PREVIEW: Volleyball Triangular - UT-Tyler | LeTourneau (9/29)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
(UT-Tyler 5 p.m.)
(LeTourneau 7 p.m.)
SOCIAL MEDIA
UD Twitter: @UDallasSports
UD Volleyball Twitter: @UDallasVball
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics
Instagram: udallassports
THE LEAD
The University of Dallas volleyball team (7-10, 2-5 SCAC) takes a trip to LeTourneau University on Thursday for a Tri-Match. Dallas faces a pair of familiar opponents in University of Texas at Tyler and the host school YellowJackets. The Crusaders will play Texas-Tyler for the third time this fall at 5 p.m. and LeTourneau after around 7 p.m.
Dallas has won three of the past five matches including going 2-2 last weekend in the first Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) cross-divisional of the season. The Crusaders claimed set sweeps versus Schreiner University and Texas Lutheran University during the stretch.
UD NOTES
-Jessie Koster (Sherwood, Ore.) earned SCAC Defensive Player of the Week. The senior libero continues to pace NCAA Division III and SCAC leadboards in digs (446) and digs-per-set (7.18).
- Koster rose in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) for her dig total as well to the number one spot. Koster also shattered a school record in career digs with 2,472.
- Mairin Guilfoyle (Roanoke, Va.) has been on a torrid streak the last 10 matches, compiling 125 of her team-leading 184 kills. That stretch includes five double-digit performances.
- The senior outside hitter is the team leader is also averaging 2.97 kills. Against Schreiner, Guilfoyle eclipsed the 1,000 kill plateau and boasts 1,046 coming into the duo slated contests.
- Diana Hassink (Tulsa, Okla.) has contributed 221 digs and 117 kills for second and third, respectively, on the team category rankings. Mary Scholz (Fallon, Nev.) is second in kills by producing 150.
- Elizabeth Smith (Broken Arrow, Okla.) has notched 472 assists and is averaging 7.61 a set.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
(UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-TYLER)
The Patriots (10-4, 3-3 ASC) won two of three matches last weekend in an American Southwest Conference (ASC) crossover. UT-Tyler took wins in three sets over Concordia University and Mary Hardin-Baylor. The lone setback was a tight, five-set game with Hardin-Simmons. The fifth set was decided 15-13.
The Patriots are 7-2 in neutral site matches, which include a pair of victories versus Dallas earlier this season at Austin College hosted invites. Both setbacks were 3-0. Guilfoyle had team-highs in both matches combining for 13 kills.
Callie Reed leads the team with 108 kills. She is the lone Patriot over the triple-digit mark in that column. Macy Harris has 80 kills and Samantha Lee and Brieanne Brown both have 75. Rebecca Floyd and Reighanna Guzman have combined for 473 or the team's 579 assists. Emily Robison has 191 digs and leads a quartet of players with at least 100. Floyd (112), Guzman (105), and Samantha Polk (101) round out the unit.
(LETOURNEAU)
The YellowJackets (6-12, 0-3 ASC) have dropped the past three games – all within league play. LeTourneau is 1-1 at the Solheim Arena. That included a victory in five sets to SCAC foe, Centenary College.
The programs have met previously this year, with the Crusaders rattling a 3-1 victory in a neutral site match at Austin College the first weekend of the fall. After UD fell in the opening set, the next three went in favor of it with the fourth set punctuated by a 15-point triumph. Koster had 34 digs and Scholz added a double-double with a career-high 18 kills and 12 digs.
A trio of YellowJackets are over 100 in kills, led by Dolores Henson with 125 and Savanna Stutts closely behind with 122. Skylar Horan has 111 to complete the group. Nicole Mosley leads the assists category with 270, while Korissa White has 192. The back row is anchored by Kelsie Jeffries with 202 digs.
UP NEXT
Dallas enjoys a weekend off before gearing up for the first games at the Maher Center this campaign. The Crusaders start the month of October at the home confines after 19 games away and will be hosting a SCAC divisional. UD plays Colorado College (12: 30 p.m.) and Centenary College (5 p.m.) on Oct. 8. The next day, Austin College will face the Crusaders at 1 p.m.