ARLINGTON – For the first time in two weeks the UT Arlington volleyball team (0-6) will take the court as they host the Maverick Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Sep. 17-18).  The Mavericks will play three matches, beginning on Friday against Tennessee State at 6:30 p.m.  The weekend will round out with two Saturday matches against Prairie View (1:30 p.m.) and Northwestern State (6:30 p.m.).
 

HOW TO FOLLOW
Opening Serve	Opponent	Match Coverage
Friday, 6:30 pm	vs. Tennessee State (5-1)	ESPN+ | Live Stats
Saturday, 1:30 pm	vs. Prairie View (0-9)	ESPN+ | Live Stats
Saturday, 6:30 pm	vs. Northwestern State (5-7)	ESPN+ | Live Stats
UTA Match Notes (PDF)

 
UTA NOTES

• Alli Wells held down the libero spot two weeks ago, averaging 6.62 digs per set across 13 sets (86 total digs). He had at least 28 digs in each match and a season-high of 30 digs vs Tulsa. Her efforts earned her the 4th SBC Defensive Player of th Week award for her career
• Townsend enters this weekend with 884 career kills, just 116 shy of becoming the 19th Maverick to enter the 1,000 kill club. She has never finished with less than 150 kills in a season
• Not missing a beat from last year, Alli Wells picked right where she left off. The sophomore leads the SBC in digs per set and ranks 22nd in the nation with 5.15 digs per set.
• The Mavericks as a rank in the Top 10 in the NCAA in two categories, despite only playing six matches.  UTA ranks 7th in the country in digs per set (18.73) and 8th in the country in attacks per set (39.23).
• UTA leads the Sun Belt Conference in blocks per set (2.52), digs per set (18.73), team assists (298), and team attacks per set (39.23). They also rank second in team total blocks (65.5).
• Alli Wells and Brooke Townsend, earned UTA Classic All-Tournament Team honors during the two-day tournament. It marks the second All-Tournament team selection for Townsend in as many weeks (ACU Invite).
• The Mavericks finish an eight-match home stretch this weekend as they host the Maverick Invitational. UTA is currently 0-3 during the stretch and had two more matches canceled. The Mavs also play six of their next eight matches at home.

NEW FACES

• The Mavericks have 11 freshmen on their team - only three of which are first year players due to COVID-19 eligibility - defensive specialist Kaylen Beaty (Fort Worth, Texas; Boswell HS), outside hitter Lauren Staruch (Lake Orion, Mich.; Lake Orion HS), and middle blocker Monica LaFleur (Hartland, Wisc.; Arrowhead HS).
• Wenger brought in three transfers in the offseason – junior outside hitter Nya Blair (Grand Prairie, Texas; San Diego State), sophomore defensive specialist Emily Larson (Nashotah, Wisc.; UW-Green Bay), and graduate senior middle blocker Kainah Williams (Spring Branch, Texas; Liberty).

SERIES HISTORY - TENNESSEE STATE

• This marks the first ever match up between the Tigers and the Mavs.

SERIES HISTORY - PRAIRIE VIEW

• The Mavs own a 5-0 record against the Panthers dating to 1988, sweeping all five matches.. UTA leads the series in Arlington 4-0 and won the last match in 2019.

SERIES HISTORY - NORTHWESTERN STATE

• This will be the 45th match between NSU and UTA with UTA leading 39-5, dating back to 1975. UTA has won 4 of the last 5, but lost the last match in Arlington in 2012 in five sets.

TICKET APPRECIATION

• The UT Arlington athletic department has announced that all military members, both active duty and retired, will get into all home UTA athletic events free of charge for the 2021-22 seasons. Tickets can be claimed online or at the ticket office on game day. Any online ticket request must be submitted 72 hours prior to any athletic event to be fulfilled. When claiming on game day, a drivers license or military ID must be shown at the box office. The offer is only valid on game day when claiming in person. To claim a free ticket online, click here.
• The UT Arlington athletic department has announced that faculty and staff will get free admission to all home volleyball 2021 season, courtesy of Texas Trust Credit Union. Tickets can be claimed online or at the ticket office on game day. Any online ticket request must be submitted 72 hours prior to any athletic event to be fulfilled. When claiming on game day, a UTA ID must be shown at the box office. The offer is only valid on game day when claiming in person. To claim a free ticket online, click here.

FULL MAVERICK INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday Schedule (All times central)
11:00 AM - Prairie View A&M vs Tennessee State
4:00 PM - Northwestern State vs Prairie View A&M
6:30 PM - Tennessee State vs UTA

Saturday Schedule (All times central)
11:00 AM - Tennessee State vs Northwestern State
1:30 PM - Prairie View A&M vs UTA
6:30 PM - Northwestern State vs UTA

UP NEXT

• UTA will begin Sun Belt Conference play next weekend (Sept. 24-25) when they travel to Alabama to take on South Alabama (Sept. 24) and Troy (Sept. 25).

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.