KINGSVILLE, Texas – A year ago, the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's volleyball team nearly made a run through one of the nation's toughest leagues to the Lone Star Conference Tournament final. While they just missed out on a chance to vie for the league title, the Javelinas gave everyone a glimpse of what they could be in 2019.
The 2018 season was the eighth straight year TAMUK finished with at least 15 victories and made an appearance in the Lone Star Conference Tournament. The Javelinas' season ended in the semifinals of the conference tournament following an upset of third-seeded Angelo State and after the Javs nearly shocked the eventual tournament champions, A&M-Commerce.
The 2019 campaign will open up in San Angelo, Texas, where the Javelinas will participate in the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational for the third straight season. The tournament begins on Friday, when TAMUK will match-up against New Mexico Highlands at 10 a.m. and Northwestern Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. On day two of the season, Southeastern Oklahoma State and Fort Lewis will be on the docket for coach Tanya Allen and her squad.
"I think the team is extremely excited," said Allen, "as am I. It's tiring to see the same team day in and day out and its exciting to get outside competition and see what they can do. The players are pushing each other and demanding a lot. When we push them and raise the expectations they're responding well."
For the second straight year, the Javelina roster is full of new faces following a recruiting season that bore fruit in the form of eight student-athletes who will be donning the Blue and Gold for the first time. Over the course of the last two years, the roster has been completely turned over from the 2016 squad that reached NCAA Regionals for the first time in program history.
With the graduation of Madison Brabham, the program's first-ever First-Team All-American, and Haley Hutchinson, TAMUK's all-time leader in total blocks and sets played, the Javelinas have two major contributors to replace. However, the team still returns a group that accounted for more than half of the team's totals in assists, aces, digs.
Sophomore Nicole Murff (San Antonio, Texas) led TAMUK in two of those categories a year ago, setting a school record for digs by freshman with 594 and collecting the fourth-most aces in the conference. Her freshman campaign was highlighted by a 39-dig performance against St. Edward's on Sept. 20th, a total that stands as the second-highest in a single game in program history. The group joining Murff on the back line includes another second-year player, Alexa Ruiz (Schertz, Texas), senior Madelyn Perez (San Antonio, Texas) and newcomer Jordan Schenkel (San Antonio, Texas).
Sophomore Emily North (Red Oak, Texas) posted the highest assist total for the Javs in 2018 with 847, fourth-most in the LSC and will share setting duties with sophomore Lauren Kadilis. A native of Spring Branch, Texas, Kadilis spent her freshman year at Eckerd College, where she led the Tritons in assists per set.
North and Kadilis will be setting for a group on the outside and in the middle that consists of six returners and as many new recruits and also includes the two student-athletes who, along with Perez, make up the team's senior class.
Fourth-year players Melanie Casteel (Dallas, Texas) and Talleyshia Morris (Tulsa, Okla.) both finished in TAMUK's top five in kills and total blocks and each logged at least one double-double in 2018. Morris collected five blocks or more in eight of her last 10 games as a junior, including consecutive games with nine rejections in the conference tournament. Her .252 attack percentage was second on the squad, behind only Brabham.
Casteel is the team's top returning scorer after tallying 263 kills in a season that included a 21-kill day against Western New Mexico in her first home match as a Javelina. She had at least one kill in every match she played in in 2018 and ended the year on streak of 12 contests with one block or better. Joining Casteel on the outside will be returners Kelsi Luckenbach (Calallen, Texas) and Mia Soto (San Antonio, Texas), freshman Grace Gettys (New Braunfels, Texas) and transfers Roxanne Morris (Goliad, Texas), Meghan Merlino (Sacramento, Calif.) and Kapri Pelle (Auburn, Calif.).
Pelle and Merlino both came to Kingsville from Sierra College in California after leading the program to consecutive conference titles. Merlino led the team in kills in 2018 while Pelle topped the leaderboard in aces.
Another player who figures to play a large role for TAMUK throughout 2019 is sophomore middle blocker Kailey Estrada (San Antonio, Texas). Her 104 total blocks were the team's second-most a year ago and she also earned an attack percentage of .212. Over her team's last three matches in 2018, she piled up 17 blocks and 19 kills with a .325 kill rate. The middle will also be patrolled by sophomore Jordan Wonders (Corpus Christi, Texas) and freshmen Bryce Earl (Houston, Texas) and Tammy Jo Grohman (San Antonio, Texas). Of the twelve players the Javelinas have at middle blocker, right side or outside hitter, eight are listed at 5'10 or taller.
"I think, this year," said Allen, "we made it a priority to find kids that might be a little taller and it might be a little easier for them to block because our conference is so tough and if you don't have a really solid block, it's difficult to defend. But overall, we have really solid depth. Every player brings something to the table."
For this group, the season will kick-off in familiar fashion, as the Javelinas will start in San Angelo, Texas against New Mexico Highlands for the third straight year. The Javs topped the Cowgirls in each of their last two meetings and will be attempting to extend that streak when the sides meet again.
Of TAMUK's four opponents in San Angelo, Northwestern Oklahoma State is coming off the best season, having posted an 18-14 record, including 7-3 in neutral site games. They bring back a pair of all-conference players from their 2018 squad, in outside hitter Kiauna Clark and middle hitter Jennifer Eubanks. Last year's edition of the Rangers had their season end in the Great American Conference Tournament against the Harding Bisons, who would advance all the way to the second round of NCAA Regionals.
"We've stressed defense a lot," said Allen. "I would really like to see our defense shine. I want to put a lot of pressure on other teams. We've dabbled with the offense and with Emily returning and her knowledge of the offense, I expect good things. We have a lot of arms so I think the offense will come naturally, but I'm going to put a lot of pressure on our defense."
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.
