SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State volleyball team faces a quick turnaround as they hit the road to take on Western New Mexico on Wednesday even-ing in Silver City. On Friday, the Rambelles are back home to host Sul Ross State inside the Junell Center - Stephens Arena. The Belles' match against the Lobos on Friday evening is their annual "Dig Pink" match. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Belles went 2-0 last weekend, defeating Texas A&M International in four sets before sweeping Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday. The Belles are 5-1 on their home court this season.

LAND OF ENCHANTMENT
The Belles' win over Eastern New Mexico on October 5th extended their winning streak in the state of New Mexico to seven in a row, dating back to the 2018 season. The Belles are 6-0 in the Mountain Time zone this season and have won their past seven matches in a different time zone. 

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
The Belles' freshmen attackers - Demi Carter, Sydney Thornton, Julia Hopkins, Amelia Creacy, and Taryn Barnes - have supplemented the Belles' offense this season, hitting .263 as a group and averaging 2.20 kills per set. Carter and Thorton have earned two of the LSC's five "Freshman of the Week" honors. 

HOME COOKING
Under head coach Chuck Waddington, the Belles have a 191-34 record inside the Junell Center - Stephens Arena, good enough for a .849 winning percentage. Eight of the Belles' last 12 matches this season will occur on their home court. 

BELLES SET ATTENDANCE RECORD
The Belles' match on Friday, September 6th, against New Mexico Highlands featured 3,315 fans in the stands, which set the Lone Star Conference record for single-match attendance. The match was the third-most attended Division II volleyball match in history and the third-most for a sporting event inside the Junell Center—Stephens Arena.

BELLES IN THE POLLS
•The Belles are 14th in the AVCA/Taraflex Division II Top 25, totaling 545 points in the poll.
•The Belles were the third seed in the 2023 LSC Volleyball Tournament. Under Waddington, the Belles have qualified for the tournament every season. 
•The Belles were picked third in the LSC Preseason Poll behind West Texas A&M and DBU, receiving two first-place votes. 
•They are one of three LSC teams in the poll, joining ninth-ranked West Texas A&M and DBU, who are receiving votes.
•The Belles are on their fourth straight week in the top 25. The Belles are amongst the nation's top 25 for the first time since September 2022; they had featured in the receiving votes section every week since the start of the 2023 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. 

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
WESTERN NEW MEXICO
AVCA RANK: N/A
2024 RECORD: 6-12, 2-4 LSC

Western New Mexico is 6-12 on the season and 2-4 in LSC play; they are coming off a weekend in which they 1-2, losing to New Mexico Highlands in non-conference action before beating Midwestern State and getting swept by Texas Woman's. The Mustangs are 0-2 in true road matches this season. 

The Mustangs are averaging 11.37 kills per set and hit .168 as a team. Jazmyne Walker leads the offense with 3.22 kills per set, while Eimaya Medina leads the team with a .247 attack percentage. 

Medina is the main setter for the Mustangs, averaging 6.96 assists per set. Chase Kallevig has been deadly from the service line, ranking second in the LSC with 0.46 aces per set. 

Opponents are hitting .210 against WNMU this season. Libero Lilouann Bechec is fifth in the league with 4.64 digs per set. Jade Rampton leads the defensive effort at the net with 0.63 blocks per set. 

The Belles are 14-2 all-time versus the Mustangs and 4-1 in Silver City. The Belles have won the past nine matchups in the series and the past three matches in Silver City. 

SUL ROSS STATE
AVCA RANK: N/A
2024 RECORD: 2-10, 2-4 LSC

Sul Ross State is 2-10 on the season, and 2-4 in LSC play. After an 0-6 start in non-conference play, the Lobos have won two matches in their last six, defeating St. Edward's in four sets and sweeping Cameron this past weekend. They are winless in four road matches this season. 

The Lobos hit .106 as a team and average 10.15 kills per set. Natalie Hernandez averages 2.95 kills per set, and Sarah Chavez leads the team with a .189 attack percentage. 

Eliana Mata leads the team with 0.45 aces per set. 

Opponents hit .244 against the Lobos this season. Miranda Acosta (3.53 digs per set) and Tatyana Colon (3.23 digs per set) lead the Lobos' backline, while Edie Coleman (0.58 blocks per set) leads the Lobos at the net. 

The Belles are 17-4 all-time versus the Lobos, with the last matchup in 1985. The Belles have won the last 14 matchups in the series since 1979. 

PERSONAL BESTS THIS SEASON
Twelve Belles have recorded at least one personal best in 2024.

• Outside hitter Taryn Barnes recorded two kills against No. 23 Central Oklahoma on Sept. 6 and three digs against Fort Lewis the next day. 
• Middle Demi Carter recorded 15 kills against No. 20 DBU on Sept. 19. She had two digs against New Mexico Highlands. She recorded four blocks against DBU and WT.
• Right side Amelia Creacy recorded seven kills against Fort Lewis, hitting .250, and a pair of digs against the Skyhawks. Against No. 3 WT, she had three blocks. 
• Defensive specialist Allie Duitsman recorded a pair of digs against Fort Lewis on Sept. 7. She notched her first career ace to clinch the match against DBU on Sept. 19.
• Libero Caleigh Enax set a new career best with 38 digs in the Belles' five-set win over TWU on Sept. 28. 
• Outside hitter Julia Hopkins had ten kills in the Belles' comeback win over Texas Woman's on Sept. 28. She also had three digs and a block against the Pioneers. 
• Setter Adeline Ortman tied her career high with 58 assists twice this season and tied a personal best with a pair of blocks.
• Outside hitter Madi Parrish set a new personal best with 23 kills in the Belles' win over No. 3 WT on Sept. 20; she notched four aces in the Belles' sweep of Western Colorado on Sept. 10.
• Defensive specialist Krizia Perez notched ten digs for the first time in her career in the Belles' win over Texas Woman's on Sept. 28. 
• Middle Hannah Spencer tallied 12 kills in the Belles' win over Texas Woman's on Sept. 28, her second-ever match with double-digit kills. 
• Middle Sydney Thornton had 14 kills in the Belles' win over No. 15 Colorado Mesa on Sept. 14. She recorded her first ace and five blocks against Adams State the previous day.
• Outside hitter Evelyn Torres recorded 25 digs and 57 attack attempts in the Belles' five-set loss to No. 23 Central Oklahoma on Sept. 6. She set a new career watermark with 25 kills in the Belles' win over Texas Woman's on Sept. 28. She has tied her personal best of four blocks twice this season.

RETURNING STATS

• ASU returns four starters and ten letter winners from last year's team while adding ten newcomers, including three Division II transfers.
• Angelo State returns 46.9 percent (746 of 1589) of its kills, 67 percent (134 of 200) of its service aces, 70.7 percent (1337 of 1892) of its digs, and 50.8 percent of its blocks (99 of 195) from last season's team.

BELLES ADD TEN
Angelo State brought in ten newcomers in 2024, with seven freshmen and three Division II transfers joining the ten returners from last year's team.

    Adeline Ortman
    Graduate Student * 5-7 * Setter
    Rhome, Texas * UT Tyler
Two-time All-LSC selection who ranked fourth in the LSC in assists last season for UT Tyler

    Raelee Allen
    Freshman * 5-9 * Outside Hitter
    San Antonio, Texas * Reagan HS
6A Offensive Player of the Year in 2018-19

    Taryn Barnes
    Freshman * 5-9 * Outside Hitter
    Southlake, Texas * Carroll HS
Two-time All-District selection for the Dragons

    Sydney Thornton
    Freshman * 5-10 * Middle Blocker
    Prosper, Texas * Prosper HS
Recorded 594 kills and 289 blocks in her prep career

    Julia Hopkins
    Freshman * 6-0 * Outside Hitter
    Austin, Texas * Westwood HS
District MVP for the Warriors

    Amelia Creacy
    Freshman * 6-1 * Right Side
    Cypress, Texas * Bridegland HS
Two-time Offensive Player of the Year at Bridgeland HS

    Demi Carter
    Freshman * 6-2 * Middle Blocker
    Bridge City, Texas * Bridge City HS
Recorded 1,353 career kills, 258 blocks, 522 digs, and 221 aces; District 19-4A MVP in 2022

    Allie Duitsman
    Freshman * 5-6 * Defensive Specialist
    Prosper, Texas * Prosper HS
2023 First Team All-District selection

    Ella Unterweger
    Junior * 5-9 * Outside Hitter
    Oconomowoc, Wis. * St. Cloud State
Member of the 2022 NSIC Tournament Championship team

    Marta Roicka
    Graduate Student * 6-0 * Setter
    Warsaw, Poland * Gannon
Helped Golden Knights to two PSAC championships and an appearance in the Elite Eight

RECORD WATCH
With her fifth dig against Central Oklahoma on September 6th, senior libero Caleigh Enax became the 17th player in program history and the 12th in the rally-scoring era to eclipse the 1,000-dig mark. She has 1,253 career digs, which ranks 9th all-time and 7th in the rally-scoring era. 
Additionally, teammate Adeline Ortman recorded her 2,000th career assist in the Belles' win over West Texas A&M on September 19th. She has 2,123 career assists, second-most among active players in the LSC. Evelyn Torres recorded her 1,000th career kill in the Belles sweep of Texas A&M-Kingsville on October 12th, with the milestone kill finishing off the second set for the Belles.