SAN ANGELO, Texas – The 15^th-ranked Angelo State volleyball team will open the 2020 season as the Belles travel to Odessa, Texas for their first two-match series against the University of Texas Permian Basin Falcons beginning Tuesday.
 
Match Info:
Angelo State (0-0, 0-0 LSC) vs UTPB (0-0, 0-0 LSC)
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Tuesday, January 26 | 7 p.m.
 
Angelo State vs UTPB
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
Series Matchup:
The last time that the Belles and Falcons played each other was in the Quarterfinals of the Lone Star Conference tournament where the Blue and Gold swept UTPB in three sets to advance to the semifinals. Angelo State leads the all-time series 14-6 against the Falcons.
 
Scouting UTPB:
The Falcons finished the 2019 season with a 20-9 overall record, 11-7 conference record, advancing to the quarterfinals of the LSC tournament when they faced the No. 2 seed Angelo State Belles to end their season. UTPB defeated the Dallas Baptist Patriots in the first round of the tournament in four sets, 3-1. The Falcons return one of their top players, junior Aquicia Strambler. Strambler finished second on the team in the 2019 season with 218 total kills for the Falcons, along with third-most blocks with 44.
 
Season Preview:
Following a 29-3 record last season, 17-1 in conference, and chalking up his 300^th win in the LSC Quarterfinals of the Lone Star Conference tournament, Head Coach Chuck Waddington is ready to show what his team is made of.
 
2019 Recap:
Taking a look back on the 2019 volleyball season, the Belles boasted the best overall season in the conference with a 29-3 record, and tying with the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith in conference play with a record of 17-1. Throughout the fall, the Belles would go undefeated at home for the second time in three years. Advancing to the Lone Star Conference hosted by Texas A&M-Commerce, Angelo State would receive a bye in the first round of the tournament for winning its division, matching with the University of Texas-Permian Basin in the quarterfinals of the tournament. ASU would sweep the Falcons in three sets to advance to the semifinals and face off against the UAFS Lions after they would defeat the St. Edward's Hilltoppers in four sets. Waddington would claim his 300^th win as the Belles head coach.

In the semifinal match, the Blue and Gold fought tooth and nail against the Lions in five sets as the two volleyball powerhouses would trade points back and forth until a block from middle blocker Sophia Berg would end the fifth set in favor of the Belles, 15-10, and advancing Angelo State to the final match of the tournament, where ASU would face its longtime conference rival for the last time in conference play, Tarleton State. Angelo State defeated the Texans in five sets, 3-2, to claim their tenth LSC Championship title, advancing to the NCAA DII South Central Regional tournament for the ninth consecutive year under Waddington.
 
Key Returners:
With so many new additions to the squad, Waddington will be looking for his returning eight players to lead this new team towards another conference title, including returning All-American, Kailyn Gilbreath.
 
Gilbreath returns to the court after having an excellent start to her Belle career with 386 total kills, averaging a .358 hitting percentage and 3.42 kills a set for the season, earning several conference honors, including LSC Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference, and was an All-Academic player. Gilbreath was also selected to the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association All-Region Honorable Mention team for her performance throughout the 2019 season. Gilbreath recorded a personal season-high 18 kills against the University of Texas – Permian Basin Falcons on October 19, 2019, and a personal season-high six aces against the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions on October 4, 2019.
 
Also returning for the Belles is senior setter Lindsey Ledyard, who accumulated 571 assists and 279 digs for Angelo State in her first season as well. Ledyard also recorded a personal season-high 28 assists against the West Texas A&M Buffs on September 20, 2019, and three aces against the Northwestern Oklahoma Rangers on September 7, 2019. Ledyard was named to the LSC Second Team All-Conference for her performances in the 2019 season.
 
Returning in her starting position at libero is junior Makenna Hanssen. Hanssen was a major impact on defense for the Belles as she led Angelo State in digs for the 2019 season with 459, averaging 4.10 digs a set, and played a huge role in the Belles winning the Lone Star Conference Tournament. Hanssen won three LSC Defensive Players of the Week honors and was an LSC Honorable Mention in the 2019 season.
 
Preseason Recognition:
Gilbreath and Ledyard were both awarded LSC Preseason honors, with Gilbreath being named the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Ledyard was named the Preseason Setter of the Year. The ASU was also selected to finish 1^st-overall in the Lone Star Preseason Coaches' Poll, tallying 37 of the 40 first-place votes. The Belles were also placed at the No. 15 spot in the AVCA Top 25 Poll.
 
Meet the Newcomers:
The Belles added three new transfers for the upcoming season. Nailah Gordon comes to ASU after playing at North Carolina State for three years. While at NC State, Gordon finished with 16 kills in the 2017 season, averaging a 1.07 kill per set and averaging 1.23 points per game.
 
Anamarija Mikovic joins the Blue and Gold from the University of Texas-El Paso Miners where she finished with 149 kills, averaging a .136 hitting percentage and averaging 2.07 points a set, ending the season with 186 points. Mikovic also averaged 1.18 digs per set, registering 106 total digs for the season.
 
Closing out the transfers is Alyssa Meyer. While at Hill College, Meyer was a First Team All-Conference member of the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference and was the Region V Offensive Player of the Year. She was a part of two Conference Championships and Regional appearances, along with two national tournament appearances.
 
The Belles also added six new freshmen, making up a majority of the newcomers. Delaney Fuller played for the San Juan Hills High School Stallions, winning bronze in the Redrock Tournament in Las Vegas in 2018, came in second in the SCVA tournament, or the Southern California Volleyball Association. Fuller was also awarded bronze in the Colorado Crossroads tournament to win a bid to a Junior Olympic volleyball team.
 
Elsa Lamphere lettered all four-years at Grandview HS, in Aurora, Colorado, where she was a part of the 2015 national championship team. Lamphere was also a two-time varsity MVP and two-time All-Conference Player for the Wolves.
 
Also joining the Belles is setter Hannah Shipman. Shipman was a part of the 3-5A All-District team, was a part of the 5A All-State team in 2019, and was an Academic All-State player in 2020. Shipman was also the 3-5A Setter of the Year for both 2019 and 2020 and was the 2018 3-5A Newcomer of the Year.
 
Chelsie Freeman, a middle blocker from Amarillo, Texas was the Offensive MVP for the 2-5A district in 2018 and 2019, while also earning All-Academic honors from 2017-2019. She also earned TGCA All-State Honorable Mention at middle blocker in 2018. Freeman was a three-year varsity letterman for volleyball and lettered in track & field for one year.
 
Sydney Mundkowsky comes to ASU from Gatesville, Texas where she was an Academic All-State player, was the newcomer of the year, and was a part of the All-District First team all throughout her high school career.
 
Finally, Erin Lyons comes to ASU from San Antonio, Texas where she attended John Marshall High School  and was ranked third in nationals her sophomore year on her club volleyball team.