ARLINGTON, Texas --- The UT Arlington volleyball team (5-4) will host the UTA Invitational on Friday and Saturday, welcoming New Orleans (5-4), Prairie View A&M (2-11), and Lamar (4-4) to the College Park Center.
The atmosphere is sure to be a fun one as Saturday night's finale against Lamar is dubbed 90's Night. The first 150 students in attendance get a free 90's Rugrats t-shirt. There will also be a costume contest where the best 90s look will get a 50 inch TV.
Tickets are available for each match and can be purchased online here. All day passes are available for $6 while all weekend passes are $10 with promo code MAVUP at UTAtickets.com/promo.
AN AWARD-WINNING WEEKEND
Brianna Ford and
Sophie Skinner each had huge weekends for UTA volleyball, not only leading the Mavs to a UTSA Invitational championship, but the duo made history by becoming the first two WAC weekly award winners in program history.
Ford was named the WAC Offensive Player of the Week after being named the UTSA Invitational MVP. She registered three consecutive double-doubles, which gives her six for the year and a career total of 17. Ford averaged 4.23 kills per set and 3.15 digs per set while hitting .339 over the weekend. Against South Florida, she had 23 kills, 12 digs and two blocks and followed up with 17 kills, 12 digs and five blocks against McNeese. She was also key in the come-from-behind win against UTSA, with 15 kills, 17 digs and five blocks. Meanwhile, Skinner picked up the WAC Freshman of the Week award after earning a spot on the UTSA Invitational All-Tournament team. She averaged 9.08 assists and 2.23 digs per set, while collecting her first collegiate double-double vs McNeese (44 assists, 14 digs). Against South Florida, Skinner registered a season-best 45 assists along with nine digs, followed by 29 assists and six digs against UTSA. The rookie setter is averaging nearly 37 assists and eight digs per match over the last five outings.
SUCCESS IN SAN ANTONIO
In addition to the award-winning weekends of
Brianna Ford and
Sophie Skinner, fourth-year libero
Alli Wells also earned a spot on the UTSA all-tournament team, averaging 3.77 digs per set and pushing her streak of consecutive matches with double-digit digs to 26. The Waxahachie native was crucial in leading the Mavs to the UTSA Invitational title as she opened with 12 digs, five aces and four assists against South Florida, followed it up with 24 digs and five assists against McNeese and finished UTSA off with 13 digs in the championship.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
As a team, UT Arlington ranks among the nation's top 75 teams in total blocks (24th, 93), blocks per set (49th, 2.51), total aces (66th, 61), total digs (67th, 537) and opponent hitting percentage (73rd, .174).
TOWNSEND ASCENDS CAREER KILLS LIST
Fifth-year senior
Brooke Townsend became the 19th Maverick to reach 1,000 kills last year, and she moved into the top 15 of the program's career list last weekend. She produced a season-high 16 kills in the Sept. 3 win over Providence and followed that up with 15 against McNeese this past weekend. Her 1,135 career total ranks 53rd among all active NCAA Division I players, and she is 68th in career sets played with 417.
| 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. |
Amanda Aguilera |
1,164 |
2008-11 |
| 13. |
Shari Parks |
1,148 |
1984-87 |
| 14. |
Brooke Townsend |
1,135 |
2018-Pres. |
| 15. |
Zhanelle Geathers |
1,132 |
2014-18 |
WELLS CLIMBING THE RANKS
Alli Wells currently ranks among the top 15 all-time in program history in total digs with 1,340. She ranks 20th among active NCAA Division I players in career digs per set with 4.51 while checking in at No. 42 in total digs. This season alone, Wells ranks 37th nationally in total digs (166) and 61st in digs per set (4.49). She also checks in at No. 34 in aces (17).
| 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. |
Trisha Walker |
1,455 |
1997-00 |
| 10. |
Dani Johnson |
1,446 |
2004-07 |
| 11. |
Chris Rudiger |
1,413 |
1986-89 |
| 12. |
Caitlyn Cooney |
1,384 |
2012-15 |
| 13. |
Katie Weismiller |
1,370 |
1983-86 |
| 14. |
Alli Wells |
1,340 |
2019-present |
| 15. |
Caley Smith |
1,318 |
2001-04 |
BLANK REACHES MILESTONE
Third-year setter
Mollie Blank notched her 1,000th career assist against North Dakota on Aug. 27. She enters this weekend with 1,066, and her double-double against Texas A&M-Commerce on Sept. 2 (38 assists, 13 digs) gives her 15 career double-doubles.
STUFFING IT
Brianna Ford surpassed 100 career blocks in the team's season opener and has pushed her total to 134 through nine matches. In fact, she has 36 this year, which is already 62 percent of her career-best total of 58 from all of last year.
SUCCESS AT HOME
The duo of
Brianna Ford and
Jalie Tritt was named to the UTA Classic All-Tourney team on Sept. 3. Ford, who produced a pair of double-doubles over the three matches, totaled 31 kills, 31 digs and 14 blocks. Tritt, who is in her rookie campaign, totaled 42 kills, 28 digs, seven blocks and three aces. In fact, she's notched at least nine digs in each of those outings, as well.
SKINNER BREAKS OUT
As evidenced by her big weekend in San Antonio,
Sophie Skinner continues to improve by earning over 40 assists against South Florida (45) and McNeese (44). She followed that up with 29 against UTSA on Sept. 10 and has produced at least 26 in each of her past five matches. On top of that, she's notched 45 digs this year while adding 11 kills and six aces. 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.
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.
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.
50/50
There is nearly a 50 percent chance that a Maverick win will be a sweep as almost half (37) of head coach
J.T. Wenger's 79 career wins have come from sweeps.
BACK 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), finishing 5-13 in conference play. The Mavericks were voted to finish eighth in the WAC this year. 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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