RICHARDSON, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler volleyball program has been selected third in the 2022 Lone Star Conference Volleyball Preseason Poll with 680 points, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday morning.
The Patriots made their first appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament last season, advancing to the semifinals of the 2021 South Central Regional Tournament before falling to eventual South Central Region Champions West Texas A&M by a 3-1 final. West Texas A&M will enter 2022 as the favorite in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll after receiving 707 total points and 21 first-place votes.
Angelo State came in eight points shy of the Lady Buffs in second place with 699 total points and 11 first-place votes, while UT Tyler earned seven first-place votes to come in 19 points behind the Rambelles in third. Head coach
Lyndsay Mashe and the Patriots are 27-2 in regular season LSC play over the course of the last two seasons, and 34-5 overall during that timespan.
In addition to the poll, three individuals were selected for preseason awards. West Texas A&M's Torrey Miller was named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Texas A&M Kingsville's Nicole Murff earned Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors, and the Lady Buffs' Blair Moreland was tabbed Preseason Setter of the Year.
Nearly 100 points separate the third-place Patriots and fourth-place Lubbock Christian, illustrating what many to believe a three-team race atop of the LSC standings between West Texas A&M, Angelo State and UT Tyler. Those three programs finished no. 1, no. 2 and no. 3 in last year's regular season standings, with Angelo State claiming the LSC Regular Season Title with a 16-1 conference record.
UT Tyler will have all the tools needed to challenge Angelo State for that crown as the majority of the 2021 production is slated to return for coach Mashe including 2021 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American selection
Mikayla Ware, and three All-Lone Star Conference selections in
Savannah Guzman,
Hannah Callison and Maiya Peña. That core was largely responsible for one of Division II's top offensive units in 2021 that led the LSC in kills per set (14.59) and ranked second in team hitting percentage (.244).
DBU and UT Permian Basin followed up the top four in fifth and sixth place in the preseason poll with 560 and 591 points, respectively. St. Edward's and UAFS rounded out a top eight that sat nearly 100 points clear of the ninth spot.
The complete 2022 LSC Volleyball Preseason Poll can be found below.
UT Tyler will get the 2022 season underway at the Oredigger Volleyball Classic in Golden, Colo. on Aug. 26-27. The Patriots will compete in four matches over the course of those two days, including a pair of match-ups against Colorado Mesa and Colorado School of Mines, two teams that were selected to the 2021 South Central Regional Tournament.
The Patriots will have to wait until Sept. 23 for their first home match of 2022 inside the Herrington Patriot Center against Eastern New Mexico.
2022 LSC Volleyball Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team |
1st |
Total |
| 1 |
West Texas A&M |
21 |
707 |
| 2 |
Angelo State |
11 |
699 |
| 3 |
UT Tyler |
7 |
680 |
| 4 |
Lubbock Christian |
|
586 |
| 5 |
DBU |
3 |
560 |
| 6 |
UT Permian Basin |
2 |
491 |
| 7 |
St. Edward's |
|
474 |
| 8 |
UAFS |
|
460 |
| 9 |
St. Mary's |
|
364 |
| 10 |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
|
363 |
| 11 |
Oklahoma Christian |
|
334 |
| 12 |
Texas Woman's |
|
283 |
| 13 |
Eastern New Mexico |
|
222 |
| 14 |
Texas A&M International |
|
188 |
| 15 |
Midwestern State |
|
145 |
| 16 |
Western New Mexico |
|
120 |
| 17 |
Cameron |
|
56 |
