Complete Match Notes (.pdf)

Match Information

vs. Tarleton State
Date: Thursday, Sept. 8
Time: 7 p.m.

Location: San Angelo, Texas
Arena: Junell Center / Stephens Arena
Capacity: 5,500
Live Stats: AngeloSports.com
Live Audio: AngeloSports.com
Live Streaming: AngeloSports.com/showcase

THE MATCH
The Belles and the TexAnns will meet for the 39th time in program history and Angelo State holds a 28-10 advantage. ASU has won the last four contests against Tarleton State, most recently sweeping the TexAnns, 3-0, last season at the Junell Center. The last time the TexAnns were victorious over the Belles was in 2006 when ASU dropped a 3-0 decision in San Angelo.

THE COACHES
• Angelo State: Chuck Waddington (Rensselaer, 1993) is in his fourth season with the Belles and his teams have made an immediate impact as Angelo State has reached the Lone Star Conference Tournament three years in a row and just last season appeared in the championship match for the first time since 1993. He led the 2010 squad to a to a 19-12 overall mark and posted an impressive 12-2 conference ledger. During the season, Waddington guided his team to a 10-match winning streak and the Belles won 12 consecutive conference matches. His squad excelled at the LSC Tournament as the No. 3 seed sweeping No. 6 seed Central Oklahoma, and knocking off nationally-ranked and No. 2 seed Abilene Christian in three sets for the Belles' first win over the Wildcats since 2008, before falling to host and top-seeded West Texas A&M, 3-1, in the championship match.
• Tarleton State: Mary Schindler (Tarleton State, 2002) has begun her seventh season at the helm of the Tarleton State volleyball program after leading the TexAnns to a 23-10 record in 2010 and to a trip to the Lone Star Conference Tournament. In addition, Schindler guided the 2010 Tarleton volleyball program to its best start in school history with a 9-0 record. Her squad also set a school record with 23 wins on the season. In her tenure, Schindler has led the TexAnns to three LSC Tournament victories, which mark the school's only three wins in the school's 15 years in the conference. Most recently, Schindler notched her 100th career win with a 3-1 victory over the University of Illinois-Springfield last Friday, Sept. 2.

THE PROGRAM
• The Angelo State volleyball team has gotten off to a 5-0 start this season after sweeping through the West Texas Lady Buff Classic before holding off Incarnate Word, 3-2, Tuesday in San Antonio. With the win over the Cardinals, the Belles are 1-0 in conference action.
• After a 2010 season in which the Belles finished 19-12 overall and 12-2 in conference action, Angelo State was chosen to finish second in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll behind reigning LSC Champion West Texas A&M.
• Angelo State returns all its starters from a year a go including reigning Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Chelsea Gibson, who was chosen as the preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
• In addition to Gibson, the Belles also return All-LSC First Team selection Alex Woolsey, a junior setter, and sophomore outside hitter Kaelen Valdez, the 2010 AVCA South Central Region Freshman of the Year and All-LSC Second Team honoree.
• Last season, the Belles heated up in conference action as they went on a 10-match winning streak and won 12 consecutive conference matches en route to a No. 3 seed in the conference tournament.
• The Belles excelled in the conference tournament as they swept No. 6 seed Central Oklahoma and knocked out nationally-ranked and No. 2 seed Abilene Christian in three sets for their first win over the Wildcats since 2008, before falling to host and No. 1 seed West Texas A&M, 3-1, in the championship match.
• Angelo State's appearance in the LSC Championship match marked the first time the Belles reached that feat since 1993.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: TARLETON STATE
• The TexAnns enter the Junell Center / Stephens Arena with a 3-1 record after defeating Pace, Illinois-Springfield and East Central at the St. Mary's Tournament over the weekend. Tarleton State's single loss came at the hands of host St. Mary's in a 3-2 loss. The TexAnns are led by Flynn Harrell who owns a team-best 58 kills, 3.22 kills per set, 63 digs and 3.50 digs per set. Jessie Hartman is the TexAnns' primary setter, who accumulated 117 assists to average 6.50 assists per set. Danielle Barker has notched 74 assists (4.11 assists per set) at the position as well. Nikki McNorton is second on the squad with 53 kills and leads the team with a .351 hitting percentage.

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
• The Belles' return four student-athletes who garnered All-Lone Star Conference Honors last season in Chelsea Gibson, Alex Woolsey, Kaelen Valdez and Debbie Ohl.
• Gibson was named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Year at the end of last season and was chosen to repeat as the winner in the conference's annual pre-season poll. Gibson was also named to the All-LSC First Team.
• Woolsey was named to the All-LSC First Team after leading the conference in assists last year with 1,135. She averaged a conference-best 10.71 assists per set.
• Valdez garnered All-LSC Second Team accolades after finishing the 2010 season with 273 kills which was good for second on the squad and a team-leading 331 digs.
• Ohl was named an honorable mention selection after recording 123 kills and 38 total blocks in her first year with the Belles.

THE NEW KIDS
• There are four new faces on the court this season for the Belles in freshmen Shelby Wilt and Brittany Lemons, along with junior transfer Leah McWilliams and senior transfer Celeste Bonter.
• Wilt has quickly settled in at the collegiate level recording a team-leading 23 digs at Incarnate Word. Her 60 total digs are good for second on the squad, as is her 3.75 digs per set average. Wilt notched her first-career kill versus Adams State in the West Texas Lady Buff Classic last week.
• Lemons has seen action in four of the Belles' five matches this season. She notched her first-career dig versus UC-Colorado Springs at the West Texas Lady Buff Classic.
• McWilliams comes to the Belles from Alaska-Anchorage where she played in nine matches and helped the Seawolves reach the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.
• Bonter has played in all five matches for the Belles this season and has posted 25 kills, seven digs, four total blocks and one service ace. She tallied a season-high 10 kills versus Adams State at the West Texas Lady Buff Tournament.

SETTING THE BAR
• Alex Woolsey has picked up right where she left off in 2010. The junior setter has already recorded 178 assists in just five matches, averaging 11.12 assists per set. In just the first week of the season, Woolsey has already been named the Co-MVP the West Texas Lady Buff Classic and, most recently, was named the Lone Star Conference Setter of the Week.

DOUBLE VISION
• Kaelen Valdez has been on fire as she has recorded four double-doubles in five matches. The sophomore outside hitter tallied her first double-double versus Missouri Western at the West Texas Lady Buff Classic as she posted 11 kills and as many digs in the contest. She followed up that performance with an 11 kill-13 dig effort against UC-Colorado Springs Sept. 3, then came back that evening and recorded 11 kills and 11 digs versus Adams State. Her most recent double-double came at Incarnate Word on Sept. 6, when she slammed a career-high 19 kills and tied her career-best 20 digs.
• Alex Woolsey has also recorded a pair of double-doubles this season as she notched 33 assists and 13 digs versus UC-Colorado Springs at the West Texas Lady Buff Classic and 46 assists and 10 digs at Incarnate Word.

CAN YOU DIG IT?
• Kaelen Valdez has not only been tearing it up offensively, but also defensively as well. The Helotes, Texas, native leads the team with 62 digs on the season after tying her career-high with 20 digs at Incarnate Word.
• Freshman Shelby Wilt is not far behind Valdez as she has tallied 60 total digs this season. The setter and defensive specialist recorded a career-best 23 digs at Incarnate Word on Tuesday and has averaged 3.75 digs per set.
• Senior Kayla Smith is third on the team with 53 digs and is averaging 3.12 digs per set.

LSC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Chelsea Gibson and Alex Woolsey were named Defensive and Setter of the Week, respectively, by the Lone Star Conference on Tuesday.
• Gibson led the Belle volleyball defense as they limited opponents to a mere .007 hitting percentage last week. The junior middle blocker was instrumental in the Belles' four consecutive victories as she recorded a team-leading 13 total blocks, averaging 1.44 blocks per set. She also contributed a pair of digs, two assists and 24 kills. Gibson was named to the West Texas Lady Buff All-Tournament Team.
• Woolsey set the pace for the Belles' offense leading Angelo State to four consecutive 3-0 sweeps over Western State, Missouri Western, UC-Colorado Springs and Adams State as she tallied 132 assists, averaging 12.00 assists per set. The junior setter added 32 digs, 2.91 digs per set and a .333 hitting percentage to guide the Belles during the weekend tournament. Woolsey was named Co-MVP of the West Texas Lady Buff All-Tournament Team.

LSC PRESEASON POLL
The Rambelles were chosen second in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll after finishing the 2010 season with a 19-12 overall mark and a conference record of 12-2. Last season, the Belles rode a 10-match winning streak into the Lone Star Conference Championship match where they fell to host and top-seeded West Texas A&M, 3-1. It was the first time since 1993 that the Belles made an appearance in the conference championship.