Fifth in a series
Part 4 - Izela Alvarez, Volleyball Freshman
Part 3 - Maddi Vigil, Volleyball Freshman
Part 2 - Natalie Cabiad, Women's Soccer Freshman
Part 1 - Kylee Clarke, Volleyball Freshman

BILLINGS, Mont. – The ball leaves the fingertips of the in-bounder and Hannah Collins is gone like a flash of lightning down the court.
 
Bursting past defenders with incomparable speed, Collins captivates her audience – fans and teammates alike. The freshman guard on the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team is getting her fair share of action this season, averaging 11.2 minutes over the first five games of her collegiate career.
 
Playing behind four-year starting veteran Rylee Kane at the point guard position has been a key to her early development, as Collins has a prime example of an elite collegiate play caller. "Rylee has been a great role model, and she is always talking to me on and off the court," Collins said of the senior. "She has done a great job the past four years at MSUB and I want to continue that when she leaves. I'm just trying to stay connected to her and watch everything she does even when I'm not playing."
 
 
For now, Collins is taking on the role of a sponge and absorbing every last detail of Kane's work as the team's facilitator. In years to come, she may be the one head coach Kevin Woodin calls upon to take charge and

become the next quarterback for the 'Jackets. "Hannah is extremely coachable, and she is making the adjustment to the college game smoothly," said Woodin. "I think Rylee is a good mentor for her, but I also like exploring having both of them play together at times as well." 

Collins grew up in Great Falls, Mont., where her parents Marcus and Antoinette Collins settled when the former was stationed there during his service in the military. Her athletic career started with soccer and softball when she was young, but by second grade Collins had a basketball in her hand and never looked back.
 
Mostly, Collins just wanted to be like her older brothers Isaiah and Elijah, who were her original basketball instructors. "They were good teachers, and traveling to watch them play while I was in elementary school inspired me as well," Collins commented on Isaiah (23) and Elijah (22), who is now a baseball player at Kentucky State University.
 
Collins' own travel basketball experience started when she was in fourth grade, when her father's Lady Trailblazers showcased their team in different cities across Montana. "That was the age when I started taking basketball seriously," recalled Collins.
 
Her playing career took off from there, as she progressed through AAU basketball into the high school ranks at Great Falls High School. By her sophomore season Collins was the starting point guard, and the following year she piloted the Bison on a memorable and historic run to the state title game. "We beat Sentinel in the semifinals that year, which was the first time in 20 years that our girls' basketball program made it to the state final," Collins said.  
 

The ride ended with a 65-64 loss to Bozeman High School, but by the end of the year Collins' talent had reached the radar of Woodin. "Hannah caught my eye early in the recruiting process," said Woodin. "I knew her high-school coach from coaching against him when I was at (Billings) West High, and he spoke very highly of her. Her speed and ability to push the ball up the court impressed me, and I was fortunate that she accepted my offer before her senior season began."
 
Multiple factors played into Collins' early commitment to become a Yellowjacket, including a sense of familiarity she felt within the team. Taylor Edwards, who is a graduate of Charles M. Russell High School in Great Falls, was one of Collins' opponents in high school and was among those that reached out to her prior to her decision. "I talked to Taylor a lot before I committed, and she told me about the program," Collins said. "She definitely had a big impact on my decision. Coach Woodin also made everything smooth during the recruiting process, and I could tell that the chemistry between the players on the team was good on and off the court."
 
A minor injury during the preseason didn't deter Collins from making her collegiate debut in the Yellowjackets' first game of the year at the Academy of Art on Nov. 10 in San Francisco. The next night against Holy Names University, Collins scored her first-career point on a first-half free throw, and had her first-ever field goal in the second half. An increase in scoring in each of her last four games is evidence that she is improving and becoming more comfortable each day that she steps into the gym.
 
"What I like about her so far is that she is improving week-to-week," said Woodin. "I look for her progress to continue, and I believe she can have a positive impact on our season."
 
"At the beginning it was a little nerve racking, because I'm a freshman and I didn't want to make mistakes," Collins said. "I feel like I'm adapting well, and as games pass I am learning to be more aggressive. My teammates have had a lot to do with that, because they encourage me to attack the rim and be aggressive at all times."
 
As the Yellowjackets (5-0) prepare to open Great Northwest Athletic Conference play at home this week against Western Washington University (Thursday, 7 p.m.) and Simon Fraser University (Saturday, 7 p.m.), Collins will have her eye on continuing her current upward trend of production. Her long-term goal is to be the starting point guard for the Yellowjackets, but for now she's still acclimating herself to the competitive nature of the NCAA Division II level. "This year my main goal is just to impact the game however I can when I get playing time," Collins said. "Whether it is offensive or defensive, I want to be that spark when I get on the court."
 
It won't be hard to spot that spark on the court at Alterowitz Gym over the next four years, where the 5-foot-5 guard will call home as she works toward a bachelor's degree in business. When the ball is in Collins' hands spectators can ill afford a glance down to their game program; she can make more happen in a second than others can in four.
 
Collins has always had that head-turning ability, and for the foreseeable future it will be one of MSUB's greatest assets. "From the start, I was always the person to bring the ball down the court and play a point guard-type position," said Collins. "It is exciting coming in as a freshman and joining a team that has a great history. We have great depth and talent right now, and our potential to win and skill are there. Everyone on the team believes that this year is going to be a good one in terms of winning and making it far in the tournament."