MISSOULA, Montana --- The UT Arlington volleyball team will open up the 2022 season on Friday and Saturday with a trio of matches in the Ellesyn Invitational on the campus of the University of Montana. All three matches will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats at the links below.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
vs UC Davis | Friday, Aug. 26 | 1 p.m.
ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
vs Montana | Friday, Aug. 26 | 7:30 p.m.
ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
vs North Dakota | Saturday, Aug. 27 | 11 a.m.
ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
UTA NOTES

• Head Coach J.T. Wenger returns for his sixth season at the helm for Maverick volleyball. He has won 74 matches during his first five seasons with the Mavericks and is coming off a Sun Belt Conference semifinal appearance to end last season.
   
• The Mavericks return two all-conference selections from a season ago in Briana Brown (First Team All-SBC) and Alli Wells (Second Team All-SBC). They will also return former All-SBC selections in Brooke Townsend (2019, 2020) and Brianna Ford (2020).
   
• Brooke Townsend became the 19th Maverick to reach 1,000 career kills last season and currently ranks 16th all-time in total kills with 1,076. If she reaches her career average of 269 this season, she will finish with the eighth most kills in program history.
   
• Mollie Blank enters this weekend needing just 26 assists to reach 1,000 in her career, while Brianna Ford sits just two blocks shy of 100. Both players are in their third collegiate season.
   
• Already a member of the 1,000 dig club, Alli Wells currently ranks 20th all-time in total digs. If she reaches her two-year average of 530 this season, that will put her 5th all-time.
   
• There is a 50 percent chance that a Maverick win will be a sweep (3-0). Exactly half (37) of head coach J.T. Wenger's 74 career wins have come from sweeps.
   
• Brianna Ford spent her 20th birthday in Europe as she participated in the 2022 Global Challenge in Croatia, helping lead her team to a first place finish and being named to the all-tournament team.
   
• Freshman Sophie 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.
   
• The Mavericks return three players who scored over 270 points last season (Briana Brown, Brooke Townsend, Brianna Ford). Overall, UTA will return 76 percent of their total points from a season ago.

A NEW ERA IN THE WAC

UTA returns to the WAC following an eight-year stint in the Sun Belt Conference. The Mavericks spent one season in the WAC (2012).
 
The Mavericks were voted to finish eighth in the WAC. New Mexico State, which won the West Division of the WAC last year, was selected as the preseason favorite ahead of Utah Valley, which won the WAC tourney a year ago.
                                   
WAC Preseason Poll
1. New Mexico State (6) - 135
2. Utah Valley (5) - 129
3. Grand Canyon (1) - 127
4. Sam Houston (1) - 99
5. Stephen F. Austin - 95
6. California Baptist - 90
7. UTRGV - 86
8. UT Arlington - 54
9. Tarleton - 50
    Utah Tech - 50
11. Abilene Christian - 37
12. Southern Utah - 32
13. Seattle - 17
 
WAC Preseason Awards
Player of the Year: Katie Birtcil, NM State
Libero of the Year: Hannah Baker, Sam Houston
Setter of the Year: Klaire Mitchell, Grand Canyon
 
Preseason All-WAC Team
Hannah Baker, So., L, Sam Houston
Katie Birtcil, Jr., OH, NM State
Melanie Brecka, Grad, RS, Grand Canyon
Sarah Cruz, Sr., OH, UTRGV
Tori Dorius, Sr., OH, Utah Valley
Christine Graf, Sr., OH, California Baptist
Annabelle Kubinski, Grad, MB, Grand Canyon
Klaire Mitchell, Sr., S, Grand Canyon
Lia Mosher, Grad, MB, NM State
Kazna Tanuvasa, Grad, OH, Utah Valley
McKenzie Wise, So., OH, Grand Canyon
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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).
 
NEXT UP

Following this weekend, the Mavericks make their 2022 home debut inside the College Park Center with the UTA Classic Sept. 2-3 against Texas A&M – Commerce (Friday), Providence (Saturday) and North Texas (Saturday).
 
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.