ARLINGTON – The UT Arlington volleyball team will host the UTA Classic this weekend (Sept. 3-4) as they welcome Tulsa, Sam Houston, and North Texas to the College Park Center for the two day tournament. UTA will take on Tulsa for the Friday night cap (6:30 p.m.) before playing Sam Houston (11 a.m.) and North Texas (6:30 p.m.) on Saturday.
UTA NOTES
- This marks the beginning of a eight match home stand for the Mavericks. They will play their remaining non-conference matches in the College Park Center before entering SBC play on Sept. 24 at South Alabama. UTA will also play 11 of their next 14 matches in the friendly confines of the CPC.
- Brooke Townsend led the Mavericks offense a week ago in kills (38), kills per set (2.92), points (41.5) and points per set (3.19). For her efforts, she was named to the ACU Invitational All-Tournament Team.
- Townsend enters this weekend with 850 career kills, just 150 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.
- Through one weekend, the Mavericks lead the Sun Belt Conference in total blocks (34) and rank 12th in the NCAA in total blocks. UTA holds the same rankings in both the SBC and NCAA when it comes to digs per set (18.62).
- The Mavericks rank in the Top 10 in the NCAA in team digs (7th; 242) and team total attacks (8th; 523).
- This will mark the 48th season of UTA volleyball. The Mavericks have won over 1,100 matches during their time as a program.
- Sophomore libero Alli Wells cleaned up the preseason Sun Belt Conference awards, picking up Preseason Libero of the Year, Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, and Preseason All-Sun Belt Honors. This comes after being named Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Sun Belt a season ago.
- Junior outside hitter Brooke Townsend also made some noise, picking up her second straight Preseason All-Sun Belt honor. The Bastrop, Texas native will look to be named All-Sun Belt for a third consecutive season at the end of the year.
- 2020 All-Sun Belt members Brianna Ford, Briana Brown, and Brooke Townsend return in 2021. The three combined to score over 50 percent of the Maverick's points a season ago. Overall, UTA returns nearly 90 percent of their total points from a season ago.
- The Mavs return their top-five point scorers from a season ago. Along with Townsend, Ford and Brown, Simara Peyton (146.0 points) and Devon Martinka (131.0 points) return.
- Head Coach J.T. Wenger returns for his 5th season at the helm for Maverick volleyball. He has won 62 matches over his first four seasons and has three straight seasons with a record above .500.
- The Mavericks were voted to finish second in the SBC West, trailing over Texas State in points. Coastal Carolina received the most points and are the favorites to win the East.
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 - TULSA
- This marks the 5th match between Tulsa and UTA with the Golden Hurricane holding a 3-1 advantage, including a 3-0 win over the Mavs in their last meeting in 2013.
SERIES HISTORY - SAM HOUSTON
- This will be the 72nd meeting between the two teams, with UTA holding a 51-20 advantage overall and 23-4 advantage in Arlington. The Mavs won 3-0 in their last meeting in 2019.
SERIES HISTORY - NORTH TEXAS
- This will be the 65th meeting between the Mean Green and the Mavs. UTA holds a 54-10 advantage and a 22-4 record in Arlington, but UNT has won five of the last six, including a 3-0 win in February of 2021.
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 UTA CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday Schedule (All times central)
11:00 AM - Tulsa vs Sam Houston
4:00 PM - Sam Houston vs North Texas
6:30 PM - UTA vs Tulsa
Saturday Schedule (All times central)
11:00 AM - UTA vs Sam Houston
1:30 PM - North Texas vs Tulsa
6:30 PM - UTA vs North Texas
UP NEXT
- UTA will continue their home stand as they host McNeese State for a double-header next Friday (September 10) in the College Park Center. They will take on the Cowgirls at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
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.
