ARLINGTON, Texas --- The UT Arlington volleyball team (12-7, 4-3 WAC), having already matched last year's win total in eight fewer matches, will host Abilene Christian (5-14, 2-5) at 6 p.m. on Thursday inside the College Park Center (CPC).
MAV MADNESS, PROMOTIONS
The matchup kicks off a night of fun and festivities as the department will host Mav Madness immediately following the match. Both basketball head coaches -
Greg Young (men's) and
Shereka Wright (women's) will partake in a ceremonial first serve prior to the match. It is also Fraternity and Sorority Life Night with the first 100 students through the doors getting a UTA bottle opener keychain. There will also be triple points on the Mav City rewards app.
BATTLE FOR WAC POSITIONING
The Mavs, who will conclude the week against Sam Houston on Saturday, enter this week in a tie for fourth place in the WAC standings with Grand Canyon (4-3) behind UTRGV (6-0), Utah Valley (5-1) and Stephen F. Austin (6-2). In a close race, New Mexico State (3-3) sits just behind UTA while California Baptist, Southern Utah and Utah Tech are tied for seventh place. The top eight teams will make the WAC tournament.
DEFENSIVE STOPPER
Third-year middle blocker
Kortney Puckett was tabbed as the WAC's Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, pushing UT Arlington's season total for weekly awards to four, joining
Jalie Tritt (Freshman of the Week, Sept. 19),
Brianna Ford (Offensive Player of the Week, Sept. 12) and
Sophie Skinner (Freshman of the Week, Sept. 12).
Puckett hit .444 for the week while averaging two kills, 1.43 digs and 1.57 blocks per set. In Saturday's win over Seattle, she established new career-highs in kills (11), digs (7) and aces (2) while also adding a season-high-tying six blocks.
BLOCK PARTY
With their performances this past weekend,
Kortney Puckett (110) and
Briana Brown (102) each eclipsed 100 career blocks, joining
Brianna Ford and
Meredith Fisher as two of four players to reach the milestone this year. Two others,
Brooke Townsend (180) and
Devon Martinka (116), reached it prior to this season.
Behind the play of Puckett, Brown and company, UT Arlington ranks among the nation's leaders in total blocks (27th, 189), blocks per set (42nd, 2.49), opponent hitting percentage (56th, .176), win/loss percentage (90th, .632) and team digs (90th, 1,140). Among WAC teams, they lead the pack in blocks per set and total blocks, and they check in second in aces (119) behind Stephen F. Austin (127).
STREAKY
UT Arlington had a nine-match winning streak snapped against California Baptist on Oct. 6. It represented the program's longest streak over the past 20 years behind the 2002 squad's 17-match surge. Overall, the streak tied the 1985 and 1987 teams for the 15th-longest all-time, which dates back to 1973. Following the end of the win streak, the Mavericks lost three in a row before winning at Seattle on Sunday.
ROAD COURT ADVANTAGE
In WAC play, the Mavericks are an impressive 4-1 away from home while sporting an 0-2 record at home.
AN OFFENSIVE FORCE
Brianna Ford, an Amarillo, Texas native, has led UT Arlington to an 12-7 start this year behind career-bests across the board – kills per set (3.28), hitting percentage (.245), digs per set (2.80), assists per set (0.28), blocks per set (0.83) and points per set (4.01). The third-year outside hitter has notched 11 of her team-best 24 career double-doubles this season, and those performances have propelled her into the top 10 in the WAC in total points (2nd, 304.5), points per set (2nd, 4.01), total kills (2nd, 249) and kills per set (5th, 3.28). She ranks 76th nationally in total points. Overall, she has 14 matches with 10+ kills and 13 with 10+ digs. Award-wise, Ford became the program's first-ever WAC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12, was named the MVP in both the UTA Invitational and UTSA Invitational, and she earned a spot on the UTA Classic all-tourney team.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
UT Arlington is 4-1 in five-set matches this year, including wins in four straight after dropping a five-set match to North Dakota on Aug. 27. Among those victories, the Mavs dropped the opening set against Providence, trailed UTSA 2-0 and came back against Lamar after being down 2-1.
KILLIN' IT
Fifth-year senior
Brooke Townsend joined the 1,000 kill club last year and recently became just the 12th player in program history to reach 1,200. With 1,222, the next two up on the list above her are Fannie Burton (1,245, 1991-94) and Teresa Ogden (1,251, 1982-83). Passing both would vault her into the top 10. The fifth-year outside hitter has seven matches with at least 10 kills this year, including a season-high 16 twice - against Providence on Sept. 3 and at Abilene Christian on Sept. 29. Last Thursday, she produced 15 against Utah Valley. Her 1,222 career total ranks 55th among all active NCAA Division I players, and she is 65th in career sets played with 453.
| UTA CAREER KILLS |
| 1. |
Heather Hoy |
1,787 |
1994-97 |
| 2. |
Ana de Oliveira |
1,729 |
1985-88 |
| 3. |
Amber Pack |
1,578 |
1999-2002 |
| 4. |
Qiana Canete |
1,505 |
2014-17 |
| 5. |
Valeria Whitfield |
1,490 |
1990-92 |
| 6. |
Caley Smith |
1,416 |
2001-04 |
| 7. |
Judith McGill |
1,407 |
1983-86 |
| 8. |
Trisha Walker |
1,344 |
1997-2000 |
| 9. |
Chris Rudiger |
1,330 |
1986-89 |
| 10. |
Teresa Ogden |
1,251 |
1982-83 |
| 11. |
Fannie Burton |
1,245 |
1991-94 |
| 12. |
Brooke Townsend |
1,222 |
2018-Pres. |
| 13. |
Amanda Aguilera |
1,164 |
2008-11 |
| 14. |
Shari Parks |
1,148 |
1984-87 |
| 15. |
Zhanelle Geathers |
1,132 |
2014-18 |
ON THE VERGE OF 1,500
Alli Wells, who has registered three matches with 20-plus digs through seven WAC contests, moved into the top 10 on the program's career digs list against Grand Canyon on Oct. 8. The fourth-year libero tallied 21 against the Antelopes, which moved her past Trisha Walker (1,455, 1997-00) and Dani Johnson (1,446, 2004-07) into ninth place. Overall, she has 34 matches with 20-plus digs in her career, including seven this season.
Despite having her 26-match streak of consecutive double-digit digs snapped against New Orleans on Sept. 16, the Waxahachie native ranks 40th in total career digs (1,492) among all active NCAA Division I players. This year alone, Wells ranks 83rd nationally in total digs (318). Her play earned the libero a spot on the all-tournament team in the UTSA Invitational Sept. 10.
| UTA CAREER DIGS |
| 1. |
Alicia Shaffer |
2,033 |
2008-11 |
| 2. |
Ashley Smith |
1,921 |
2003-06 |
| 3. |
Amber Pack |
1,887 |
1999-02 |
| 4. |
Jessica Bowlin |
1,728 |
1995-98 |
| 5. |
Qiana Canete |
1,626 |
2014-17 |
| 6. |
Judith McGill |
1,623 |
1983-86 |
| 7. |
Torie Dacus |
1,564 |
2004-07 |
| 8. |
Ana de Oliveira |
1,550 |
1985-88 |
| 9. |
Alli Wells |
1,492 |
2019-present |
| 10. |
Trisha Walker |
1,455 |
1997-00 |
BLANK REACHES MILESTONE
Third-year setter
Mollie Blank notched her 1,000th career assist against North Dakota on Aug. 27 and has increased her current total to 1,122. Last Thursday, she had 17 assists against Utah Valley. She followed that up on Saturday with 20 more assists along with a season-best 14 digs for her second double-double of the season, which pushed her career total to 18.
SOLID PRESENCE
Alyssa Duran, a third-year defensive specialist, recorded back-to-back matches with double-digit digs to finish up the UTA Invitational Sept. 17, including a season-best 15 in the come-from-behind win over Lamar University in five sets, and she has produced three matches with double-digits this year overall. She has totaled at least seven digs in five of the past six matches entering the Abilene Christian match.
AWARD-WINNING SUCCESS AT HOME
The Mavs tallied a 5-2 record at home in non-conference play behind strong individual performances in the UTA Classic (Sept. 3-4) and UTA Invitational (Sept. 16-17).
Brianna Ford, who produced three double-doubles over the six matches combined, was named the UTA Invitational MVP and made the all-tournament team in the UTA Classic.
Jalie Tritt made the all-tournament team in both events.
Brooke Townsend also made the UTA Invitational All-Tournament team.
SKINNER JOINS ELITE GROUP
Including her performance against California Baptist on Oct. 6,
Sophie Skinner has notched 40-plus assists five times over the past 13 matches. In fact, since being inserted into the starting lineup on Sept. 3 against Providence, she has recorded at least 26 in all but three matches and at least 30 in 11 of 15, including eight of the past 10.
On Oct. 8 against Grand Canyon, she tallied 36 assists to become just the ninth freshman in program history with at least 500 in a season, joining teammate
Mollie Blank (502, 2020) in the prestigious group. The Hot Springs, Ark. native previously earned UTSA All-Tournament and WAC Freshman of the Week recognition. Overall, she has registered 548 assists, 113 digs, 28 kills and 15 aces this year.
Prior to UTA, Skinner competed in the Under Armour All-America Game this past December, which recognizes the most skilled high school players in the country. She was named MVP among the 24 players selected to participate.
BACK-TO-BACK
UT Arlington produced back-to-back conference freshman of the week awards for just the second time in program history behind the play of
Jalie Tritt (Sept. 19) and
Sophie Skinner (Sept. 12). Tritt helped the Mavs capture the UTA Invitational championship that week by averaging 2.5 kills, 1.9 digs and 0.7 blocks per set, while Skinner averaged 9.1 assists and 2.2 digs per set in the UTSA Invitational.
EXPERIENCE RETURNS
The Mavericks have three players who scored over 270 points last season (
Briana Brown,
Brooke Townsend,
Brianna Ford), returning 76 percent of their total points from a season ago overall. Furthermore, two all-conference selections from a season ago in
Briana Brown (First Team All-SBC) and
Alli Wells (Second Team All-SBC) are back, as well as former All-SBC selections in
Brooke Townsend (2019, 2020) and
Brianna Ford (2020).
NEW FACES
The Mavericks brought in four new faces to the program this season –
Sophie Ocampo (Humble, Texas; Kingwood HS),
Jalie Tritt (Little Rock, Ark.; Episcopal Collegiate School),
Ava Burroughs (Quitman, Texas; Quitman HS), and
Sophie Skinner (Hot Springs, Ark.; Fountain Lake HS). Three of the four have seen significant action this year while Ocampo will redshirt.
FORD SPENDS 20TH IN EUROPE
Brianna Ford spent her 20th birthday in Europe as she participated in the 2022 Global Challenge in Croatia, helping lead her team to a 1st place finish and being named to the all-tournament team.
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