KINGSVILLE, Texas – Just a month remains in the 2019 regular season for the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's volleyball team and the Javelinas find themselves in first place in their division in the Lone Star Conference. They'll be attempting to strengthen their hold on that position during a weekend at home that'll include two more matchups against LSC teams, including one of the few squads with a better record than TAMUK in league play.
The first match on the docket for the Javs is a Friday night clash against the Cameron Aggies at 6 p.m. inside the Steinke Physical Education Center in Kingsville, Texas. On Saturday, Arkansas-Fort Smith will visit the SPEC to take on the Javelinas at 2 p.m.
Their last time out, the Javelinas topped St. Mary's to move to 5-1 in the division, 6-2 in the conference and 15-7 overall. The Javs remain in first place in their division, a full game ahead of St. Edward's in both divisional and conference record. They have also reached the 15-win plateau for the ninth consecutive season.
"We've always been positive about what we can do," said coach Tanya Allen. "We've never really put a number on it. We knew we were capable of winning quite a few games. The upset over Tarleton was a huge win for us and I think that gave the girls a lot of confidence. The girls have what it takes, we just have to put it all together at the right time."
Defense continues to be the hallmark of this Javelina squad and sophomore Nicole Murff (San Antonio, Texas) continues to be a major reason why. She's 17th in the country in digs per set at 5.68, a number that is easily the best in the conference. Murff topped 30 digs for the third time in 2019 against St. Mary's, collecting 32 in a five-set victory. Murff has helped the Javelinas craft a mark of 17.87 digs per set, second in the LSC and 36th in the nation.
"She's a tough kid," said Allen. "We're definitely hard on her. We've been hard on her since last year. She's real receptive to what we're telling her. She understands what we're asking and tries to do it and I think because of that, she's improved."
Sophomore Jordan Wonders (Corpus Christi, Texas) has evolved into a major contributor for the Javelinas on offense. Over TAMUK's last four matches, Wonders has 45 kills to her credit and possesses a hitting percentage of .327. In the Javelinas' win over Texas A&M International, Wonders fired off 10 kills with a .471 kill rate and also finished with nine total blocks. Against the Rattlers, she reset her career-high in kills for the third time in 2019, totaling 15, her fourth time she's been in double figures in that statistic this year.
"Jordan's also a tough kid," said Allen. "We can get on her and she's receptive to what we're telling her. She doesn't get down on herself and she takes the criticism really well. We had so much competition for positions early on and now she's separated herself. She's consistent and is hitting for a really high percentage. Even with that, we're pushing her to get better and she's handling it great."
The Aggies and Lions enter the weekend on different ends of the spectrum with regards to the current season. Since taking their LSC opener against Midwestern State on Sept. 20th, Cameron (5-13, 1-7, 1-5) has dropped eight of nine matches, including their last three. They'll also be coming to Kingsville intent on snapping another losing streak, as the Aggies have dropped their last six meetings against the Javelinas, a skid that dates back to 2016.
The Lions are tied with A&M-Commerce for the second-best LSC record at 7-1. They are also 5-1 in their division and 14-5 overall. The 2018 Heartland Conference Tournament Champions put together an excellent start to the year, winning 10 of the first 12 matches on their schedule, but they've been a mediocre 4-3 since then, including a loss at the hands of Commerce on Oct. 12th. This will be the first ever trip to Kingsville for UAFS, though the Lions and Javelinas did meet in 2018 in San Angelo, a contest won by UAFS.
Cameron enters Friday's bout with an offense that includes three players averaging better than 2.00 kills per set, led by sophomore Sarah Wright at 2.35. Wright's season so far includes a pair of double-doubles and in her most recent appearance, she racked up 14 kills with a .375 hitting percentage in a loss to UT Tyler. On defense, freshman Caitlyn Henderson is averaging a team-best 0.85 blocks per set to provide coach Brandon Stephenson with a formidable presence in the middle. The back line includes junior Peyton Little, who is 12th in the LSC, averaging 3.80 digs per set.
Multiple players on the UAFS roster have put themselves at or near the top of the conference in certain statistics, including senior setter Amanda Van Wyk, who leads the LSC with a mark of 9.75 assists per set. Van Wyk has been setting for a group of players that've crafted the second-best hitting percentage in the conference at .263. The Lions also have three players in the top 15 in the league in kills per set, led by senior Anna Demmer, who trails only Torrey Miller from West Texas A&M in that statistic, churning out 3.54 kills per set. Not far behind is Rachel Williams in sixth and Lexie Johnston in 14th. Johnston is also second in the LSC in kill rate.
For complete coverage of each match, visit Javelinaathletics.com. Live video and stats will be available, as well as a recap following the final point. To keep up with Javelina volleyball all season long, follow @JavelinaVB and @JavelinaSports on Twitter and Instagram, visit TAMUK Volleyball on Facebook, subscribe to the Javelina Athletics YouTube Channel and visit Javelinaathletics.com. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy.
