FORT SMITH, Ark. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Volleyball returns home after passing the halfway point of its Lone Star Conference schedule last week.
The Lady Lions will host St. Mary's Friday at 6 p.m. and St. Edward's Saturday at 1 p.m. Saturday's contest will be the annual Pink Game for breast cancer awareness. Both matches will be streamed on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network with live stats also available at uafortsmithlions.com.
UAFS will also travel to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on October 26 for the UAPB Tri-Match to face University of Arkansas at Monticello and host University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
NOTES:
LAST WEEK: UAFS split its road trip last week, sweeping Eastern New Mexico before getting swept at West Texas A&M.
THINK PINK: Saturday's matchup versus St. Edward's will be the annual Pink Game raising awareness for breast cancer.
AT THE NET: UAFS is third in the LSC with 2.10 blocks per set. Middle blocker Chyra Thompson is fifth in the league at 0.96 blocks per set.
ACES WILD: UAFS leads the LSC in aces with 1.82 per set. Middle blocker Hannah Holland leads the league with 0.51 aces per set.
.385: UAFS had its best offensive outing of the year in the win over Eastern New Mexico, hitting .385 for the match, including an errorless .545 effort in set two. It was the highest hitting percentage for a match since September 6, 2019 in a win over Newman, when the Lions hit .432.
TOURNEY IMPLICATIONS: With more than half of the conference schedule complete, UAFS sits 11th in the LSC standings. UAFS will play the two teams directly above them in the conference standings this weekend as it battles for a home match in the first round.
RECORD WATCH: Libero Lexy Lewis is currently 7th on the all-time UAFS digs list with 858 career digs. She is four digs behind Autumn Reese for 6th. Middle blocker Hannah Holland is one ace and four blocks from joining the top 10 in both of those respective categories.
THE SERIES: UAFS has dominated the series' against the Rattlers and Hilltoppers since becoming an NCAA II member. UAFS leads 20-4 over St. Mary's and 21-5 over St. Edward's.
SCOUTING STMU: The Rattlers have won back-to-back matches and enter Friday's contest 10-6, 4-5 LSC. Outside hitter Alissa Tolbert leads St. Mary's with 3.45 kills per set and is second on the team with 4.14 digs per set, only behind libero Gabi Sandoval's 4.48 digs per set. The Rattlers are led by first-year head coach Laura Ulrich.
SCOUTING SEU: The Hilltoppers have lost two in a row and are 9-7, 4-5 LSC. Right-side hitter Lourdes Gomez leads St. Edward's offensively with 3.44 kills per set while libero Sarah Konovodoff paces the back row with 4.38 digs per set.
