadence signifies sophomore outside hitter Ashlynn Ward and freshman defensive specialist Mataia Roderick exchanging places with one another, and more importantly, a friendship rooted more deeply than within volleyball.
 
Ward and Roderick both graduated from Madison High School in Rexburg, Idaho, where the two developed into a formidable duo as complimentary players on the court honing their volleyball skills. The prior connection is a big reason why the two are finding immediate success at the collegiate level, and no one finds this more apparent than MSUB head coach Lisa Axel.
 
"The fact that Mataia and Ashlynn have such a tight bond between them has really helped both of them feel comfortable on the court," Axel said. "They are always cheering for the other when they make a big play, and I think the team feeds off of that."
 
Both players have emerged into starters for the 'Jackets this season with Ward providing the team with a powerful option as a hitter and Roderick fostering MSUB's defensive depth. Ward's 2.25 kills per set is the second-highest total on the team, as is her total of 29 block assists so far in 2014. "Ashlynn has become someone that the team can count on in pressure situations to take a big swing for us," Axel said. "She is very steady on the court and keeps the team focused during the match."
 
Roderick has been a weapon both defensively and while serving, as her 13 aces and 168 digs are both the second-most on the team. "Mataia has come in and done a nice job raising the bar for us defensively," Axel said. "She is extremely quick and pursues every ball on defense. Mataia has also really improved her serve receive since we started in August."
 
The connection has turned out as good as Axel and the Yellowjackets could have hoped for, and with youth on their side the duo figures to be a key building block for the MSUB program over the next several seasons.
 
Born and raised in Rexburg, Ward was shoehorned into a life of sports as she grew up with two older brothers and was always active as a kid. "I started playing club volleyball when I was in the fourth grade mainly just because it was something to do," Ward recalled. "I played a little bit of basketball and soccer when I was younger, but I started to get more serious about volleyball when I got to junior high. I let go of the other sports then, and I've been playing volleyball ever since."
 
Middle school also marked decision time for Roderick, as she determined that the entirety of her athletic focus would be directed towards enhancing her skills on the court. "In seventh grade I narrowed it down to volleyball and track, but in high school I wanted to focus more on volleyball," Roderick said. "I continued playing club ball in the offseason, and volleyball has always been something I wanted to continue with after high school."
 
Roderick's college aspirations came to a screeching halt during a practice her senior season at Madison. "I had played one game of my senior year and we were doing hitting lines at the end of practice," Roderick remembered. "I came down and fell when I landed, heard a pop and I just remember laying on the court bawling."
 
The anterior crucial ligament – emphasis on the middle word of the term – had given out in Roderick's left knee, and she began the recovery from one of the most hindering injuries in the world of sports. "I had surgery a week later but at some times it was a really hard struggle, especially when I couldn't walk," Roderick recalled regarding the injury. "The whole time, my dad did my rehab and he helped me learn some patience. I knew I couldn't do as much as I wanted to if I wanted to recover quickly, but I just felt like I needed to be on the court again."
 
Roderick's father, Jeff, applied his expertise as a chiropractor towards getting his daughter back up to playing speed. After watching her high school team from the bench, Roderick returned to the floor five long months later. "Once I got to start playing again, it felt like all the hard work and tears were worth it," Roderick said. "My family and my religion really helped me to stay strong and focus on the positive and never let myself get down."
 
While having the fortune to avoid an injury as serious as a torn ACL, Ward related to Roderick's frustration as she has dealt with a chronically sprained ankle. "I have sprained it about three times and it just takes you out of it," Ward said. "You just want to get back up and play as soon as you can, but you feel pretty restricted."
 
Despite the recurring injury to her ankle, the most difficult obstacle Ward has overcome throughout her career is a lack of confidence. "Within myself I've always had a difficulty of feeling like I'm not good enough and that nothing I ever do on the court will ever be enough," said Ward. "Having my friends and family around me, they have always been really encouraging and supportive, and over time I have gotten better with myself. It's nice to come into a college team where we are so family like, and I have 12 more sisters who never give up on one another."
 
Roderick, who stands at 5-foot-3, recalls facing similar insecurity as a younger player. "A lot of people told me that I was too short and that I'd never be able to play at the next level," Roderick said. "When I tore my ACL I thought that my dream of playing college volleyball was shattered, but I didn't want to give up. I pushed myself to return and play again."
 
With a roster of just 13 players, the bond that has developed between the Yellowjackets has proven to be unbreakable. The support of their teammates is a big reason why Ward and Roderick have already taken strides as young players within the program, and both explained how much they have learned about the game through playing with their peers.
 
"I look up a lot to Monica Grimsrud, as we are very similar players," Ward said regarding her fellow outside hitter. "She has taught me to just go in and get the job done, and that if you do it well things will get done faster and simpler. She has the mentality of not getting frustrated at anybody or herself. I like to carry that into how I play, but also into life as well. I try not to get stressed out ever really, and I don't let things get so far into my head that it kills me."
 
Naturally, Roderick has always looked up to Ward as a mentor and a player to strive to be like despite the difference in position. "Since we started playing together my freshman year of high school, she has always been super nice, positive and relaxed on and off the court," Roderick said. "She has helped me to be okay with everything, and if we have a bad point it's always, 'we will get the next one.'"
 
"Both Mataia and Ashlynn are such team players," Axel said. "They are always encouraging their teammates and a lot of times they get more excited for a teammate's great play than their own great plays."
 
Axel's comments are a testament to each of their personalities, which are fittingly as opposite as their positions on the court.
 
"When I first met her she was quiet and shy, and I'm not a very quiet person," Roderick said with a laugh as she recalled meeting Ward. "Once you get to know her she comes out of her shell and she is a character."
 
"I noticed her hair and her crazy, colorful designs on her spandex right away," Ward remembered. "She had the shortest hair and I remember thinking, 'this girl is a spark!' She was nothing like me at all."
 
Since the two first teamed up on the junior varsity squad at Madison, Roderick has always played up onto Ward's team as the two have remained side-by-side over the past five years. "We have had this connection, and people used to call us the 'deadly duo,'" Ward said drawing a laugh from both players. "No matter where she was on the court she would throw it back and I'd get there. Having that bond on the court where she could trust me to put the ball away carried over into real life. We have a trustworthy friendship, she has gotten me out of my shell, and we have become very close."
 
"When we played together in high school I always knew that I could give her the ball, and I would do it any time we had a close game or a tight match," Roderick said. "She was my go-to no matter where I was, we just had a connection."
 
Road trips during club volleyball further helped develop the bond between the two, as their antics and mannerisms began to draw more and more parallels. "Off the court we were always doing silly things," said Roderick. "Once when I asked her what her middle name was, I thought she said 'Roman,' but she really said 'Robin.' We ended up calling one of our plays in high school Roman. We have grown together so much over the last few years, and I consider her to be one of my very best friends."
 
Ward and Roderick have grown into lifelong friends, and their connection is one representative of the Yellowjacket program as a whole. "This year the team is so close, and we all get along and have an incredible bond," Ward said. "We really care about one another. To get back to the family aspect, those are your sisters out on the court and you would do anything for them. This year we are playing for each other and we just have a lot of heart."
 
"We all have the ability to play at such a high level," Roderick said. "Playing in college is just so much more fun than any other level, because it is so fast and intense and you're giving it your all in every game. When we are off the court we do so much together and I feel so comfortable with everyone on the team. To come to a new place I have never been and have 12 instant new friends I can do anything with is pretty special."
 
The unmistakable presence on the court that is comprised of Ward and Roderick has quickly emerged as a prime factor for MSUB this season. Each time Ward takes a powerful swing from the side, she is blasting away any lingering doubt that she was ever not good enough. Looking on in a crouched ready position is Roderick, sporting a bright yellow knee brace providing her with a daily reminder of what it means to never give up. The connection and friendship between the two is never more noticeable than when they converge, whether it be for a substitution or a postgame victory celebration.