PREVIEW: Volleyball - No. 4 Southwestern, Texas Lutheran (10/22) | No. 18 Trinity, Schreiner (10/23)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
(Only Schreiner Match 10/23 at 4 PM)
SOCIAL MEDIA
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THE LEAD
The University of Dallas volleyball team (12-14, 4-6 SCAC) plays one final Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) weekend this regular season before hopefully getting a shot in the tournament November 4-5 at Shreveport, Louisiana.
Dallas will play its second SCAC cross-over on the schedule starting with No. 4 Southwestern University (10:30 a.m.), Texas Lutheran University (3 p.m.) on October 22. The next day, UD wraps up play with No. 18 Trinity University (10 a.m.) and host school Schreiner University (4 p.m.). In the earlier cross-over at Austin College a little under a month ago, the Crusaders split with victories over Schreiner and Texas Lutheran.
The Crusaders are 4-3 in games against league opponents since starting out 0-3. This includes a 2-1 divisional that was hosted and part of a current stretch where UD has won five-of-seven. Dallas enters the weekend in fifth place and looks to conclude the conference regular season in one of the top six spots.
UD NOTES
- Jessie Koster (Sherwood, Ore.) maintained her lead in the NCAA Division III and SCAC statistical rankings with 687 digs and 7.55 digs-per-set.
- Mairin Guilfoyle (Roanoke, Va.) is the team leader with 292 kills and is averaging a 3.28-clip per frame. Guilfoyle ranks 4th in the conference for total kills and rounds out the top five for kills-per-set.
- Mary Scholz (Fallon, Nev.) continues her career season with 230 kill and is averaging 2.50 a set. The sophomore has tallied 82 kills against league opponents, which includes a combination of 31 in the most recent conference slate.
- Elizabeth Smith also is displaying a career year in her second full season as the setter. Smith has accumulated 772 assists (8.21 per set – 4th SCAC). She also has logged 228 digs and 94 kills.
- Merit Paramo (Wasilla, Alaska) is the team leader in blocks with 49. This includes 36 block assists. Kyndal Miller (Crockett, Texas) has contributed 33 blocks in the middle, with 25 being block assists.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
(No. 4 Southwestern University)
The Pirates (24-1, 9-1 SCAC) have won five straight since being handed their lone blemish on the schedule this year. That setback was to another ranked opponent in the American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA), Trinity University. Southwestern most recently swept Univeristy of Mary Hardin-Baylor on Wednesday. Two other wins in this recent five-game stretch were also against top 25 teams out of conference.
The fourth ranked Pirates are led by Kate Mitchell with 301 kills (2nd SCAC). She is followed by Jamison Duck with 224 kills. Piper Sisemore completes the top three in kills with 220. All players within the trio are averaging at least a 2.59-clip in kills average. Nikki Welch has compiled 961 assists (10.68 average).
Dallas fell 3-0 in the previous meeting at Austin College. Set scores were 25-18, 25-17, and 28-26. Guilfoyle boasted 16 kills and Koster had 25 digs. Mitchell and Haley Yu tied team-highs in kills with nine apiece.
(Texas Lutheran University)
The Bulldogs (10-12, 3-7 SCAC) are in sixth place in the SCAC rankings coming into Saturday. TLU has dropped the past two matches. Last Saturday, a pair of setbacks to Hendrix College and Berry College completed a quartet of matches over a two-day stretch in Georgia. The previous day, TLU started with a loss to Hendrix and knocked off Oglethorpe University.
Kristin Fording highlights the offense with 271 kills and is averaging 3.52 kills-per-set. Also in the trio of athletes with over 100 kills includes Mackenzie Zamarripa with 159 and Makenzie Griffin with 142. Jaci Chambers and Kaci Pecht have shared time as setters on the court with Chambers earning 413 and Pecht 225. Mathis Popelsky has led the defense with 414 digs and Fording is second on the squad with 303. Carlie Childres has notched 59 blocks.
Dallas swept the Bulldogs in the first meeting at Austin College this season. The set scores were decided by five points or under: 25-20, 25-23, 26-24. Guilfoyle clobbered 16 kills and Diana Hassink (Tulsa, Okla.) added nine. Koster logged 34 digs and Smith had 36 assists. TLU's Fording smashed 14 kills.
(No. 18 Trinity University)
The Tigers (18-6, 9-1 SCAC) are the third team to place in the top 25, as Colorado College ranks 6th in the latest polls. Trinity is tied with Southwestern atop the conference standings. Our Lady of the Lake did defeat Trinity however on Wednesday in four sets. Prior to that, TU had won five in a row this month, including an upset over Southwestern.
Trinity holds the SCAC's leader in kills with Kirby Smith pounding 303 (3.52 per set). Madeline McKay has contributed 221 and Jade Schoenberger with 161. The quintet of Tigers over 100 kills is rounded out by Rebecca Hayes (146) and Maggi Linker (107). As a team, Trinity is hitting a .235 kill percentage and totaling 1,065 kills on the year. Erika Edrington has 764 assists (10.19 per set)
Dallas was swept 3-0 against the Tigers earlier this season in Sherman, Texas. The set scores were 25-13, 25-16, 25-9. Guilfoyle made eight kills for a team-high. K. Smith had a game-high 12 and Schoenberger added 10.
(Schreiner University)
The Mountaineers (3-19, 0-10 SCAC) have dropped their past ten matches. The most recent was in four sets to Huston-Tillotson on Tuesday. Schreiner is 1-1 at home this season, as it hosts its first SCAC cross-over divisional since joining the league in 2013.
Mackinley Zimmerle leads the offense barely in kills with 141. Delanie Cauthen is just behind with 140 kills. Kelsey Hamrick completes the top three hitters with 115 kills. Ashley Myers has posted 485 of the team's 630 assists. Nichole West anchors the defense with 328 digs.
Dallas swept the Mountaineers at Austin College earlier this season. The set scores were 25-17, 25-19, 25-18. Schloz led with nine kills. Guilfoyle and Hassink each delivered eight kills. Koster had 23 digs. Zimmerle led SU with 11 kills and Hamrick chipped in eight as they combined for 19-of-25 team kills.
UP NEXT
On Oct. 29, Dallas wraps up the regular season with two non-conference games at McMurry University. The Crusaders will face Howard Payne University on a neutral court at 1 p.m. before taking on the host school around 3 p.m.