SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State volleyball team closes out their home schedule this weekend when they welcome UAFS and Oklahoma Christian into the Junell Center - Stephens Arena. Friday's match against the Lions is the Rambelles' Senior Day where they will honor five seniors - Laney Dale, Hannah Kinnison, Elsa Lamphere, Marina Sanchez and Maya Smalls - before the match. Saturday's match against the Eagles is Military Appreciation Day for the Belles. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Belles split on the road last weekend, as they opened their weekend by being swept by Texas A&M-Kingsville before bouncing back to sweep Texas A&M International. Hannah Kinnison averaged 3.33 kills per set and hit .267 for the weekend. Laney Dale averaged 5.83 assists per set, and Ireland Ferguson and Caleigh Enax had 18 digs apeice across the two matches to lead the Belles. Marina Sanchez averaged 1.50 blocks per set as the Belles held their opponents to a .171 hitting percentage. 

DALE MAKES HISTORY
After joining the 1,000-assist club a couple of weeks ago, senior setter Laney Dale moved herself up to seventh all-time on the ASU career assists list (rally-scoring era, since 2001); she now sits on 1,114 assists for the Blue and Gold and is 30 assists away from sixth-place Alexa Johnson (2014), who recorded 1,144 assists. 

BELLES IN THE POLLS

•     The Belles are receiving 48 votes in the AVCA Top 25, the second-highest placed LSC team in the AVCA poll and just three positions out of the top 25. 
•     The Belles ended the 2022 season as the eighth-ranked team in the LSC standings, qualifying for the LSC Tournament. The Belles have qualified for the tournament every season under Waddington. 
•     The Belles were picked fifth in the LSC Preseason Poll behind West Texas A&M, UT Tyler, DBU, and Texas A&M-Kingsville.
•     They are one of three LSC teams to appear in the poll, joining fifth-ranked West Texas A&M and receiving votes Texas A&M-Kingsville.
•     The Belles started the 2022 season ranked 13th in the country before dropping to 23rd the following week and falling out of the poll the next week, failing to rejoin at any point during the rest of the season. 
•     The Belles started the 2021 season ranked first in the country off the heels of the 2021 AVCA National Championship; they spent the entire 2021 season within the top 25 of the poll. 

Game 1
RV Angelo State vs. UAFS
Friday, November 3rd - 6 p.m.
Junell Center - Stephens Arena

The Lions are 19-5 on the season and 9-2 in conference play, with their only two losses coming to West Texas A&M and DBU. The Lions are 6-3 on the road this season, with both LSC losses coming away from Fort Smith. 

The Lions put down 13.50 kills per set on a .225 hitting percentage. Hannah Watkins is eighth in the LSC with a .331 attack percentage while teammate Caelyn Gunn is eighth with 3.28 kills per set. Setter Chloe Price is second in the league with 10.01 assists per set. 

The matchup will see the conference's two best defensive units face off, with the Belles holding opponents to a .153 hitting percentage while the Lions hold opponents to a .154 clip. Watkins is fourth in the conference with 1.16 blocks per set, and libero Paola Fragalle is third with 5.08 digs per set. 

LAST TIME VS. UAFS
The Belles downed the Lions in five sets at the LSC Crossover back on September 16th. Evelyn Torres set a new career-high with 18 kills, and teammates Elsa Lamphere and Hannah Kinnison had 16 kills each. Laney Dale had 30 assists and Kayla Baer assisted 23 times, and libero Caleigh Enax led all players with 30 digs. Gunn had 17 kills for the Lions, and Price had a 42-assist, 21-dig double-double. 

Game 2
RV Angelo State vs. Oklahoma Christian
Saturday, November 4th - 2 p.m. 
Junell Center - Stephens Arena

The Eagles are 13-12 on the season and 5-7 in LSC play; the Eagles won twice this past weekend, which snapped a four-match losing streak. The Eagles are 6-6 on the road this season. These two teams have split their two matchups all-time, with the home team winning each time. 

The Eagles average 11.56 kills per set on a .186 hitting percentage. Annie Davis and Girogia Turri lead the attack, with both over 200 kills on the season. Middle Camryn McGough leads the squad with a .352 hitting percentage, which is fourth in the LSC. Turri also leads the conference with 0.57 aces per set. 

The Eagles average 14.43 digs per set and 2.32 blocks per set; they rank third in the LSC in blocks and last in digs. Megan Rek is second in the league with 1.17 blocks per set while McGough ranks eighth. Brylie Berryman leads the team with 3.84 digs per set. 

LAST TIME VS. OC
The Belles fell to the Eagles last season in Oklahoma City in a five-set classic between the two teams. Elsa Lamphere recorded a career-high 22 kills while Laney Dale set career-highs in assists (39) and digs (26). Ireland Ferguson recorded 39 digs, which is the fourth-most in a single match in program history. 

PERSONAL BESTS THIS SEASON

•     Twelve Belles have recorded at least one personal best this season.
•     Setter Kayla Baer had three service aces against UAFS on Sept. 16, including two in a row that gave the Belles the lead in the fifth set.
•     Setter Laney Dale recorded a pair of kills against New Mexcio Highlands on Sept. 5; she has seven kills this season, exceeding her total from the 2022 season. She also set a new career high with three service aces against East Central on Sept. 9 and has nine double-doubles this season. 
•     Libero Caleigh Enax recorded 36 digs against Cameron on Oct. 7; her career-best is tied for the fourth-most digs in a single match in program history.
•     Outside hitter Hannah Kinnison set a career-high attacking percentage of .750 against University of the Southwest on Sept. 1. She recorded a career-high 23 kills against Cameron on Oct. 7.
•     Setter Alli Kirkpatrick assisted 26 times against East Central on Sept. 9, the most in her debut season; she also recorded eight digs against TAMUK on Sept. 14.
•     Outside Elsa Lamphere hit .833 in the season opener versus Southwest, a new career-high for the senior. 
•     Outside hitter Madi Parrish buried 15 kills against Texas Woman's on Sept. 27. She recorded 14 digs against Texas A&M International on October 28th and had four blocks against the Dustdevils. 
•     Defensive specialist Krizia Perez recorded six digs against Cameron on Oct. 7. She also recorded her first ace against MSU on Sept. 30. 
•     Middle Marina Sanchez had 13 kills vs. CSU Pueblo on Sept. 8, the first time she's had ten or more kills in a match in her career. She also had eight digs against the Thunderwolves, a career-high.  
•     Middle Hannah Spencer recorded three blocks against Henderson State on September 1st; she also recorded ten kills in her LSC debut versus WNMU; she hit .625 against UTPB on Sept. 23. She also recorded a pair of aces against St. Mary's on Sept. 15. 
•     Outside hitter Evelyn Torres set a new career high with 18 kills against UAFS on Sept. 16; she tied that mark again on Sept. 27 against Texas Woman's. 
•     Outside hitter Kamryn Williams recorded four kills each against Huston-Tillotson and Southwest; she hit .667 against the Mustangs.  

RETURNING STATS

• ASU returns four starters and 12 letter winners from last year's team while adding seven newcomers, including a pair of in-conference transfers.
• Angelo State returns 79.8 percent (1052 of 1319) of its kills, 94.7 percent (107 of 113) of its service aces, 88.3 percent (1572 of 1780) of its digs, and 34.2 percent of its blocks (81.5 of 238.5) from last season's team.

BELLES ADD SEVEN
Angelo State brought in seven newcomers in 2023, including a pair of transfers from within the LSC. 

    Alli Kirkpatrick
    Freshman * 5-11 * Setter
    Bonham, Texas * Bonham HS
Recorded 1,939 kills and 1,375 digs at Bonham HS; two-time district hitter of the year
    
    Madi Parrish
    Freshman * 5-9 * Outside Hitter
    Saginaw, Texas * Boswell HS
Recorded 981 kills and 1,049 digs at Boswell HS; two-time all-district selection.

    Krizia Perez
    Freshman * 5-6 * Defensive Specialist
    Laredo, Texas * United HS
Led United HS to four district championships; first-team all-district selection

    Maya Smalls
    Grad. Student * 5-10 * Right Side
    San Antonio, Texas * St. Edward's
2022 All-LSC First Team selection at St. Edward's; recorded 361 kills for the Hilltoppers in 2022

    Hannah Spencer
    Freshman * 6-1 * Middle Blocker
    San Antonio, Texas * Cornerstone Christian
Tallied 385 kills and 210 blocks; two-time all-district selection

    Evelyn Torres
    Senior * 5-9 * Outside Hitter
    Fort Worth, Texas * UT Tyler
All-LSC Second Team in 2022 for UT Tyler

    Kamryn Williams
    Freshman * 6-0 * Outside Hitter
    Wall, Texas * Wall HS
All-time kill leader at Wall HS with 1,260; most kills in a season with 448; 2021 All-West Texas MVP

UP NEXT
The Belles close out the regular season next weekend with a tough road trip to face DBU and UT Tyler.