KINGSVILLE, Texas – Less than two weeks separates the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's volleyball team from the start of Lone Star Conference play, but before the Javelinas dive into their league schedule, they'll embark on a road trip that includes four matches in four days in three different sites, beginning with a rare trip across state lines.
On Wednesday, the team will visit Arkadelphia, Ark. for a pair of matches starting with Arkansas-Monticello at 4 p.m. preceding a 6:30 p.m. matchup against Henderson State. Two days later, No. 21 A&M-Commerce will host TAMUK for a 6 p.m. clash before the week concludes in Tyler, Texas, where the Javs will tangle with the UT Tyler Patriots at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
TAMUK opened the slate with nine matches over nine days in two different tournaments, one of which was at home. They finished that stretch with a 7-2 record that included five sweeps and represents the program's second-best record through nine games since Tanya Allen took over as head coach in 2011. The only time the Javelinas got off to a better start was in 2016, when they began the season 10-1.
Excellent defense led by sophomore libero Nicole Murff (San Antonio, Texas) has helped the Javelinas get off to a hot start. Murff is tops in the Lone Star Conference is digs, averaging 6.44 digs per set while no other player is at a rate better than 5.48. Buoyed by the play of their libero, the Javs are third in conference in both digs per set and kills per set allowed. They've held four opponents to a kill rate under .100 and their .119 hitting percentage allowed puts them fourth in the league.
Murff has also helped her team amass more aces than any other squad in the conference with 63 and they're one of only three LSC teams to have three players with 10 or more aces. Murff's 14 puts her in a tied for fifth in the conference, with freshman Jordan Schenkel (San Antonio, Texas) is right behind her with 13 and sophomore Emily North (Red Oak, Texas) not far off the pace with 11. TAMUK has reached double figures in aces twice already in 2019 after never hitting that benchmark a year ago.
After two weekends of play in two tournaments, senior Melanie Casteel (Dallas, Texas) has already garnered recognition in the form of spots in the all-tournament team following both events. She's currently in the LSC's top 10 in both hitting percentage and kills per set. Casteel has led or tied for the team-lead in kills in all nine of TAMUK's matches this season while posting an attack percentage under .200 only twice and hitting above .400 four times.
Both teams the Javelinas will play in Arkadelphia are attempting to get their seasons rolling in the right direction after slow starts. Arkansas-Monticello stands at 2-6 under new head coach Jocelyn Garcia, but they posses on of the top outside hitters in the Great American Conference in senior Leslie Polanco. Polanco is currently in fourth in the GAC in kills per set. Henderson State's record is 4-4 and they're still seeking to string together consecutive victories for the first time in 2019. Libero Makenzie Thomas and her average of 4.73 digs per set places her fifth in the GAC.
A&M-Commerce will be the first ranked team the Javelinas face in 2019 and TAMUK will be searching for its first win over the Lions since Oct. 2nd, 2015, when they upset a 24th-ranked Angelo State team. A year ago, the Javelinas almost sprung a similar surprise on the Lions, who were placed 22nd in the nation, at the LSC Tournament, but TAMUK ended up falling in five sets.
Among the players the Lions returned from last year's team, which captured the conference tournament championship, is middle blocker and right side Shelley Chapron, who was named Preseason LSC Defensive Player of the Year for 2019. This came after year in which Chapron received Honorable Mention All-American recognition from the American Volleyball Coaches Association and finished in the top five in the conference in hitting percentage, total kills and total blocks.
The UT Tyler are in the midst of the their first season at the Division II level, but they're coming off the best campaign in program history after posting a 24-2 record in 2018 and rising as high as No. 16 in the AVCA's Division II poll. The Patriots have held their own so far this season, with a 5-3 record that includes five victories in their last six tries. Outside hitter Kylee Becker owns the seventh best rate of kills per set in the LSC while Taylor Stoops is in eighth in assists per set.
