PREVIEW: Volleyball at Millsaps Invitational (9/1 - 9/2)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
None Available
SOCIAL MEDIA
UD Twitter: @UDallasSports
UD Volleyball Twitter: @UDallasVball
UD Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics
UD Instagram: udallasathletics
UD Volleyball Instagram: udvball
BACK ON THE COURT
The University of Dallas volleyball team opens the 2017 campaign on September 1-2 in the Millsaps College Invitational. The Crusaders have four matches slated over the two days with LaGrange College set as the lidlifter at 1 p.m. Later that afternoon, the Crusaders play LeTourneau University from the American Southwest Conference (ASC). On Saturday, Dallas wraps up the opening weekend with Dillard University at 10 a.m. and Agnes Scott College at 2 p.m.
Head Coach Kelli Trautmann begins her first season with the Crusaders and will be back at a familiar venue. She was an assistant coach with the volleyball and track and field teams at Millsaps in 2014-15. While Dallas is not playing the host team, Coach Trautmann ought to have some comfort having coached in the Hangar Dome.
The Crusaders are looking to improve on a 13-21 record in 2016 and 5-9 mark in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) games. They were picked sixth in the preseason polls.
UD NOTES
- Dallas returns nine players from last season and has six newcomers that are all true freshmen.
- Mary Scholz (Fallon, Nev.) and Diana Hassink (Tulsa, Okla.) are the top two hitters from last season with 298 and 234 kills, respectively.
- Elizabeth Smith (Broken Arrow, Okla.) led the squad in assists for consecutive seasons with 982 averaged 8.18 a set, which ranked fourth in the SCAC.
- The Crusaders finished last season second in the league in digs with 20.20 as a squad. They were only bettered by Southwestern University (20.22), who qualified for the NCAA Division III Semifinals.
- Merit Paramo (Wasilla, Alaska) led the squad in her rookie season with 53 blocks.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
(LaGrange College)
- The Panthers are coming off a 22-14 record and appearance in the USA South Tournament Semifinals after marking a 7-8 conference result.
- Maggie Ivester led the offense with 319 kills (2.57 per set) and was second in service aces (34).
- Lauren Sanders contributed team-highs in aces (49) and assists (739)
- Madison Machurek is in her first season as the head coach for LaGrange.
- Dallas is 2-0 in the overall series. The most recent matchup was a 3-0 victory on October 29th in 2005. That battle was in Irving.
(LeTourneau University)
- The YellowJackets are coming off a 9-24 finish and 1-11 record in the ASC.
- Ashley Tiernan enters her first season at the helm.
- LETU returns Savana Stutts who had 204 kills and 36 block assists in 2016.
-The Crusaders hold a 22-9 record all-time.
- Dallas split two matches last season. They took a 3-1 victory in a neutral site contest hosted at Austin College. Scholz produced a double-double with 18 kills and 12 digs. Hassink and Paramo added seven kills each and Smith gave 30 assists.
- The YellowJackets edged UD later in the fall at home in Longview, Texas, in four sets. The Crusaders dug 118 balls and Smith contributed 42 assists.
(Dillard University)
- The Bleu Devils went 3-1 last weekend in the DU Volleyball Classic to open the season. After winning the first two games via sweeps, the second day featured a split with each decision coming in the fourth set.
- Dillard is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC).
- These teams have never faced each other.
(Agnes Scott College)
- The Scotties produced a 12-15 record and 4-11 mark in the USA South in 2016.
- Paige Heck paced the offense with 248 kills (2.76 K/S).
- Resa Knott and Alexis Smith combined for 75 blocks with Knott garnering 40. The duo each had 13 solo blocks.
- This preseason Agnes Scott was selected sixth in the USA South West Division.
- Joanna Ehman begins her fifth year at the helm.
- The Crusaders prevailed in their only matchup in history against the Scotties. It was a 3-0 sweep on the same date as this Saturday's match-up back in 2006.
UP NEXT
Dallas is back on the road for another major non-conference tournament on Sept. 8-9 at the Austin College Tournament. The Crusaders will face McMurry University, Sul Ross State University, LeTourneau University, and Concordia University.