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WTAMU Faces Challenging Weekend at ASU and ACU
Oct. 9, 2003
The West Texas A&M University volleyball team will take its nine-match win streak on the road for a pair of challenging Lone Star Conference matches. WTAMU travels to San Angelo, Texas on Friday to take on the Angelo State Rambelles at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the Lady Buffs will continue on to Abilene, Texas, meeting the Abilene Christian Wildcats at 2 p.m.
Complete Notes in PDF Format
WTAMU's NCAA-II Record: 77 Consecutive
Last week, WTAMU set an NCAA-II record for consecutive wins in all matches vs. conference opponents. The Lady Buffs extended the streak to 77-straight with a hard-fought four-game victory over Eastern New Mexico on Tuesday.
The Teams
The Lady Buffs are 17-5 on the year, having won nine-straight, and 3-0 in LSC South action. WTAMU fell out of the current AVCA Top 25 Poll, and are first among others receiving votes.
Angelo State is 7-14 overall, and will be playing their first LSC South match. The Rambelles have been streaky of late, losing their last four matches (swept in the last three), after winning the previous four.
Abilene Christian is 16-6 on the year, having its nine-match win streak snapped on Saturday, losing to St. Mary's in five games. This weekend will also be ACU's first LSC South action, as the Wildcats take on Eastern New Mexico Friday night.
The Coaches
WTAMU head coach Tony Graystone (Grand Valley State, 1992) is in his fifth year at the helm of the Lady Buffs. Graystone currently has a 153-15 (.911) career record. Graystone is seven wins away from becoming WTAMU's all-time winningest coach, breaking Debbie Hendricks' 159 wins from 1992-'98. He already the Lady Buffs' winningest coach by percentage. Graystone is unbeaten vs. both ASU and ACU, holding an 8-0 record vs. Angelo State and a 10-0 ledger vs. Abilene Christian.
Graystone was the fastest coach to reach 100 wins in the history of the NCAA. He achieved the accomplishment in only 106 matches. The next closest to reach 100 wins was Gil Dobie, who coach Boston College football, reaching the milestone in 108 games.
Angelo State is coached by legendary coach Kathleen Brasfield (Hardin-Simmons, 1969), who is in her 26th year leading the Belles, compiling a 618-345-2 (.641) career-record. Brasfield is one of only four active head coaches with 600 or more wins, and only the seventh NCAA-II coach to reach the 600-win plateau. She has led ASU to seven LSC titles and four NCAA appearances.
Abilene Christian is coached by Brek Horn (Angelo State, 1996), who is in her fifth year leading the Wildcat program. Horn holds a 105-52 (.669) career record, with ACU's highest winning percentage for a head coach.
Former Lady Buff standout Sarah (Butler) Carthel is an assistant coach for the Wildcats. Butler, a two-time NCAA-II National Player of the Year, was a three-time first-team All-American for WTAMU, leading the Lady Buffs to the 1997 National Championship. She is the WTAMU and LSC career leader for kills per game (5.25) and hitting percentage (.364), as well as the single-season kills leader (735 kills in 1999) and kills per game (6.07 kpg in 1999).
Region Rankings
WTAMU is ranked fifth in the first NCAA-II Southwest Regional Rankings, released by the NCAA Wednesday.
The Lady Buffs are the highest Lone Star Conference team, followed by Abilene Christian ranked seventh, and Cameron ranked ninth.
The region rankings, which determine who makes the region tournament, will be released on Oct. 22, Nov. 5, and Nov. 12, with the region tournament Nov. 20-22 at the highest seed. (Complete NCAA-II Region Rankings)
WTAMU On The Road
WTAMU is 3-1 in road matches this season. The Lady Buffs have won the last nine ASU-WTAMU match-ups at San Angelo, sweeping the previous four meetings. The Lady Buffs have also won the last nine meetings with the Wildcats at Abilene. The last time that WTAMU lost to both ASU and ACU was 1993, which was also the last time that the Lady Buffs lost two regular-season conference matches in a row.
Lady Buffs vs. Belles Series History
WTAMU leads the all-time series, 33-11 (.750), having won 19 meetings in a row, including sweeping the last nine. The Lady Buffs and Belles have met in the postseason twice, in 1991 and 1992 at the South Central Regional and in the first-round of the 1995 LSC Tournament. WTAMU won all three of those match-ups.
WTAMU vs. ACU Series History
The Lady Buffs lead the overall series, 38-5, claiming victory in the last 20 match-ups, sweeping the last five. WTAMU has met ACU in the postseason twice: in 1999 and 2001 at the LSC Tournament, with the Lady Buffs sweeping both times.
About the Lady Buffs
WTAMU leads the LSC in hitting percentage (.235), kills (15.94 kpg), assists (14.21 apg) and digs (20.12 dpg). The Lady Buffs are 12th in the NCAA-II statistics (as of 9/28/03) in assists, 18th in kills per game and 21st in digs.
WTAMU is led by two-time All-American 5-9 senior setter Kendra Morgan. The Amarillo, Texas native has recorded four triple-doubles on the season and was one-dig shy of recording another one in Saturday's win over TAMUK. Morgan, who was named Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the week following the opening weekend, is averaging 11.59 apg, 3.56 dpg and 1.79 kpg. Morgan leads the LSC in hitting percentage (.364), ranks second in assists and eighth in digs.
She is the WTAMU career assist leader and needs 384 assists to become the LSC career assist leader. She currently has 5,406 career assists in 432 games, for an career average of 12.51 apg, which presently ranks third on the NCAA-II career assists per game list. With 37 assists in the win over TAMUK Saturday, Morgan broke into the Top 25 for NCAA-II career assists.
Morgan recently reached a triple-milestone that is very rare in college volleyball, as she has 5,406 assists, 540 kills and 1,219 digs for her career.
A pair of freshmen provide the offensive charge for the Lady Buffs, in 5-11 outside hitter/middle blocker Ambra Clark and 5-9 outside hitter Jessica Scherr. Clark, an Amarillo, Texas native, leads the team with 3.68 kpg, and second on the team with 0.71 bpg. She tied a match-high vs. ENMU Tuesday, pounding out 23 kills. Clark is fourth in the LSC in hitting percentage (.293) and eighth in kills. Scherr is second on the team with 3.83 dpg and 3.32 kpg. She had a double-16 night Tuesday, registering 16 kills and 16 digs. Scherr, a Kingwood, Texas native, ranks sixth in the LSC in digs.
Kacie Hyatt, a 5-5 senior libero leads the team and the LSC in digs with 4.87 dpg. She was named LSC South Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this season, following her 30-dig performance in WTAMU's win over TAMUK. Hyatt, an Amarillo, Texas native, had a match-high 27 digs in the win over ENMU Tuesday. She ranks 29th in the NCAA-II statistics for digs. She recently reached the 1,000 dig mark for her career, as she now has 1,264 career digs, approaching the top five list for WTAMU.
Freshman middle blocker Megan Spivey (6-0), leads the Lady Buffs in blocking with 0.90 bpg. Spivey, a Keller, Texas native, adds 2.22 kpg. She had five blocks and four kills Tuesday.
Cynthia Carter, a 6-0 sophomore middle blocker is 10th in the LSC in hitting percentage (.262). Carter, a Corona, Calif., native, tallies 2.26 kpg and 0.50 bpg.
The Lady Buffs have swept nine times, including six of the last nine matches, and have been swept twice. WTAMU is a perfect 5-0 in five-game matches.
About the Opposition
Angelo State is ranked first in LSC Team Statistics in service aces with 166 (2.21 sapg). ASU is also ranked seventh in hitting percentage (.163) and assists (11.84 apg), eighth in kills (13.31 kpg), 11th in opponent hitting (.221) and 11th in digs (14.19 dpg).
The Belles are led by 5-9 freshman middle blocker Amber Smith. Smith leads the team with 174 kills (2.95 kpg), 17 service aces (0.29 sapg), 163 digs (2.76 dpg) and 27 total digs. Smith is also ranked fifth in the conference in hitting percentage (.279).
Another offensive power for the Belles is 5-10 junior outside hitter Lindsey Jones. Jones has tallied 172 kills (2.32 kpg), 22 services aces (0.30 sapg), 188 digs (2.54 dpg) and 17 total blocks.
The team assist leader is Amber Nelson, a 5-8 junior setter. Nelson has dished out 796 assists (10.61 apg) while also tallying 139 digs (1.85 dpg) and 15 total blocks.
Joslyn Banks, 5-10 outside hitter, leads the team in two categories with 29 services aces (0.43 sapg) and 43 total blocks and is ranked seventh in the LSC in service aces. Banks has also tallied 165 kills (2.43 kpg) and 53 digs (0.78 dpg).
Abilene Christian is ranked in all major categories of the LSC Team Statistics. ACU is currently ranked first in blocks (2.22 bpg) and second in hitting percentage (.214), assists (13.28 apg), kills (14.48 kpg) and service aces (2.12 sapg). ACU is also ranked third in opponent hitting (.164) and seventh in digs (15,71 dpg).
The Wildcats are led by 5-8 outside hitter Michelle Bernhardt. Bernhardt leads the team with 4.46 kpg, and records 2.73 dpg. Bernhardt is second in the conference in kills and third in hitting percentage.
Amanda Slate, a 6-0 sophomore middle blocker, leads ACU and is second in the LSC in blocks with 1.08 bpg. Slate is also ranked fourth in the conference in service aces with 47.
Another strong contributor to the team is 5-10 junior Libero Kellen Morrow. Morrow has tallied a team high 264 digs and is ranked ninth in the conference.
Haylee Hartline, a 5-9 senior outside hitter, has tallied 215 kills (2.87 kpg), 120 digs (1.64 dpg) and 36 total blocks.
Triple-Double Bubble, Toil and Trouble
Kendra Morgan has recorded four triple-doubles on the season and just missed her fifth, coming up one dig shy in Friday's match. Morgan, who logged two triple-doubles in one week alone, has earned LSC Setter of the Week twice and Sports Imports/AVCA D-II National Player of the Week honors once, along the way.
Morgan is the first Lady Buff to accomplish the feat since Sarah Butler tallied a triple-double on Aug. 28, 1998, vs. Nebraska-Kearney. WTAMU records are incomplete as far as other triple-doubles, but Morgan is thought to be the first to not only accomplish it multiple times in a week, but more than once in a season.
Morgan's Triple-Double Log:
- 9/9 vs. Lubbock Christian
- 9/13 vs. Incarnate Word
- 9/27 vs. Cameron
^ - one off of career-high
WTAMU Coaching Ledger
Head coach Tony Graystone is closing in on becoming WTAMU's all-time winningest coach, as he currently has a 152-15 (.910) career record. Graystone is eight wins away from becoming WTAMU's all-time winningest coach, breaking Debbie Hendricks' 159 wins from 1992-'98. He already is the winningest coach by percentage.
WTAMU's Top Five Winningest Coaches List
Poll Positions
WTAMU fell out of the recent AVCA poll, after being 25th last week. After beginning the season with a No. 12 ranking and climbing as high as ninth after the first week, WTAMU has slid out of the AVCA Top 25 Poll for the first time in a very long time, 1995 to be exact. The Lady Buffs were not ranked in the final poll of the 1995 season, ending with 30-8 overall record. WTAMU was not ranked in the poll for most of the 1993, '94, and '95 seasons.
Upcoming Schedule
The Lady Buffs return to The Box on Oct. 17-18, hosting the WTAMU Tournament. The Lady Buffs open with Oklahoma Panhandle State on Friday (Oct. 17), at 4 p.m., then take on St. Mary's at 8 p.m. WTAMU returns to the court on Saturday (Oct. 18) to meet Bellarmine at 4 p.m.
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