UVU Match Notes
OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University volleyball team will conclude its season-opening 11-match road stretch at the Mean Green Classic in Denton, Texas, this weekend. The Wolverines will face Jackson State on Friday at 4:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. MT and both Abilene Christian (1 p.m. CT/12 p.m. MT) and host North Texas (7 p.m. CT/6 p.m. MT) on Saturday.
Live stats will be available for all three matches by visiting MeanGreenStats.com.
"It will be a good opportunity for us in Texas this weekend," said UVU head coach Sam Atoa. "They are not top-25 teams, but they will all be challenging opponents. We need to go in play with as much intensity and fire that we've had in our last couple of matches, and I'm confident that the girls will do just that."
The Wolverines will enter the tournament on the heels of a tightly contested three-set loss to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Tuesday. The Utes won the sets by scores of 25-22, 26-24, 25-23 but the match featured 33 ties and 14 lead changes. Sophomore outside hitter Macky Treanor led UVU in the match with 10 kills and a .350 hitting percentage.
Overall, UVU is 1-7 on the season, but four of its seven losses have come to nationally ranked opponents. The Wolverines have already faced No. 5 Washington, No. 10 BYU, No. 22 Kansas and No. 23 Creighton during the first couple of weeks of the campaign. UVU picked up its lone win in a sweep over UMBC at the BYU Invitational in Provo last weekend.
Junior middle blocker Lauren Bakker leads the Wolverines on the season with a 3.11 kill per set average, a 1.05 block per set average and a .254 hitting percentage. Treanor is next for UVU with a 2.53 kill per set average, while senior libero McKenna Tait leads the charge on the back row in digs (4.96 dps) and aces (0.40 aps).
About Jackson State
The Lady Tigers will enter the tournament with an 0-8 record after suffering a five-set defeat to Southern in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Wednesday night. Jackson State has also fallen to Denver, Texas-Arlington (twice), Incarnate Word, Louisiana Tech, Houston and McNeese State. The Lady Tigers are a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and were picked to finish third in the league's east division.
Mikayla Rolle and Taija Thomas pace JSU in kills on the year with respective averages of 2.26 and 2.07 and attack percentages of .266 and .226. Kianna Shelton is tops on the squad in blocks with an average 0.83 per set.
Friday's contest will be the first all-time meeting between the two teams.
About Abilene Christian
ACU will enter the tournament with an 0-6 record. The Wildcats have losses to Baylor, Portland, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas-Arlington, North Texas and Texas State. Abilene Christian calls the Southland Conference home and was picked to finish 11th in 2014.
Jennifer Loerch leads ACU in kills on the year with an average of 3.61 per set while Lexi Mercler is atop the squad in blocks with a 0.94 per set average.
Saturday's contest will be the first all-time meeting between the two programs.
About North Texas
The Mean Green will enter the weekend with a 6-1 record after taking home the Texas State Tournament title last week. North Texas has wins over Northwestern State, Mississippi Valley State, Stephen F. Austin, Wichita State, Abilene Christian and Texas State. UNT's lone loss came to Missouri in five sets on Aug. 30. The Mean Green were picked to finish fourth in the Conference USA this season.
Carnae Dillard paces North Texas in kills as she's averaging a whopping 5.35 kills per set. Holly Milam leads the way at the net with an average of 0.88 blocker per set.
Saturday evening's match will mark the second all-time contest between UVU and UNT. The Wolverines won the previous meeting in straight sets back on Sept. 12, 2008 in Orem.
Up Next for the Wolverines
UVU will return to Orem to host the La Quinta Inn & Suites Invitational next weekend. The Wolverines will welcome Idaho State, Portland and UC Riverside to the PE Building during the two-day Invitational prior to beginning WAC play the following weekend.
