KINGSVILLE, Texas — The Texas A&M-Kingsville volleyball program begins the 2022 campaign on Friday, traveling to San Angelo, Texas, for the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational inside of the Stephen Center at the Junell Center.
"It's a high level of competition," said coach
Tanya Allen-Gonzalez ahead of the opening tournament. "All four teams we're going to face this weekend are going to be tough, there's going to be a whole lot of big cannons coming at us, and it's going to be a real eye-opening experience."
Allen-Gonzalez's squad boasts several key returners heading into the 2022 season, including newly minted Lone Star Conference Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Nicole Murff, who is poised for a strong senior season after an impressive 2021 campaign in which she amassed 439 digs as the libero for Blue and Gold.
Along with Murff, the Javelinas return their top-five attackers from 2021, with sophomore
Ayanna Jackson and junior
Jackie Alanis each surpassing the 200-kill threshold.
Defensively Jackson led the way in blocks totaling 75, while senior
Kailey Estrada looks to continue climbing the Blue and Gold leader board in the statistic as she now sits eighth all-time with 252 total blocks.
The Javelinas kick off the season at 10 a.m., facing off with a talented CSU-Pueblo squad that received an invitation to the 2021 NCAA South Central Regional Tournament as the No. 8 seed, going 20-8. The Wolfpack returns three All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selections in the form of Jazzy Espinosa, Elaine Thibodeau, and Hannah Detor, with Espinosa making the first team after leading the RMAC in blocks with 1.21 per set.
TAMUK then takes on East Central at 2 p.m., with the Tigers welcoming 12 student-athletes back into the fold, as Alejandra Delgado, Thalianette Garcia, and Emma Strickland take the court after receiving second-team All-Great American Conference honors. Delgado paced the GAC in digs boasting 59, while Garcia posted 30 service aces and managed 292 kills.
Competition continues Saturday, with an 8 a.m. clash with Southern Nazarene awaiting the Javs. The Crimson Storm are looking to turn things around after a 2021 season that saw them go 11-16 before being swept by Oklahoma Baptist in the first round of the GAC Tournament.
The Javelinas wrap things up at 4 p.m. on Saturday as they take on a New Mexico Highlands team that blends experience with new faces, boasting six returners and six newcomers after an 11-18 2021 campaign. The Cowgirls were picked 11th in the RMAC preseason poll and are coming off a season that saw them snap an 11-year playoff drought while winning 11 games for the first time since 2014.
Fans can follow Javelina volleyball all weekend via Javelinaathletics.com, where they'll find links to live video and stats and a recap at the end of each match. Stay up-to-date with everything related to Javelina volleyball all season long by following @Javelina_VB and @JavelinaSports on Twitter, @JavelinaVB and @JavelinaSports on Instagram, liking TAMUK Volleyball on Facebook, subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube Channel and visiting Javelinaathletics.com.
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