PREVIEW: Volleyball - Howard Payne University | McMurry University (10/29)
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THE LEAD
The University of Dallas volleyball team (13-17) concludes its regular season on Saturday with a pair of non-conference matches. Dallas will play Howard Payne University in a neutral site match at 1 p.m. After that, the Crusaders take on host school McMurry University around 3 p.m.
Dallas is coming off a 1-3 weekend in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) cross-divisional. The final match of that weekend was a 3-1 victory over host Schreiner University, which secured UD the 5th spot in the conference standings.
UD NOTES
- Dallas is 8-8 in contests outside of the league this season.
- Jessie Koster (Sherwood, Ore.) maintains her lead in NCAA Division III and SCAC for total digs (750) and digs-per-set (7.43).
- Koster is among DIII liberos being polled by Hero Sports as who thinks is the best libero in all of Division III. Fans can vote here.
- Mairin Guilfoyle (Roanoke, Va.) headlines the offense with 337 kills and is averaging 3.30 – both are career bests.
- Mary Scholz (Fallon, Nev.) is also having a career season. She follows Guilfoyle offensively with 257 kills and is averaging 2.45. Diana Hassink (Tulsa, Okla.) helps round out a trio of hitters that have surpassed 200 kills, with 201 this year.
- Elizabeth Smith (Broken Arrow, Okla.) has delivered 870 assists. The setter is the team leader in double-doubles with nine.
SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS
Howard Payne University (8-14) has lost the past two matches, going 1-2 last weekend in the American Southwest Conference (ASC) play. After topping Sul Ross State University in four sets, HPU was defeated 3-1 by McMurry and Hardin-Simmons University.
Leading the Yellow Jackets offensively is Shelbie Harry with 221 kills (2.66 k/s). Kailey Doering (185), Zhartezia Bradley (170), and Alyssa Beasley (145) round out the quartet of hitters with triple-digits in kills. Cheyanne Lovelady has dished 665 sets as the primary setter. Analisa Anzaldua anchors the defense with 402 digs.
Dallas is 9-19 in the all-time series against Howard Payne. This is the first meeting in 2016, but UD faced the Yellow Jackets twice last season. In a neutral site match at Austin College, Dallas swept in straight sets (25-15, 25-20, 25-16). In a matchup on Howard Payne's home court, the Crusaders were downed 3-1 (25-21, 24-26, 22-25, 21-25). Koster posted 37 digs and Smith had 31 assists.
SCOUTING THE WARHAWKS
McMurry University (16-9) fell in the latest matchup at Concordia University, 3-2. Prior to that, the Warhawks swept Sul Ross State and topped Howard Payne in four sets. Both those triumphs were at the friendly confines, where McMurry is 4-1 this season.
Justice McGowan headlines the offense with 208 kills and 254.5 points. Baylie Barnes follows behind in kills with 196. Six players overall have eclipsed 100 kills this season and helped the team compile 1,115. Katy Headrick rounds out the top half of that bunch with 189. Madison Fatheree and Emarie James have combined for the majority of assists with 446 and 364, respectively. Odalis Rodriguez has picked up 427 digs.
These programs met the second weekend of the season in the Austin College Invitational. Dallas dropped a five-set battle (18-25, 27-25, 25-16, 12, 15-9). Hassink and Scholz each posted 14 kills as Guilfoyle led with 19. Koster dug 36 balls and Smith had 38 assists. For McMurry, Barnes and McGowan keep notched 12 kills.
September 16, 2014 marks the previous matchup these squads played at the Kimbrell Arena. Dallas prevailed in four sets.
UP NEXT
Dallas gears up for the SCAC Tournament in Shreveport, Louisiana, next week. The first match for the Crusaders will be on November 4 against Austin College at 10:30 a.m.