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WTAMU Hosts Lady Buff Challenge This Weekend
Oct. 16, 2003
The West Texas A&M University volleyball team will host the Lady Buff Challenge this weekend, welcoming four teams to The Box. The teams participating are Bellarmine, Oklahoma Panhandle State, St. Mary's and Eastern New Mexico. WTAMU opens with Oklahoma Panhandle State on Friday at 4 p.m., then returns to the court Friday night to take on St. Mary's at 8 p.m. The Lady Buffs wrap up the weekend by battling Bellarmine on Saturday at 4 p.m. {Complete Lady Buff Challenge schedule}
Complete Lady Buff Challenge Notes in PDF Format
WTAMU's NCAA-II Record Streak Snapped at 77 Consecutive
On Friday night, WTAMU was upset by Angelo State in five-games, snapping the Lady Buffs' NCAA-II record for consecutive wins in all matches vs. conference opponents at 77-straight.
The Teams
The Lady Buffs are 18-6 on the year, and 4-1 in LSC South action. Last week, WTAMU fell out of the AVCA Top 25 Poll for the first time since 1995, and among others receiving votes. {complete AVCA Top 25 poll}.
Bellarmine is 3-16, opening the season with 15-straight losses, but have won three of the last four matches. The Louisville, Kentucky, school swept Spalding University, 3-0, Tuesday, before making the trek West.
Eastern New Mexico is 9-12 overall and 3-2 in the LSC South following a weekend split with Abilene Christian and Angelo State. The Zias swept Wayland Baptist, 3-0, Tuesday night.
Oklahoma Panhandle State is 0-5 in its first year of volleyball in over 20 years. The Lady Aggies have yet to win a game, being swept in every match, and haven't played since Sept. 27.
St. Mary's is 11-9 overall, having won three of its last four matches, including sweeping Tarleton State last week.
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 154-16 (.906) career record. Graystone is six wins away from becoming WTAMU's all-time winningest coach, breaking Debbie Hendricks' 159 wins from 1992-'98. He already is the Lady Buffs' winningest coach by percentage. Graystone is 1-0 vs. Bellarmine, 5-1 vs. St. Mary's, and will be meeting Panhandle State for the first time.
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.
Bellarmine is directed by DeeDee Olmstead (Indiana), who is in her second-year leading the Knights. Olmstead has a 12-42 (.222) career-record.
Eastern New Mexico is coached by Mike Maguire (Mesa State, 1981), who is in his 17th season leading the Zias. Maguire has a 346-211 (.621) record at ENMU and 361-226 (.615).
Panhandle State is coached by Deb McWilliams, who also directs the Lady Aggie women's basketball team.
St. Mary's head coach Todd Caughlin (Athabasca, 1987) is in his third year at SMU, where he has a 50-38 (.568) record. In his seven seasons as a head coach, Caughlin has accumulated a 81-60 (.574) record.
Region Rankings
WTAMU is ranked fifth in the first NCAA-II Southwest Regional Rankings, released by the NCAA last 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 Southwest Region Rankings}
The Box: Home Sweet Home
WTAMU currently has a 36-match win streak in tact at The Box, which currently ranks 10th in the NCAA-II record book. The Lady Buffs have lost just five times in The Box in 13 years. WTAMU won a then-NCAA-II record 55 home matches from 1989-93. The Lady Buffs bettered that with a 57-match run from 1996-99. The 57-win streak is third-best currently in NCAA-II, followed by the 55-win run. New Haven holds the nation's longest streak, winning 109 matches from 1992-97.
WTAMU vs. Bellarmine Series History
The Lady Buffs and Knights met in the 1999 Lady Buff Classic, with WTAMU claiming a 3-0 (15-4, 15-9, 15-6) victory.
Lady Buffs vs. Lady Aggies Series History
WTAMU holds a 4-0 all-time series advantage, having last met in 1981. The Lady Buffs swept the Lady Aggies in all four previous match-ups.
WTAMU vs. SMU Series History
The Lady Buffs lead the overall series, 5-1, after losing to the Rattlers in four games earlier this year on Sept. 12 at the Alamo Classic Tournament, co-hosted by St. Mary's and Incarnate Word.
About the Lady Buffs
WTAMU leads the LSC in hitting percentage (.231), kills (15.80 kpg), assists (14.14 apg) and digs (20.44 dpg). The Lady Buffs are 18th in digs per game in the NCAA-II statistics (as of 10/12/03), 21st in kills per game and 22nd in assists.
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. Morgan, who was named Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the week following the opening weekend, is averaging 11.61 apg, 3.52 dpg and 1.69 kpg. Morgan leads the LSC in hitting percentage (.348), ranks second in assists and 10th in digs.
With 54 assists in Saturday's win over ACU, Morgan surpassed 1,000 assists on the season, marking the fourth-straight year that she has reached the 1,000-assist plateau. She is the WTAMU career assist leader and needs 279 assists to become the LSC career assist leader. She currently has 5,512 career assists in 441 games, for an career average of 12.50 apg, which presently ranks fifth on the NCAA-II career assists per game list, as well as 19th for career assists.
Morgan has achieved a triple-milestone that is very rare in college volleyball, as she has 5,512 assists, 547 kills and 1,247 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 3.70 kpg, and second on the team with 0.66 bpg. She pounded 58 kills in WTAMU's three matches last week, including 23 each in wins over ENMU Tuesday and ACU Saturday. Clark is fifth in the LSC in hitting percentage (.292) and eighth in kills. Scherr is second on the team with 4.02 dpg and 3.33 kpg. She had a 15 kills and 26 digs Saturday vs. ACU, and tallied 67 digs in the Lady Buffs' three matches last week, averaging 5.15 dpg. Scherr, a Kingwood, Texas native, ranks fourth in the LSC in digs.
Kacie Hyatt, a 5-5 senior libero leads the LSC and ranks 17th in the NCAA-II statistics in digs with 4.91 dpg. She was named LSC South Defensive Player of the Week last 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 28 digs Saturday against ACU and 28 digs in the win over ENMU Tuesday. She recently reached the 1,000 dig mark for her career, as she now has 1,342 career digs, and recently cracked into the top five list for WTAMU, surpassing Mindy Bennett's 1,304 digs from 1987-'90.
Freshman middle blocker Megan Spivey (6-0), leads the Lady Buffs in blocking with 0.81 bpg, which ranks eighth in the conference. Spivey, a Keller, Texas native, adds 2.19 kpg. She had nine kills and one block Saturday.
Cynthia Carter, a 6-0 sophomore middle blocker is 10th in the LSC in hitting percentage (.253). Carter, a Corona, Calif., native, tallies 2.15 kpg and 0.52 bpg.
The Lady Buffs have swept nine times, and have been swept twice. WTAMU is 5-1 in five-game matches.
About the Challenge Field
Bellarmine is 3-16 overall this season, but have won thee of its last four matches. The first win of the season was a five-game victory on Oct. 6 against Kentucky State. The BU Knights enter the weekend coming off their latest win, sweeping Spalding Tuesday night. The Knights are led by 5-10 senior middle blocker Erika Aimers who averages 3.05 kpg. Senior 5-7 setter Danielle Lillie averages 8.23 apg, while also racking up 2.55 dpg. Mary Beth Pecoraro (5-7, FR, defensive specialist) leads the team with 3.25 dpg.
In its most recent match against, Incarnate Word, Oklahoma Panhandle State was led by 5-10 senior outside hitter Cassidy Francis. Francis led the team with seven kills, tallied one service ace and five digs. Senior 5-5 setter Chelsea Mick had 11 assists in the game. In their previous match, a 3-0 loss to St. Mary's, the Lady Aggies were led by 6-0 sophomore outside hitter Diana Garduno with seven kills and four blocks. Mick totaled 13 assists in this game.
St. Mary's is 11-9 in the year having won three of its last four match. The Rattlers' latest victory came on the road at the hands of Tarleton State where they won in three games. The Rattlers are led by 6-1 junior middle blocker Misti Fischnar who averages 3.03 kpg. Fischnar leads the team with 0.89 bpg. Senior 5-10 outside hitter Molly Lowery leads the team with 3.15 kpg while tallying 15 service aces and a team-high 3.38 dpg. Sophomore setter Ashley Bird averages 8.29 apg while racking up 2.24 dpg. Bird has also tallied 19 service aces with a 0.31 sapg and 14 total blocks.
Eastern New Mexico is 9-12 overall and 3-2 in the LSC South following a weekend split with Abilene Christian and Angelo State. The Zias swept Wayland Baptist, 3-0, Tuesday night. ENMU is led by 5-10 junior outside hitter Anna Bellum, who averages 4.04 kpg, as well as 3.55 dpg. Bellum ranks fourth in the LSC for kills and ninth in digs. Grace George, a 5-11 freshman middle blocker leads ENMU and the league in blocks, with 1.16 bpg. Jennifer Bullock, a 5-9 junior setter, dishes out 10.21 apg, ranking seventh in the LSC.
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:
- 8/30 vs. Grand Valley State
- 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 154-16 (.906) career record. Graystone is six 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
Debbie Hendricks, 1992-'98 159-47 (.772)
Poll Positions
WTAMU fell out of the AVCA poll last week for the first time since 1995. 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 since the final poll of the 1995 season, when the Lady Buffs posted a 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 resume LSC action conference action next weekend, traveling to Stephenville, Texas on Thursday, Oct. 23, to take on Tarleton State at 7 p.m. WTAMU continues on to Kingsville, Texas on Saturday to play Texas A&M-Kingsville at 2 p.m.
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