COMMERCE - The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team is set for a tough test, facing two teams that are either nationally ranked or receiving votes this week at the Fight In the Fort, hosted by TCU.
LIONS' WEEKEND SCHEDULE
TOUGH PATCH IN CAROLINA
The Lions hit a rough snag last week in Pirate Invitational, falling in all three matches, though they did hit over .200 in the two of the three matches.
Kitana Tuufuli (St. Hedwig - Steele) was named to the all-tournament team after totaling team-best 33 kills in the three matches.
STRONG START TO THE SEASON
After dropping the season opener to Little Rock, the Lions caught fire to down Central Arkansas in five sets and Tarleton in four to start 2-1 to start the season, which is the program's best start to a season since the spring 2021 season.
SMITH CATCHES FIRE
Jade Smith (Houston - Mayde Creek) totaled 79 digs in the three matches at the Lion Invitational, recording just three receiving errors, which was the best in the Southland. As a result, Smith was named the conference's first Defensive Player of the Week, the first of the year. She had 29 in the win over Central Arkansas and 23 in the win over Tarleton.
WILKS CAN'T MISS
Avery Wilks (Mont Belvieu - Barbers Hill) was near-perfect in the win over the Texans, recording 10 kills in 11 attempts. For her performance in the Lion win, Wilks was named to the Lion Invitational All-Tournament team.
RARE START AT HOME
The Lion Invitational marked the first time the Lions are beginning the season at home in a non-COVID affected season since 2009. The other three teams in the Lion Invitational are Little Rock, Central Arkansas, and Tarleton. The last time the Lions opened at home was the spring 2021 season.
WHAT IS NEXT FOR THE LIONS
The Lions head to Houston next weekend for the Cougar Challenge, facing Houston, Tennessee State, and Ole Miss.
HELLO NEW LIONS
This season, the Lions debut nine newcomers in the lineup. Of the nine newcomers, two are freshmen, while seven are transfers. The freshmen for the program this year are
Semaj Cox (Missouri City - Elkins) and
Nevaeh Smith (San Antonio - O'Connor), while the transfers are
Ellie Baumert (Dodge, Neb.) from Texas Tech,
Brooke Box (Klein Collins) from UTRGV,
Kylie Bray (Concordia Lutheran) from Blinn College,
Gracie Campbell (Klein Oak),
Savannah Jennings (Rosehill Christian) from Lee,
MJ Klaumann (Emerald Isle, N.C.) from USC Upstate, and
Maselina Tuufuli (Saint Hedwig - Steele) from Pepperdine.
Baumert, Campbell, and Tuufuli competed for the Lions during the spring season.
GOING STREAKING
This season, the Lions are looking to make the postseason for the 13
th season in a row, which is the longest active streak of any program at A&M-Commerce.
TIDE ROLLED
Last season, A&M-Commerce downed Alabama in a five-set match on September 8 for A&M-Commerce's first win over a Power Five conference opponent. The Lions fell behind 2-1 in the match, but took the final two sets. It is the first ever win over an SEC opponent in school history in any sport.
BLAZERS TAMED
Last year, the Lions followed the win over Alabama with a win over UAB the next day. The Blazers took the first set, but A&M-Commerce took the next three sets, including a comeback from being down 23-17 in the second set.
A NEW-LOOK SOUTHLAND
The Southland Conference adds two members this season in Stephen F. Austin and UTRGV. In the preseason SLC poll, the Ladyjacks, a 2023 NCAA Tournament participant, were picked to win the SLC, while the Vaqueros were picked second. The Lions were picked 10th by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
2024 Preseason Southland Volleyball Poll
- SFA – 233 (17)
- UTRGV – 212 (3)
- Southeastern – 207 (2)
- Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – 198
- HCU – 159 (2)
- McNeese – 144
- Northwestern State – 120
- UIW – 89
- New Orleans – 74
- A&M-COMMERCE – 70
- Lamar – 53
- Nicholls – 25
SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM
This offseason, the Lions once again received the AVCA Team Academic Award, marking the seventh consecutive year that the Lions received the award, while also being among the top 20 percent in NCAA Division I.
RIVALRY RE-IGNITED WITH THE TEXANS
Last Saturday marked a historic moment for the Lions as they hosted Tarleton for the first time since 2018, the two rivals had played five times since, with four of the matches in Stephenville and a 3-0 win for the Texans at UAB last season. The Lions are now 2-1 over the Texans in the Division I era for both teams, while the Texans are 24-23 all-time against the Lions.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
For the first time ever, the Lions face TCU on Thursday afternoon. The Horned Frogs are 2-2 on the season, which includes a win over No. 18 Minnesota and the only losses are a road loss at No. 2 Nebraska and a five-set loss to No. 6 Wisconsin in Waco. Melanie Parra is the team leader with an average of 4.72 kills per set, while Jalyn Gibson is averaging 3.06 kills per set. Setter Lily Nicholson is averaging 9.8 assists per set and she also leads the team with an average of 2.94 digs per set. Sarah Sylvester has 23 blocks on the season. TCU is ranked No. 25 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll.
The Bruins are receiving votes in the AVCA poll this week and are 3-1 this season, having won on the road at No. 14 Georgia Tech. The lone loss came on the road to No. 17 Tennessee. Cheridyn Leverette leads the team with 48 jills, while Audrey Pak has 120 assists.
The Lions and the Panthers are meeting for the third consecutive season, with both teams having won on the other team's court. Friday's match is the first neutral site match in the series since the Lions moved up to NCAA Division I. Prairie View A&M is 1-6 on the season, the lone win coming over Alabama State last Saturday.
-TAMUC-
