Crossing the border to scorch the nets

When it comes to sports, Canada and the United States are two very different places.

But sometimes, the neighboring countries mix very well, and for the Montana State University-Northern volleyball program, the last four years have been one of those times.

Brittany Baker and Kaylee Bossert are two senior volleyball players at Northern. Baker is from Cochrane, Alberta and Bossert is from Calgary, Alberta. Both Baker and Bossert were born and raised in Canada, and with the success and experience they found in the volleyball world, both were welcomed with open arms to the Skylight program.

Baker played four years for Cochrane High School and was a member of the Canuck Club team for three years and Jaguars Club for one. And Bossert, the club team she played thee years for went undefeated and was crowned provincial champs in the 2005-2006 season. Bossert also ranked in the top 8 at nationals in 2005-2006 and was a member of the Dinos U21 Provincial national champs in 2006-2007, as well as participating on Team Alberta, which finished runner up at nationals in 2005-2006.

It was never the plan for Bossert or Baker to bring their talents to the United States, but that's just the way it worked out. Each had several college offers, and when it came time to choose, Northern just presented itself as the best possible place to call home.

This is Bossert and Baker's fourth and final year as a MSU-N volleyball players, but Baker's fifth year overall as she came into the program as a redshirt freshman.

MSU-N was the only U.S. offer for Baker, but bigger schools such as Edmonton were also vying for her talent.s And coming from Cochrane, a small town outside the city of Calgary, Havre has been a perfect fit.

"I think picking the smaller town was the better choice for me," Baker said.

Bossert started getting recruited in the eleventh grade from both Canadian and American schools, but turned down any U.S. offers immediately.

"I didn't want to play in the United States at all." Bossert said. "I just focused on my Canada offers, but when it came down to it this was just the better opportunity for me. Northern is a very good place for me and I plan on going to grad school, so I like getting my Bachelors with a small town feel before I continue to a larger university."

Making the transition from Canada to Havre wasn't as big a change as one may think either.

The biggest difference both Baker and Bossert found came mostly from rule changes and attitudes.

"For me it was basically the same," Baker said, "Except for a few differences in the rules. The libero can serve and the ball can hit the ceiling, but other than that it's pretty much the same.

"The attitude's a little different coming from a city to a smaller town and a smaller recruiting base," Bossert added. "We got a lot more playing experience than some of the other girls coming in. But it was a surprise seeing the talent from girls who just played in high school."

In Canada, volleyball gains a lot more attention. To many girls growing up, volleyball is a lifestyle. Unlike in the U.S., volleyball in Canada not only means four years of high school, but also as many or more years of club volleyball.

"We played club volleyball in the spring so we don't play any other sports except for volleyball," Baker said.

With their college careers winding down, both Bossert and Baker have been a part of the growth and improvement of the MSU-N program.

Five years and three coaches later, they both have also played key roles in that same growth and improvement, including a big win over Caroll in five games four years ago and a big win over Rocky last year. But they are also helping the Skylights in a big way this season, including a big win over UGF.

And as of now, heading into the conference tournament, both Baker and Bossert are amongst some of the top players in the conference.

Baker is No. 11 in kills per set, No. 19 in blocks per set, tied for No. 10 in hitting percentage and tied for No. 19 in aces per cet. And Bossert, after earning her way onto the All-Freshman team four years ago and All Conference 2nd team last year, she is now No.4 in kills per set and No. 4 in blocks per set.

The Skylights play their first-round Frontier Conference tournament match Friday at 5 p.m. against Rocky Mountain College.