ARLINGTON, Texas --- The UT Arlington volleyball team (16-8, 8-4 WAC), having already clinched a spot in the WAC tournament with wins in five of their past six, will look to fight for seeding over their final two regular season matches, beginning with a 6 p.m. matchup against Utah Tech (10-11, 4-8) on Thursday inside the College Park Center.
The penultimate game of the regular season will feature "Glow Night," where the first 150 students will get a glow in the dark stadium cup. Fans are encouraged to come dressed in their favorite neon attire.
WAC ROUNDUP
As it currently stands, UT Arlington sits at 8-4 in WAC play, which is tied with Grand Canyon for fourth place. With Stephen F. Austin in third place at 9-3, UTA will enter the WAC tournament with anywhere from the third to fifth seed depending on this week's results. More information on tournament scenarios will be posted in the preview for Saturday's match.
| UTRGV |
11-1 |
.917 |
22-5 |
.815 |
Won 3 |
| Utah Valley |
10-2 |
.833 |
16-8 |
.667 |
Lost 1 |
| Stephen F. Austin |
9-3 |
.750 |
21-4 |
.840 |
Lost 1 |
| UTA |
8-4 |
.667 |
16-8 |
.667 |
Won 1 |
| Grand Canyon |
8-4 |
.667 |
14-9 |
.609 |
Won 4 |
| Southern Utah |
6-6 |
.500 |
7-14 |
.333 |
Won 1 |
| NM State |
5-7 |
.417 |
13-11 |
.542 |
Won 1 |
| California Baptist |
5-7 |
.417 |
10-13 |
.435 |
Lost 1 |
| Sam Houston |
5-9 |
.357 |
8-20 |
.286 |
Won 2 |
| Utah Tech |
4-8 |
.333 |
10-11 |
.476 |
Lost 3 |
| Abilene Christian |
4-8 |
.333 |
7-17 |
.292 |
Lost 2 |
| Tarleton |
4-8 |
.333 |
12-15 |
.444 |
Lost 1 |
| Seattle U |
0-12 |
.000 |
4-16 |
.200 |
Lost 14 |
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.
SWEEPIN' MAVS
UT Arlington is coming off a 25-13, 25-18, 25-22 sweep over Stephen F. Austin this past Saturday that allowed them to not only clinch a spot in the WAC tournament, but it kept their hopes alive for moving up to as high as a third seed.
Brianna Ford led an offense that hit .293 as a team by producing 11 kills at a .360 clip, including six kills and a .417 hitting percentage in the third set alone.
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, which has given her six matches with 20-plus digs through 12 WAC contests, as well as 37 in her career (10 this year).
With those statistical achievements, Wells has moved up to eighth on the program's all-time digs list with 1,585. She most recently passed Ana de Oliveira (1,550, 1985-88) and Torie Dacus (1,564, 2004-07), and she now sets her sight 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 38th in total career digs among all active NCAA Division I players. This year alone, Wells ranks 81st nationally in total digs (411) and 83rd in digs per set (4.33).
| 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 |
1,585 |
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 16-8 start this year behind career-bests across the board – kills per set (3.39), hitting percentage (.245), digs per set (2.64), assists per set (0.25), blocks per set (0.86) and points per set (4.14). The third-year outside hitter has notched 12 of her team-best 25 career double-doubles this season, and those performances have propelled her into the top three in the WAC in total points (2nd, 393.5), points per set (2nd, 4.14), total kills (2nd, 322) and kills per set (3rd, 3.39). She ranks 86th nationally in total points. Overall, she has 18 matches with 10+ kills and 14 with 10+ digs, and she has produced 10+ kills in nine of the past 10 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.
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 blocks per set (40th, 2.48), total blocks (42nd, 236), win-loss percentage (73rd, .667) and opponent hitting percentage (74th, .184). Among conference foes, they lead all teams in total blocks while ranking second in blocks per set and opponent hitting percentage.
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 5-1 in five-set matches this year, including wins in five 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, came back against Lamar after being down 2-1 and held off ACU after losing a two-set lead.
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 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 10 matches with at least 10 kills this year, and her 1,277 career total ranks 56th among all active NCAA Division I players. She is 72nd in career sets played with 472.
| 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 |
1,277 |
2018-Pres. |
BLANK REACHES MILESTONE
Third-year setter
Mollie Blank, who is averaging 18.7 assists over the past seven matches, notched her 1,000th career assist against North Dakota on Aug. 27 and has increased her current total to 1,205. She has also recorded three double-doubles over the past six matches, which has pushed her career total to 20.
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 four matches with double-digits this year overall - including 10 against Sam Houston (10/22). She has totaled at least five digs in each of the past seven matches.
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 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 seven matches and at least 30 in 11 of 20, including eight of the past 15.
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 640 assists, 140 digs, 28 kills and 18 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.
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
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