| Match Info |
Opponent Info |
Texas A&M International vs. UT Tyler
TAMUI: 9-5, 4-0 LSC | UTT: 11-6, 4-2 LSC
Friday, Oct. 7th | 6 P.M.
Tyler, Texas | Herrington Patriot Center |
 |
ROSTER |
SCHEDULE |
STATS |
Texas A&M-Kingsville at UT Tyler
TAMUK: 11-6, 3-1 LSC | UTT: 11-6, 4-2 LSC
Saturday, Oct. 8th | 12 P.M.
Tyler, Texas | Herrington Patriot Center |
 |
ROSTER |
SCHEDULE |
STATS |
A CRITICAL STRETCH
UT Tyler responded on Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 sweep on the road against Western New Mexico following their second Lone Star Conference loss of the season last Wednesday against DBU. The Patriots began the game with an efficient offensive attack, and then leaned on a stout defensive output to finish the week 1-1 with the win at Western New Mexico. UT Tyler hit .458 in the opening set, .216 in the second set, and then totaled six of the teams 11.0 total blocks on the afternoon in the third and final set. Senior
Mikayla Ware posted 10 kills in 27 attacks, while classmate
Hannah Callison put down nine kills in just 13 swings for a .615 hitting percentage. Sophomore
Dakota Rogers-Hurtado put together a complete effort as well, posting eight kills in just 15 swings to go along with five blocks. The win set up a return trip home in which UT Tyler will now stay inside the Herrington Patriot Center for the next two weekends, with matches against Texas A&M International, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Texas Woman's and Midwestern State. It is vital that the Patriots pick up four wins, as following this weekend's matches against Texas A&M International and Texas A&M-Kingsville, we will officially have reached the midway point of the Lone Star Conference schedule.
WHAT COACH MASHE IS SAYING
On last weekend's win over Western New Mexico... "I thought that we played really, really well in the first and second set. We let up a little bit in the third set, but to go on the road after a long road trip and sweep is really good for the mentality of the team."
On a crucial back-to-back home stretch... "Moving towards the next few weeks we're going to be playing against alot of great teams that have great records. We are going to lean on our older player's experience and leadership as we move into the later stages of the Lone Star Conference schedule. They realize how important this upcoming stretch is, and I've already seen their drive intensify."
On her thoughts on this weekend's opponents... "They are both solid teams. We faced Texas A&M-Kingsville early in the season and it was a back-and-forth match. We know we will have to play well and really limit our mistakes against both teams. We are so excited to get back in front of our home crowd, not have to be on a charter bus, and really embrace the energy of our home gym."
THE MATCH UP
Texas A&M International has been one of the many surprises this fall in the Lone Star Conference, and currently remains as one of just two undefeated teams in Lone Star Conference play entering Friday night. The Dustdevils are 13-4 on the year and 4-0 in Lone Star Conference play, but will face unquestionably their biggest tests to date in LSC play this weekend after opening their conference schedule with wins against Texas A&M-Kingsville, Western New Mexico, Oklahoma Christian and UAFS. The Dustdevils have been driven by their offense in 2022 that ranks third in the LSC with a hitting percentage of .225 for the year and second in the league with an average of 12.58 kills per set. Emma Lade has been one of the best setters in the LSC this season, leading the league with 11.21 assists per set. Mackenzie Catalina (3.92) and Megan Menchaca (3.68) rank third and fourth respectively in the league in kills per set. The Dustdevils have been swept by 3-0 finals in both meetings all-time between the two programs inside the Herrington Patriot Center.
Texas A&M-Kingsville will take on DBU on Friday night before making the trip East to Tyler with an 11-6 overall record and 3-1 record in Lone Star Conference play. The Javelinas are playing their best volleyball as of late having won five straight matches entering the weekend, including back-to-back sweeps over UAFS and Oklahoma Christian. Balance has been the name of the game for the Javelinas in 2022 as they rank sixth in the LSC in both hitting percentage and opponent hitting percentage. Jackie Alanis (3.52 kills per set) and Ayanna Jackson (3.02 kills per set) have both been the go-to offensive options for Texas A&M-Kingsville. UT Tyler has won each of the last two meetings to take a 2-1 lead in the all-time series, including a 3-1 victory earlier this year back on Sept. 3rd at the OBU Fall Tournament.
HARD TO BEAT AT HOME
UT Tyler will enter Friday night's meeting with Texas A&M International having won 18 straight regular season home matches dating back to the 2019 season. The Patriots completed the Spring of 2021 season and the 2021 season with undefeated regular season records at home, and haven't lost a home match in the regular season since Nov. 15th, 2019 in a 3-0 loss against Texas A&M-Commerce. UT Tyler lost the 2021 Spring Lone Star Conference Volleyball Postseason Tournament Championship game against Angelo State by a 3-2 final on their home floor, but haven't conceded a regular season home match in three seasons.
RETURNING TO THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
UT Tyler returned to the receiving votes category of the AVCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll this week. The Patriots received five votes in the sixth regular season edition of the poll, marking the third time in 2022 that UT Tyler has appeared in the receiving votes category. UT Tyler opened 2022 in the no. 19 slot of the preseason poll back on Aug. 17
th, and then appeared in the receiving votes category in the week one and week three editions. West Texas A&M stands as the only other representative from the Lone Star Conference to appear in this week's poll, claiming the no. 14 spot.
AVCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll
| Rank |
School (First-Place Votes Adjusted) |
Total Points Adjusted |
2022 Record |
Previous Week |
| 1 |
Wayne State (Neb.) [47] |
1150 |
18-0 |
1 |
| 2 |
MSU Denver |
1115 |
15-1 |
2 |
| 3 |
Concordia St. Paul |
1082 |
14-2 |
3 |
| 4 |
Tampa |
1009 |
12-1 |
5 |
| 5 |
Nebraska-Kearney |
954 |
17-1 |
6 |
| 6 |
Minnesota Duluth |
910 |
15-1 |
9 |
| 7 |
St. Cloud State |
891 |
14-2 |
4 |
| 8 |
Southwest Minnesota State |
809 |
14-2 |
7 |
| 9 |
Alaska-Anchorage |
774 |
17-1 |
11 |
| 10 |
Northwest Missouri State |
717 |
12-4 |
10 |
| 11 |
Western Washington |
689 |
11-4 |
12 |
| 12 |
Washburn |
572 |
13-3 |
8 |
| 13 |
West Florida |
564 |
14-4 |
14 |
| 14 |
West Texas A&M |
541 |
13-4 |
15 |
| 15 |
Cal State San Bernardino |
474 |
13-3 |
16 |
| 16 |
Regis |
445 |
12-4 |
17 |
| 17 |
Cal Poly Pomona |
404 |
14-1 |
20 |
| 18 |
Barry |
389 |
13-1 |
19 |
| 19 |
Colorado Mesa |
280 |
11-4 |
21 |
| 20 |
Lewis |
264 |
11-6 |
13 |
| 21 |
Colorado School of Mines |
242 |
12-4 |
23 |
| 22 |
Wingate |
199 |
19-1 |
24 |
| 23 |
Central Missouri |
172 |
10-6 |
18 |
| 24 |
Central Oklahoma |
128 |
17-2 |
NR |
| 25 |
Cal State L.A. |
111 |
12-4 |
NR |
Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots: Hillsdale 66; Quincy 66; Harding 49; Central Washington 25; Colo. State-Pueblo 24; Ferris State 21; Chaminade 20; Clarion 18; Ashland 13; American International 11; Davenport 11; Augustana (SD) 7; Lynn 7; Point Loma 5; Texas-Tyler 5
6 teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 42 combined points
Dropped Out: Hillsdale 22; Quincy 25
A LOOK AT THE STANDINGS
West Texas A&M and Texas A&M International stand as the two lone remaining undefeated teams in Lone Star Conference play, and currently sit in a tie for first place atop the league standings. DBU, Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville all enter this weekend with one loss, while St. Mary's, UT Tyler and UT Permian Basin all have two losses.
STAT CHECK
UT Tyler ranks fourth in the Lone Star Conference with a team hitting percentage of .214 for the year, and fifth in the league with an average of 13.08 kills per set. The Patriots average the third most service aces per set with an average of 1.66 per set, and concede the second fewest opponents service aces per set with just 1.00 per set. Defensively the Patriots have limited their opposition to a .175 hitting percentage in 2022, eighth best in the LSC, and average 1.92 blocks per set, 11th best in the league. Ware leads the Lone Star Conference in both kills per set (4.44) and points per set (4.97). She ranks 10th in all of Division II volleyball in both of those categories as well. Sophomore
Adeline Ortman ranks second in the LSC with an average of 0.47 service aces per set, and fifth in the league with an average of 8.23 assists per set.
COACH MASHE
Head coach
Lyndsay Mashe is in the midst of her seventh season as the program's all-time winningest coach with 119 wins as head coach of the Patriots. Mashe is 119-47 (.720) as the leader of the Patriots. The 2021 Spring Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year is now 313-169 (.650) as a collegiate head coach after six seasons at UT Tyler and 10 seasons at East Texas Baptist.
RECORD WATCH
Guzman sits third in the program's all-time record books with 1,439 digs and counting. The all-time leader in program history is Megan McCarty, who totaled 1,763 digs in 408 sets from 2005-08. Ware currently holds the program's all-time record with an average of 3.77 kills per set and ranks seventh in program history with 724 total kills for her career.
