SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State women's volleyball team (22-8, 15-5 Lone Star Conference) will look to continue their regular season success as they travel to Tarleton State this week for the Lone Star Conference volleyball tournament. The Belles earned the No.3 seed and will take on No. 6 Texas A&M-Kingsville in the first round. ASU will look to improve their mark to 3-0 against the Javelinas this season after sweeping them at home and winning in four sets on the road.
Defense has been the hallmark for the Belles all season long, as they rank first in the Lone Star Conference in opponent hitting percentage and second in opponent kills per set. One player in particular who has been excellent defensively, especially at the net, is sophomore middle blocker Baleigh Allen. After only playing in five sets a year ago, Allen has had a breakout sophomore campaign. Over her 97 sets, she has posted 106 blocks for an average of 1.09 per set, which ranks fifth in the Lone Star Conference. Junior right side Sundara Chinn has also been excellent at the net, ranking second on the team with 83 total blocks. Chinn also leads the Belles in total digs with 346 and averages over three digs per set on the season. Freshman Sophia Berg has also contributed significantly at the net with 80 blocks as well and is coming off of an 11 block performance against Western New Mexico. A trio of freshmen, including Makenna Hanssen, Morgan Preston, and libero Chloe Robinson have also all been excellent defensively throughout the year, with the three combining for 843 digs and all averaging over two digs per set played.
Offensively, the Belles have been led by senior transfer Audrey Fragniere, who has posted 319 kills in 108 sets played for an average of 3.2 kills per set, which ranks fifth in the Lone Star Conference. Fragniere is coming off of a weekend which saw her set a career high for kills with 23 against UT Permian Basin. Sundara Chinn has been excellent as well and ranks second on the team with 257 kills for an average of 2.95 per set, and as good as Baleigh Allen has been defensively, she has been absolutely dominant offensively this season. Allen ranks first on the team and second in the Lone Star Conference with a .356 hitting percentage, including a program record percentage of .857 earlier this season against Midwestern State.
Setter Meghan Parker has been excellent all season and continues to climb the ASU record book in multiple categories. After notching her 3500th assist this past weekend against Western New Mexico, Parker ranks sixth in Angelo State history. She also has 125 career service aces, which places her seventh in Belle history as well. Additionally, Parker is fourth on the team this season with 287 digs for an average of 2.59 per set. Parker leads the team in total sets played, total matches played and matches started, service aces (with 50), and assists (with 1097).
Parker is not the only Belle that has been excellent, at the service line, as freshmen Morgan Preston and Sophia Berg have been strong contributors as well. Preston has 32 aces on the year for an average of 0.30 per set, which ranks eighth in the Lone Star Conference, and Berg is not far behind with 24 aces of her own.
The Belles have gotten strong contributions from several other players this season. Redshirt sophomore Bailey Drum has come on strong the second half of the season and is sixth on the team with 103 kills for an average of 1.47 per set. She has also recorded 47 digs and 32 blocks on the season. Junior transfer Makenzie Griffin has been very effective in limited playing time and has recorded 57 kills, 18 digs, and seven blocks in just 33 sets. Freshman Brianna Hudson has excelled in limited playing time as well, recording 45 kills, 19 digs, and 16 blocks in 47 sets. Each of these players has had at least one match with double digit kills this season. Setter Eadara Files has been excellent in relief of Meghan Parker and has recorded 65 assists and 47 digs in 50 sets.
Texas A&M-Kingsville comes into Thursday's match with a record of 18-13 (10-10 Lone Star Conference) and riding a three match winning streak. The Belles are 60-11 all time against the Javelinas.
