ARLINGTON, Texas --- The UT Arlington volleyball team (16-9, 8-5 WAC) will conclude the regular season at 11 a.m. on Saturday against Southern Utah (7-15, 6-7 WAC) inside the College Park Center (CPC).
The match, which is part of Homecoming weekend, will feature several special events. Senior day ceremonies will take place prior to the match with
Nya Blair,
Meredith Fisher,
Devon Martinka,
Jessica Stancliff,
Brooke Townsend and
Alli Wells being recognized. Later, the 2002 team will be honored between the second and third sets for the 20-year anniversary of their championship season that featured Southland Conference regular season and tournament championships, as well as an NCAA Tournament appearance.
If that isn't enough, the match is the first of a tripleheader on Saturday that also features a women's basketball game against Texas A&M - Commerce at 3:30 p.m. and a men's basketball game at Southwestern University at 7:30 p.m.
WAC ROUNDUP
Saturday's match won't play a role either way in terms of seeding for UT Arlington heading into next week's conference tournament as the Mavs are locked into the fifth seed, where they will open against either Utah Valley, Stephen F. Austin or Grand Canyon depending on their results this weekend. Grand Canyon will play Utah Valley while Stephen F. Austin plays Utah Tech. Grand Canyon holds the tiebreaker over UTA due to their combined head-to-head set record despite the two teams splitting their regular season series. UTRGV has already clinched the regular season title.
| UTRGV |
12-1 |
.923 |
23-5 |
.821 |
Won 4 |
| Utah Valley |
10-3 |
.769 |
16-9 |
.640 |
Lost 2 |
| Stephen F. Austin |
10-3 |
.769 |
22-4 |
.846 |
Won 1 |
| Grand Canyon |
9-4 |
.692 |
15-9 |
.625 |
Won 5 |
| UT Arlington |
8-5 |
.615 |
16-9 |
.640 |
Lost 1 |
| NM State |
6-7 |
.462 |
14-11 |
.560 |
Won 2 |
| Southern Utah |
6-7 |
.462 |
7-15 |
.318 |
Lost 1 |
| California Baptist |
6-7 |
.462 |
11-13 |
.458 |
Won 1 |
| Utah Tech |
5-8 |
.385 |
11-11 |
.500 |
Won 1 |
| Sam Houston |
5-9 |
.357 |
8-20 |
.286 |
Won 2 |
| Abilene Christian |
4-9 |
.308 |
7-18 |
.280 |
Lost 3 |
| Tarleton |
4-9 |
.308 |
12-16 |
.429 |
Lost 2 |
| Seattle U |
0-13 |
.000 |
4-17 |
.190 |
Lost 15 |
FORD FEATURED ON NCAA VOLLEYBALL SOCIAL MEDIA
Brianna Ford's kick save and kill against Utah Tech on Thursday was featured on the official NCAA volleyball social media accounts Friday, including Twitter and Instagram.
PUCKETT DOUBLES UP
Third-year middle blocker
Kortney Puckett won her second WAC Defensive Player of the Week award on Monday after totaling a match-high six blocks along with six digs, four kills and a .571 hitting percentage in the sweep of Stephen F. Austin on Saturday. Her performance, which witnessed her sixth match this year with at least five blocks, allowed the Mavs to clinch a spot in the WAC tournament. With her selection, UTA has won three of the past four weekly defensive awards, including
Alli Wells on Oct. 24 and Puckett on Oct. 17.
EIGHT IS GREAT
Alli Wells, who captured her eighth career conference defensive player of the week selection on Oct. 24, has had another tremendous season in Arlington. She earned her most recent award during a three-match stretch that included 73 digs against Abilene Christian (10/20), Sam Houston (10/22) and New Mexico State (10/27). She tallied at least 20 in each of those matches, and she now has seven matches with 20-plus digs through 13 WAC contests including her 24 against Utah Tech on Thursday. Overall, she has 38 in her career (11 this year).
With those statistical achievements, Wells has moved up to eighth on the program's all-time digs list with 1,609. She most recently passed Ana de Oliveira (1,550, 1985-88) and Torie Dacus (1,564, 2004-07), and she now has her sight set on Judith McGill (1,623, 1983-86) for seventh place. Despite having her 26-match streak of consecutive double-digit digs snapped against New Orleans (9/16), Wells ranks 37th in total career digs among all active NCAA Division I players. This year alone, Wells ranks 65th nationally in total digs (435) and 81st in digs per set (4.35).
| 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. |
Caitlyn Cooney |
1,820 |
2012-15 |
| 5. |
Jessica Bowlin |
1,728 |
1995-98 |
| 6. |
Qiana Canete |
1,626 |
2014-17 |
| 7. |
Judith McGill |
1,623 |
1983-86 |
| 8. |
Alli Wells |
1,609 |
2019-present |
| 9. |
Torie Dacus |
1,564 |
2004-07 |
| 10. |
Ana de Oliveira |
1,550 |
1985-88 |
AN OFFENSIVE FORCE
Brianna Ford, an Amarillo, Texas native, has led UT Arlington to a 16-9 record this year behind career-bests across the board – kills per set (3.42), hitting percentage (.244), digs per set (2.70), assists per set (0.26), blocks per set (0.84) and points per set (4.16). The third-year outside hitter has notched 13 of her team-best 26 career double-doubles this season, and those performances have propelled her into the top three in the WAC in total points (2nd, 415.5), points per set (2nd, 4.16), total kills (2nd, 342), kills per set (2nd, 3.42) and total attacks (3rd, 885). She ranks 66th nationally in total points. Overall, she has 19 matches with 10+ kills and 15 with 10+ digs, and she has produced 10+ kills in 10 of the past 11 matches. 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.
KILLIN' IT
Fifth-year senior
Brooke Townsend, who joined the 1,000 kill club last year, slammed home a season-best 17 kills against New Mexico State (10/27) to jump Fannie Burton (1,245, 1991-94) and Teresa Ogden (1,251, 1982-83) into 10th place on the program's all-time list. The Bastrop, Texas native has 11 matches with at least 10 kills this year, and her 1,287 career total ranks 54th among all active NCAA Division I players. She is 63rd in career sets played with 477.
| 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. |
Brooke Townsend |
1,287 |
2018-Pres. |
BLANK REACHES MILESTONE
Third-year setter
Mollie Blank, who is averaging 20 assists over the past eight matches, notched her 1,000th career assist against North Dakota on Aug. 27 and has increased her current total to 1,245. She has also recorded four double-doubles over the past seven matches, including her 29-assist, 27-dig performance on Thursday that pushed her career total to 21.
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 16 on Thursday against Utah Tech. She has produced five matches with double-digits this year overall and has totaled at least five digs in each of the past eight matches.
SKINNER JOINS ELITE GROUP
Including her performance against California Baptist on Oct. 6,
Sophie Skinner has notched 40-plus assists five times this year. In fact, since being inserted into the starting lineup on Sept. 3 against Providence, she has recorded at least 26 in all but eight matches and at least 30 in 11 of 21.
On Oct. 8 against Grand Canyon, Skinner produced 36 assists to become just the ninth freshman in program history with at least 500 in a season, joining teammates
Mollie Blank (502, 2020) and
Jessica Stancliff (2019, 787) 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 659 assists, 147 digs, 28 kills and 20 aces this year. In fact, her assist total currently places her seventh for most in program history by a freshman - just behind Stancliff.
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.
CENTURY WOMEN
With their performances against Utah Valley and Seattle recently, the duo of
Kortney Puckett and
Briana Brown each surpassed 100 career blocks, joining
Brianna Ford,
Meredith Fisher,
Brooke Townsend and
Devon Martinka among the group of Mavericks to reach the milestone. Ford and Fisher reached it earlier this year while Townsend (2020) and Martinka (2021) reached it in previous seasons.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Behind the play of those six and others, UT Arlington ranks among the nation's leaders in total blocks (36th, 242), blocks per set (54th, 2.42), total digs (79th, 1,520), digs per set (88th, 15.2), win-loss percentage (90th, .640) and opponent hitting percentage (99th, .190). Among conference foes, they rank second in blocks per set, digs per set and total blocks.
STREAKING INTO THE RECORD BOOK
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.
ROAD COURT ADVANTAGE
In WAC play, the Mavericks are an impressive 5-2 away from home.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
UT Arlington is 5-2 in five-set matches this year despite their five-set loss to Utah Tech on Thursday, which snapped a five-match win streak in such outings. Among those victories, the Mavs dropped the opening set against Providence, trailed UTSA 2-0, came back against Lamar after being down 2-1 and held off ACU after losing a two-set lead.
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.
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.
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.
