Weekly Schedule:
at LaQuinta Inn & Suites Invitational, hosted by Arkansas Tech University
Friday, Oct. 14 – vs. Lindenwood (Mo.); 1:00 pm
Friday, Oct. 14 – vs. Sioux Falls (S.D.); 7:00 pm
Saturday, Oct. 15 – vs. Henderson (Ark.) State; 1:00 pm
Saturday, Oct. 15 – at Arkansas Tech; 5:00 pm
FULL NOTES (PDF)
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - - The Truman volleyball team heads to its fourth and final Invitational of the season this weekend when the Bulldogs head to Russellville, Ark., for four matches in two days at Arkansas Tech University.
The Bulldogs (10-8) will face future MIAA-foe Lindenwood (Mo.) University and Sioux Falls (S.D.) on Friday, Oct. 14, before taking on Henderson (Ark.) State and host ATU on Saturday, Oct. 15.
Truman is coming off a 1-2 week of MIAA play, seeing its record move to 2-4 overall in the conference through six matches. The 'Dogs opened the week with a three-set loss to then-No. 8 Central Missouri on Wednesday (Oct. 5) night before splitting five-set weekend matches with Northwest Missouri (Oct. 7, loss) and Missouri Western (Oct. 8, win).
For the week, junior Megan Sharpe and senior Molly Sinclair became the first Bulldogs to put down 20-kills in a match, as Sharpe totaled 20 against NWMSU and Sinclair added 20 against MWSU. Sharpe finished her week with 2.92 kills/set and a .346 hitting percentage, while Sinclair and freshman Allie Brak both put up more than two kills per set on the outside. Freshman libero Abby Moser posted 6.31 digs per set.
Following the Bulldogs:
Full coverage of Truman volleyball is available online at TrumanBulldogs.com, including results, upcoming game information and weekly updates.
When available, links to free online live stats are added to the Bulldog volleyball schedule page as well as the top of each weekly update.
Keep up with the Bulldogs by tracking in-game updates (when available). Follow Truman Athletics on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TrumanAthletics. Also be sure to sign up for TextCaster updates on the Bulldog homepage.
Checking Out the Competition:
Lindenwood (Mo.) “Lions” (13-9)
Currently in the midst of transitioning to the NCAA Div. II ranks, St. Louis-based Lindenwood University will meet the Bulldogs in a preview of future MIAA competition in the tournament opener on Friday. LU joins the MIAA next season.
The Lions have won seven of their last ten, albeit going just 1-1 against Div. II teams in that span. LU also competed at the SBU Purple Bash in mid-September, defeating three MIAA teams that weekend – including Fort Hays, Southwest Baptist and Northwest Missouri. Hitting .182 as a team, the Lions are led offensively by Ellen Fandry (2.82 k/s, .170%) and Katie Weber (2.29 k/s, .228%), with Weber adding 0.90 blocks/set on the defensive side of the net. Bulldog fans will remember the name, as her older sister, Lisa, was a Truman standout from 2006-2008.
Ron Young is in his 13th season at the helm at LU. Friday's meeting will serve as the first all-time meeting between the two programs.
Sioux Falls (S.D.) “Cougars” (6-17)
The Cougars, who are also transitioning to Div. II, will be future regional foes of Truman, as USF will be joining the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference starting next season. The Bulldogs only have one common opponent so far in 2011 with USF, as the Cougars were swept in the season-opener by Fort Hays State.
USF is hitting .173 on the season and is led by a pair of players averaging more than two and a half kills per set in Chanda Goedken (2.54 k/s, .152 atk%) and Emily Johnson (2.53 k/s, .123 atk%). Alyssa Chambers (80 blocks) is the team's leader at the net defensively, while a host of players handle digging duties.
Joel McCartney is in his first season at USF. Friday's meeting will be the first between the two schools.
Henderson (Ark.) State “Lady Reddies” (4-16)
Members of the newly-formed Great American Conference, HSU is off to a 4-16 record in 2011 and has been winless in six straight since Sept. 19-20, when they won back-to-back matches. The Lady Reddies were swept by Southern Arkansas on Oct. 6, a team Truman swept at the SBU Purple Bash in mid-September.
HSU is hitting .130 on the season, while opponents are connecting at a .193 clip. Averaging just 9.6 kills/set as a team, the Lady Reddies have relied on Ty Lindberg's arm this season, as she has swung 933 times at a .163 mark, averaging 4.09 kills/set. Lindberg is also one of the team's top defenders, as she is averaging 2.88 digs and 0.42 blocks per set.
Rhonda Thigpen is in her 20th season at HSU, and Saturday's showdown will be the 17th all-time meeting between the programs. Truman holds a 12-4 edge, including a 3-0 sweep the last time the teams met in October 2006.
Arkansas Tech “Golden Suns” (21-3)
Also members of the GAC, Arkansas Tech has put together a solid season entering this weekend's action, leading the newly-formed league with an 8-0 conference record. Truman and ATU have three common opponents so far in 2011, with the Golden Suns winning 3-0 against Southern Arkansas but losing to both Texas A&M-International and Arkansas-Fort Smith.
ATU is hitting .239 on the season and is 7-0 at home, led by a pair of players at more than three kills per set. Laura Farney (3.41 k/s, .254 atk%) is a top OH threat, while Sara Motsinger (3.05 k/s, .308 atk%, 0.78 blocks/s) is one of the top middle blockers statistically in the GAC. Setter Amber Cerrillos (10.41 a/s) is also an attacking threat with 146 total attacks this year, while Brennae Benda is averaging 4.49 digs/set along the back line.
Kristy Bayer is in her 8th season at ATU, following a successful playing career at Grand Valley State from 1997-2000. The Bulldogs are a perfect 7-0 all time against ATU, including a 3-0 sweep the last time the teams met in October 2006.
Always up for a Challenge:
Truman has played five teams that were ranked in the top-25 at the time of the match and 12 teams who currently sport a .500 record or above through the first 18 matches of the season. The upcoming seven matches gives the team a bit of a breather on paper, however, with six coming against teams below .500.
Middle Blockers Living Up to Name:
Junior Megan Sharpe is up to 294 career blocks, good for 10th all-time in Truman history. In addition, she sits just five back of former Bulldog Lisa Weber in solo blocks, who put down 67 in her three years at Truman. Sharpe also cracked the top-ten in block assists this weekend, reaching 232 to sit just three back of Janelle Zehr (1997-2000).
Fellow junior Emily Briseno is one back of Sharpe in the solo block category with 61.
Brak Hitting the Gas:
Freshman outside hitter Allie Brak has recorded eight double-doubles this season, including six in her last eight matches. In the past six matches, Brak is averaging 2.81 kills per set, 3.50 digs per set, has 12 service aces, and is hitting .196.
Moser on Record-Setting Pace:
Freshman libero Abby Moser is on pace for more than 725 digs this season, which would be the all-time single-season best by any Bulldog in program history. Through 18 matches, she's averaging 5.61 digs/set and more than 21 digs/match with 12 matches of 20 or more digs. She is already ninth all-time in program history with 20+ dig matches and was the first freshman to have 30+ digs in a match when she put up 37 against Minnesota State on Sept. 9.
Moser has ratcheted up her play against the nation's best, as, against teams ranked in the top-25 at match-time, she is averaging 6.31 digs/set. Earlier this season, she became the first player in Truman program history to receive the MIAA's weekly athlete of the week award three consecutive times. She also became the first Bulldog libero to win the award three times in one season.
Continuing the Tradition:
The Bulldogs rank 15th in Div. II?history in all-time appearances in the top-25 (156) and are tied for ninth all-time for times ranked in the top-10 (97). Since the year 2000, the 'Dogs have posted eight 30+ win seasons, a postseason appearance each season, two trips to the national championship match and seven MIAA?championships.
Up Next:
It's MIAA play the rest of the season following this weekend's trip to ATU, starting with three matches next week. The Bulldogs travel to Bolivar to face Southwest Baptist on Tuesday, Oct. 18, before hosting Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State next Friday and Saturday (Oct. 21-22).
