The Angelo State volleyball team (6-10, 4-1 LSC) takes a break this week from its Lone Star Conference schedule with three matches against members from the Heartland Conference. The Rambelles host Texas-Permian Basin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Junell Center/Stephens Arena then head to San Antonio for matches against St Mary's at 7 p.m. Friday and versus Incarnate Word at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Lose one; win one...ASU split a pair of matches on the road against LSC foes last week, falling to No. 18-ranked West Texas A&M, 3-0, on Thursday then rebounding with a 3-0 over Eastern New Mexico on Saturday.
The match against West Texas A&M was one of total domination as the Lady Buffs held the Rambelles to season lows in attack percentage, assists and digs in sweeping ASU by scores of 30-12, 30-19 and 30-22. The one bright spot for the Rambelles was Alaina Sivells who registered 11 kills and had a match-high .444 hitting percentage.
ASU took out its frustration two days later, sweeping Eastern New Mexico by scores of 30-26, 30-19 and 30-28. Lauren Keeton had her best match of the season as she pounded out a season-high 17 kills while committing only three errors. Sivells registered 10 kills against two errors for a match-high .472 percentage. Tess Brindock collected a match-high 34 assists and was one of three Rambelles with a team-high seven digs, sharing the honor with Kimber Duncan and Sara Sietsma.
About the coach...Ruth Lawanson (Fresno State, 1995) is in her third year at the helm of the ASU volleyball program and sports a 19-54 record. Lawanson came to ASU from Fresno State University after serving six seasons as the Bulldogs' outside hitter coach and primary recruiter. A setter and hitter during her storied playing career, Lawanson was a member of the 1992 United States Olympic volleyball team that won the bronze medal at the Barcelona games. She was honored with the national team's 1991 Judy Bellomo Players Award and won a gold medal with the 1992 U.S. Olympic Festival West Region team.
At the college level, Lawanson was one of the greatest players in Fresno State history, becoming the first Bulldog ever to earn NCAA Division I All-America honors as a senior in 1984. She was a three-time team MVP for the Bulldogs (1982-84) and still holds their career record for kills (962) and season records for kills (488) and service aces (55). Her senior year, Lawanson guided FSU to a 26-13 record and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Tournament. For her efforts she was named NorPac co-Player of the Year, first team All-NorPac and earned All-Northwest Region honors. At the conclusion of her FSU playing career, Lawanson became the first female athlete in the university's history to have her jersey retired. She was also the first athlete in a sport other than football and only the fourth athlete overall to receive that honor from FSU. Her other FSU accolades include the 1984 Rosa Parks Award and designation as the 1984-85 Female Athlete of the Year.
No sophomore jinxes...The Rambelles have three sophomores that are 1-2-3 in kills for 2007. Alaina Sivells leads the triumvirate with 3.52 kills per game, a hitting percentage of .293 and 1.09 blocks per game. Brittany McNeal, a 6-0 middle blocker from Schulenberg, is second on the list with 2.69 kills per game, 0.65 blocks per game and is tied for second with nine service aces. Adrienne Taylor, a 5-11 outside hitter from Luling, is third on the squad with 2.30 kills per game and second on the team with 2.61 digs per game.
This week's opponents...The Rambelles take a break from their Lone Star Conference schedule with matches with the top three teams in the Heartland Conference standings. The Heartland swing begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Junell Center/Stephens Arena when ASU hosts Texas-Permian Basin. The Rambelles then head to San Antonio for a match with St. Mary's at 7 p.m. Friday and conclude the week's action with a match against Incarnate Word at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Texas-Permian Basin enters the match occupying the top spot in the Heartland Conference standings with a 5-1 record, 12-9 overall. The Rambelles and Falcons met earlier this season in the ACU Invitational with the Rambelles earning a 3-0 win in the first round of the tournament. UTPB captured the only other meeting between the two schools last season in San Angelo. The Falcons as a team are second in the HC with a 13.38 kills per game average and are led by Amithy Henry, the top hitter in the Heartland Conference, with a 4.45 kills per game average. Britney McCutchen is fifth in the league with a 9.97 assists per game average. Diondra Arenas provides a formidable wall for opponents to attempt to go through, averaging 1.00 blocks per outing.
The match with St. Mary's on Friday marks the 31st meeting between the two schools, with ASU holding an 18-12 record all-time. The Rambelles and Rattlers last met in 2005 in a home-and-home series with each school successfully defending home court. St. Mary's enters the match with a 10-9 record, 5-2 in the HC, with a match scheduled against cross-town rival Incarnate Word on Wednesday before facing ASU. As a team, the Rattlers are third in the HC in kills per game, thanks in most part to Samantha Weber, the number three hitter and blocker in the Heartland Conference, who has been knocking down kills at a rate of 3.96 per game. St. Mary's is the number one serving team in the league, registering 1.98 aces per game, with three of the top four individual leaders in that category. Weber leads the triumvirate, and the Heartland, with a 0.48 per game average followed by Valerie Teter and Kori McCarver who share the third spot with a 0.36 aces per game average.
After an overnight rest, the Rambelles take on Incarnate Word, 11-7 overall and 4-1 in the HC, looking to avenge a 3-0 loss to the Cardinals earlier this season. ASU and Incarnate Word have met ten times in the past with the Rambelles owning a 6-4 record. The Cardinals are the number three hitting team in the Heartland and number two in opponent's hitting. The top individual attacker for UIW is Kim Kvapil, the number two hitter in the league with 4.14 kills per game, who lit up ASU for 20 kills in the earlier meeting this season. Sarah Nordman controls the offense for the Cardinals averaging 10.08 assists per game, good for third in the Heartland Conference.
Next week's action...Angelo State returns home to conclude its non-conference schedule at 7 p.m. next Tuesday with a match against Texas A&M International before resuming LSC play when the Rambelles travel to Abilene to face Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. next Thursday.
