SAN ANGELO – No. 19 Belle volleyball hits the road to Pueblo, Colorado where they will play Adams State at 1 p.m. CDT and Colorado State – Pueblo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 8.
Angelo State had a solid start to its 2016 season with a strong performance at the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational and currently riding an undefeated four-match win streak. With three of the last four wins for ASU coming in sweeping fashion, the Belles have jumped two spots in the national rankings to No. 19. Both of Angelo State's next matches will be against South Central regional opponents.
Adams State will be entering its match against ASU with a 3-1 record with its sole loss coming against Lone Star Conference member Eastern New Mexico. The Grizzlies are currently boasting a team attacking percentage of .233 and will seek to improve upon its single game win streak.
Colorado State-Pueblo is currently 1-3 on the season with a pair of losses to LSC members Texas A&M – Commerce and Texas Woman's. The Thunder Wolves will look to rebound from its last competition which resulted in a 3-0 loss to Newman (KS).
The Belles attack will be headed up by outside hitters Mallory Blauser and Brianna Sotello as well as right side hitter Abbie Lynn. Blauser played a major role in the Belles offensive success this pasty weekend. The senior leader tallied 46 total kills for a .306 clip and an average of 3.54 kills per set during the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational. This included a double-double during ASU first match up of the season where she racked up 11 kills and 11 digs. The Round Rock native also came up with 11 total blocks tying her for a team most.
Sotello, who recorded a pair of double-doubles this past weekend, is second on the squad with 43 kills and third with 37 digs. The junior opened the season with a .450 attack percentage against South Dakota School of Mines and recorded double-digit kills throughout the tournament. She also assisted the team's defensive efforts with five total blocks. Lynn is third on the Belles with 37 total kills and a clip of .356. She has recorded three blocks and 11 digs thus far. Against St. Edward's the junior posted a team high .526 clip.
Sophomore Micheala Sifuentes and junior Leiyona Young were rocks for the Belles defense. Sifuentes tallied a team high 51 digs in the Belles four matches this week. Marking three of four matches with double-digit digs, she averaged 3.92 digs per set. She also aided the offense with four service aces. Young tallied 11 total blocks for ASU while also assisting the offense with 17 kills for the weekend.
Masterfully distributing the ball for ASU was freshman setter Meghan Parker, who accumulated a team high 159 assists over the Belles four matches. This averaged the freshman a Lone Star Conference leading 12.23 assist per set. The setter was also a force to be reckoned with from the service line firing a LSC and team high 12 service aces. Defensively, the San Antonio native is second on the squad with 39 total digs. She currently leads the Belles with trifecta of double-double performances.
Providing depth for Angelo State will be middle blocker Morgan Seaton and defensive specialist Mallory Davidson. Seaton sits third on the team with nine total blocks and has the only solo block on the team thus far. She has also recorded 34 total kills posting three outstanding clips above .500 in the last three ASU match-ups. Finally, with a share of second on the squad with four service aces, Davidson has chalked up 35 digs to aid the defense.
