FOLEY, Ala. – The UT Arlington volleyball team has their sights set on capturing the program's first Sun Belt title as they head to Foley, Alabama for the 2021 Sun Belt Tournament (Nov. 18-21). UTA, the No. 2 seed in the SBC West, will play No. 3E Georgia Southern in the quarterfinals after the Eagles knocked off ULM 3-0 in the opening round on Thursday. 
 

HOW TO FOLLOW
Opening Serve	Opponent	Match Coverage
Friday, 12:00 pm	vs (3E) Georgia Southern (16-10, 9-7 SBC)	ESPN+ | Live Stats
Saturday, 4:00 pm	Semifinals
Sunday, 1:00 pm	Championship
UTA Match Notes

 
UTA NOTES

• After starting 1-5 in conference play, the Mavericks have won 8 of their last 10 matches to secure the 2nd seed in the Sun Belt West. It marks the highest seed the Mavericks have ever owned since joining the Sun Belt Conference. UTA enters the tournament riding a 5-match winning streak, with three sweeps (GS, ASU, ULM).
• Brooke Townsend became the 19th Maverick to reach 1,000 career kills against Coastal Carolina. She became the first Maverick since Zhanelle Geathers joined the club in 2018.
• Not missing a beat from last year, Alli Wells picked right where she left off. The sophomore ranks 21st in the nation with 5.10 digs per set and 27th in total digs (454). 
• Alli Wells hasn't just been a force on defense this year, the CoVID sophomore became the 22nd Maverick to reach 1,000 career digs against App State (Oct. 22). She becomes the 2nd Maverick in the JT Wenger era to enter the club, joining her predecessor Madelyn St. Germain (2019).
• The Mavericks are among the nation's top diggers, ranking 28th in the NCAA in digs per set.  Their 16.77 digs per set is second to Arkansas State in the Sun Belt (18.20 d/s).
• Briana Brown picked up her second straight - and the final - SBC Offensive Player of the Week Award. She helped the Mavericks go undefeated on the weekend and earn the #2W seed while averaging 4.75 kills per set and hitting .395. She had just eight errors on 76 swings.
• Alli Wells earned her 4th SBC Defensive Player of the Week, as she picked up the final award of the season. Last weekend she averaged 5.63 digs per set and raised her season average to 5.16 dig/s (22nd in NCAA)
• Over the final six matches of the season, CoVID freshman Briana Brown has come alive. The Whitehouse, Texas native has averaged 17.3 kills per match and 4.33 kills per set. She has been hitting an impressive .321 over that span.

SUN BELT ALL-CONFERENCE RECOGNITION
Freshman outside hitter Briana Brown was named All-Sun Belt First Team, while sophomore libero Alli Wells garnered All-Sun Belt Second Team honors, announce by the league on Wednesday (Nov. 17).

Brown, who earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors a season ago, put her offensive prowess on display down the stretch for the Mavericks. Over the final six matches of the season, the Whitehouse, Texas native averaged 17.3 kills per match and 4.33 kills per set. She has been hitting an impressive .321 over that span. In Sun Belt matches, Brown leads the team with 3.26 kills per set (189 total kills), while hitting .265. Overall, she is second on the team with 2.99 kills per set (239 total kills). Against Little Rock, Brown set a career-high in kills with 28. She followed that up with a 24-kill performance at Louisiana last weekend. Brown also leads the team in solo blocks (13), nearly double the next closest player on the Mavericks. She ended the season with back-to-back Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week selections.

Wells, who has been no stranger to the spotlight during her three-year career, held down the defense for the Mavericks this season. She led UTA in digs in every SBC match and had double-digit digs in all but one match. In Sun Belt play, Wells averaged 5.16 digs per set and 299 total digs. She currently ranks 22^nd in the NCAA in digs per set (5.14) and 23rd in the NCAA in total digs (499) on the season. She became the 19^th member of the 1,000-career dig club for UTA against App State (Oct. 22). On the season, Wells had double-digit digs in 23 matches and has 20+ digs on 11 different occasions, including a season-high 35 digs against Louisiana (Oct. 1). She earned SBC Defensive Player of the Week accolades four times this year and has won seven times in her career.

THE STAGE IS SET
The Mavericks earned a first round bye after clinching the No. 2 seed in the SBC West. The rest of the field is in the bracket below. 
 

SERIES HISTORY - GEORGIA SOUTHERN

• This will be the 10th meeting between the Eagles and UTA with the Mavericks taking the match earlier this season 3-0 in Statesboro. UTA has never lost the Georgia Southern, dating back to 2009. UTA and Georgia Southern faced off last year in the SBC Tournament with the Mavericks besting the Eagles 3-1 in the opening round.

FOLLOW THE MAVS
For the latest news on UTA Volleyball, log on to UTAMavs.com or stay connected to the Mavs on social media. Follow the Mavericks on Twitter @UTAMavsVB, on Instagram @UTAMavsVB and on Facebook at Facebook.com/UTAMavsVB.