COMMERCE– The No. 21 Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team returns home this weekend to face Angelo State and Lubbock Christian.
 
Game 1: No. 21 A&M-Commerce (10-3, 4-0 LSC) vs. Angelo State (13-1, 5-0 LSC)
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m.
 
Game 2: No. 21 A&M-Commerce vs. Lubbock Christian (8-6, 2-3 LSC)
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m.
 
WHERE: The Field House in Commerce, Texas
LIVE STATS: Click HERE
LIVE VIDEO: http://lonestarconferencenetwork.com/commerce
TICKETS: Click HERE
 
The Lions are coming off of a 3-0 week, defeating Midwestern State and Texas Woman's on the road before defeating Dallas Baptist at home on Tuesday. Head coach Craig Case liked the way his team responded on the road in those early matches, especially after facing some adversity early in both matches.
 
It's hard to win on the road in the Lone Star Conference," he said. "We struggled in the first set in both matches. I didn't think we played terribly in those first sets, but I think the other teams just played better that we were prepared for. Once we were able to put together how the other team was playing and what they were doing to try and stop us and we found ways to score, we were able to turn it around. Not only were we able to pick up road wins, which are tough to do in the league, but we did it by having to evolve and change the way we play. To get those wins on the road was really big."
 
The Lions then returned home and swept DBU. While the team did not lose a set, Case said the score was not indicative of how difficult the match was to win. He loved how his team came out and played, right off the bat.
 
"I was really pleased with how consistently our team played well on Tuesday against DBU," he said. "You see it all the time in a volleyball match, one team goes on a 4-0 run, then the other team responds with a 5-0 run. And both teams go on these weird runs. In that match, we played so consistent that every time DBU tried to make their pushes, we were there to do our jobs. I was really pleased with our whole team performance. We changed up lineups a little bit, we did some situational types of volleyball that are really important. And everything kind of came together."
 
The Lions now return to conference play, first against Angelo State. The Rambelles come into the match with a 13-1 record, including an unblemished 5-0 record in conference play. Case knows ASU will give his team a really tough challenge, and feels that it will take his team's best performance in order for a win to be achieved.
 
"They are probably the best team in the conference right now," Case said of ASU. "Statistically, they rank in the top two in almost every category. They have the best record right now. We are probably the underdog in this match, even though we are at home. We really have to show up and be ready to go and be excited about the opportunity. It's one of the things our team loves. Whoever we are playing, the better the team, the more excited we are to play against them. Because our team wants to see how good we are. Everybody Angelo puts out on the court is good. But that is the kind of match that we like to play in. I think we will be excited to play against them. We are not coming in thinking that if we play good, it will be an easy match. If we play well, it will still be a tough match to win."
 
The Lions will then face new LSC entrant Lubbock Christian. It will be just the third time in Case's career that he has faced LCU, and the first time at home. He sees a dangerous opponent who can beat anybody in the league. He knows his team will have to be ready to go in order to be successful.
 
"Then the next day, we get to take on a team that just beat Kingsville, and Kingsville just beat Tarleton a couple weeks ago," he said. "Lubbock Christian plays a really good style of volleyball. I have always liked how they play. They always have good setters, good liberos, good middles and their pins are always solid too. That is going to be an equally difficult challenge."
 
While it will be two tough matches, Case is also confident that the Commerce faithful will be there to support the team. He calls all Lion Volleyball fans to come to the match, as it will be a weekend of high-level volleyball in Commerce.
 
"The good news for Lion Volleyball fans is that if they can make it over to these two matches this weekend, they are going to see very high-quality volleyball matches both of those days," he said. "That is what I think is so great about our fans. They enjoy watching two good volleyball teams play and they look forward to that."
 
Tickets to all Lion Volleyball home matches can be purchased at WeAreLionsTix.com, by calling (903) 468-8756, or by visiting the Lion Sales & Service Box Office inside the Field House during business hours.