SAN ANGELO – No.19 Belle Volleyball looks to extend its six-game undefeated winning streak with four matches during the Colorado Premier Tournament in Denver, CO on Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10.
The Belles will kick off its tournament schedule with a pair of regional opponents and a top 20 match-up against No. 6 Central Missouri at 1 p.m. (CDT) ASU will then move on to face the Metro State University of Denver at 4:30 p.m. (CDT). Depending on the outcome of ASU's first two matches, the Belles will face one of several teams on Saturday. The pool of other possible teams includes Southwestern Minnesota State, No.2 Wheeling Jesuit, No. 1 Concordia –St. Paul, St. Leo, No. 8 Lewis, Regis and No. 21 Arkansas – Fort Smith.
"This is an important opportunity for our program to see where we stack up nationally," stated ASU Head Volleyball Coach Chuck Waddington. "Central Missouri is a team that will contend for a national championship. Both UCM and Metro State have very talented players for us to contend with and we are looking forward to the challenge."
UCM is currently boasting a 3-1 overall record with its only loss coming to No. 2 Wheeling Jesuit in a five set marathon. The Jennies attack is averaging 14.0 kills per set and a .225 clip. Tournament hosts Metro State will enter its match-up with ASU with a 4-0 undefeated record. The Road Runner attack has tallied 25 aces on the season and is averaging 13.2 kills per set.
The Belles will enter the tournament sitting at 6-0 and are coming off of a pair of sweeps in Pueblo, Colorado against Adams State and Colorado State – Pueblo. The team has only lost a single set in 2016 thus far and the offense is carrying a .238 attack percentage after Wednesday match-ups in Pueblo. Its stout defense has tallied 33 total blocks and is averaging 18.0 digs per set.
Leading the attack for the Belles will be outside hitters Mallory Blauser and Brianna Sotello. With an average of 4.21 kills per set, Blauser is first on the team's kill list. The senior has recorded double figure kills in the last three matches including a season high 20 against Colorado State – Pueblo. From the service line she has dropped in five service aces. Defensively, Blauser has recorded 14 total blocks. Sotello is second on the squad with three double –doubles and is averaging 3.32 kills per set while having recorded 3.21 digs per set on defense. She is also second on the team in aces with a total of eight thus far.
Middle blocker Morgan Seaton and right side Abbie Lynn have also made great contributions to the offense. Seaton has climbed to third on the squad with 48 total kills, averaging her 2.53 per set and an outstanding clip of .483. She has not finished a match with below a .400 attack percentage since the Belles home opener. On the defensive side of the ball, she has chalked up a team second 15 blocks. Lynn, who has managed no few than eight kills in all but one match, is rocking a .297 attack percentage with an average of 2.47 kills per set.
Dishing out the ball to the Belle attackers is setter Meghan Parker. The freshman has racked up 231 assists on the season. With three matched tallying no fewer than 40 assists, she has averaged her 12.16 assists per set. The setter has also claimed the number one spot on the team with 12 service aces and the third spot with 52 total digs. Parker has tallied double figure digs in four of the teams six competitions which has led to her leading the team with four double-doubles.
Solidifying the ASU defense will be libero Micheala Sifuentes and middle blocker Leiyona Young. Sifuentes leads the team with 73 total digs on the year, which averages the sophomore 3.84 digs per set. Young leads ASU at the net with 16 total blocks. She has also assisted the offense with 25 total kills.
Also providing depth for ASU will be Tulani Titley, Mallory Davidson, and Kelly Hasbrouck. Titley has recorded eight kills in 2016 and on defense the freshman has come up with a pair of blocks. Davidson, a libero/defensive specialist, has contributed 38 digs and four service aces to the cause. Finally, Hasbrouck's 21 digs has averaged her 1.4 per set.
