SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State volleyball team opens Lone Star Conference play this week, doing so first on Wednesday when they welcome Western New Mexico inside the Junell Center - Stephens Arena. That match will start at 6 p.m.

The Rambelles wrapped up their non-conference schedule with 10-2 overall record after winning two of their three matches this past weekend at the LSC Crossover in Kingsville. The Belles bounced back from a Thursday night loss in five sets against the Javelinas to sweep St. Mary's on Friday before closing their weekend with a five-set win over UAFS. 

Against the Lady Lions, the Belles were down 7-3 in the fifth set before they scored 12 of the match's final 14 points to secure the win. 

Nationally, the Belles ranked in the top five in assists and kills, coming in at fourth in both categories. 

Hannah Kinnison is the only player in the LSC to rank in the top five in hitting percentage (fourth - .361) and kills (fourth - 3.84 kills per set). Already at 165 kills on the season, Kinnison is on pace to greatly exceed her 2022 tally of 214 kills. 

BELLES IN THE POLLS

•     The Belles are receiving 52 votes in the AVCA Preseason Top 25, the second-highest placed LSC team in the AVCA poll and just two positions out of the top 25. 
•     The Belles ended the 2022 season as the eighth-ranked team in the LSC standings, qualifying for the LSC Tournament. The Belles have qualified for the tournament every season under Waddington. 
•     The Belles were picked fifth in the LSC Preseason Poll behind West Texas A&M, UT Tyler, DBU, and Texas A&M-Kingsville.
•     They are one of three LSC teams to appear in the poll, behind top-ranked West Texas A&M and ahead of UT Tyler. 
•     The Belles started the 2022 season ranked 13th in the country before dropping to 23rd the following week and falling out of the poll the next week, failing to rejoin at any point during the rest of the season. 
•     The Belles started the 2021 season ranked first in the country off the heels of the 2021 AVCA National Championship; they spent the entire 2021 season within the top 25 of the poll. 

RV Angelo State vs. Western New Mexico
Wednesday, September 20 - 6 p.m.
Junell Center - Stephens Arena

The Belles are 13-2 all-time against the Mustangs, and head coach Chuck Waddington is 13-1 against WNMU. The Belles are on an eight-match winning streak dating back to 2017 in this series; additionally, the Belles are 7-1 all-time against the Mustangs inside the Junell Center - Stephens Arena. 

The Mustangs are 4-8 on the season, having gone 2-2 at the LSC Crossover last weekend in Portales. They are led by first-year head coach Geno Frugoli, who made the return to the sidelines as a head coach after a decade, when he was last the head coach of Division I school Southeastern Louisiana from 2011-13. 

Jazmyn Walker leads the Mustangs with 2.97 kills per set and had a .212 hitting percentage. Leticia Correa is the main facilitator in the Mustang offense, averaging 8.28 assists per set. Lilouann Bechec lead the Mustangs with 4.30 digs per set while Naomi Kimble anchors the defense at the net, averaging 0.76 blocks per set. 

In last season's conference opener between these two teams in Silver City, the Belles dropped the first set and found themsevles down 24-18 in set two; however, an 8-0 run where Jaedyn Woolley held serve for the Belles saw them comeback to claim the set and eventually, the match in four sets. 

That match featured Cate Boldrick burying a career-high 13 kills and only committing one error for a .667 hitting percentage. Hannah Kinnison had 11 kills and 12 digs while Marina Sanchez and Elsa Lamphere had eight and six kills, respectively. Kayla Baer led the Belles with 27 kills and had ten digs, and Laney Dale had 16 assists. Caleigh Enax led the Belles with 15 digs in that match. 

PERSONAL BESTS THIS SEASON

•     Eleven Belles have recorded at least one personal best this season.
•     Setter Kayla Baer had three service aces against UAFS on Sept. 16, including two in a row that gave the Belles the lead in the fifth set.
•     Setter Laney Dale recorded a pair of kills against New Mexcio Highlands on Sept. 5; she has five kills this season, exceeding her total from the 2022 season. She also set a new career high with three service aces against East Central on Sept. 9 and has five double-doubles this season. 
•     Outside hitter Hannah Kinnison set a career-high attacking percentage of .750 against University of the Southwest on Sept.1.
•     Setter Alli Kirkpatrick assisted 26 times against East Central on Sept. 9, the most in her debut season; she also notched three service aces against Southwest on Sept. 1 and recorded eight digs against TAMUK on Sept. 14.
•     Outside Elsa Lamphere hit .833 in the season opener versus Southwest, a new career-high for the senior. 
•     Outside hitter Madi Parrish buried 11 kills against East Central on Sept. 9. She hit .692 against Southwest, a career-high, and recorded 10 digs against St. Mary's on Sept. 15th for her first-career double-double. 
•     Defensive specialist Krizia Perez recorded two digs against Huston-Tillotson on Spetmeber 2nd. 
•     Middle Marina Sanchez had 13 kills vs. CSU Pueblo on Sept. 8, the first time she's had ten or more kills in a match in her career. She also had eight digs against the Thunderwolves, a career-high.  
•     Middle Hannah Spencer recorded three blocks against Henderson State on September 1st; she also recorded six kills twice, doing so against St. Mary's and UAFS; she hit .833 against UTPB on Sept. 2. She also recorded a pair of aces against the Rattlers on Sept. 15. 
•     Outside hitter Evelyn Torres set a new career high with 18 kills against UAFS on Sept. 16. 
•     Outside hitter Kamryn Williams recorded four kills each against Huston-Tillotson and Southwest; she hit .667 against the Mustangs.  

RETURNING STATS

• ASU returns four starters and 12 letter winners from last year's team while adding seven newcomers, including a pair of in-conference transfers.
• Angelo State returns 79.8 percent (1052 of 1319) of its kills, 94.7 percent (107 of 113) of its service aces, 88.3 percent (1572 of 1780) of its digs, and 34.2 percent of its blocks (81.5 of 238.5) from last season's team.

BELLES ADD SEVEN

Angelo State brought in seven newcomers in 2023, including a pair of transfers from within the LSC. 

    Alli Kirkpatrick
    Freshman * 5-11 * Setter
    Bonham, Texas * Bonham HS
Recorded 1,939 kills and 1,375 digs at Bonham HS; two-time district hitter of the year
    
    Madi Parrish
    Freshman * 5-9 * Outside Hitter
    Saginaw, Texas * Boswell HS
Recorded 981 kills and 1,049 digs at Boswell HS; two-time all-district selection.

    Krizia Perez
    Freshman * 5-6 * Defensive Specialist
    Laredo, Texas * United HS
Led United HS to four district championships; first-team all-district selection

    Maya Smalls
    Grad. Student * 5-10 * Right Side
    San Antonio, Texas * St. Edward's
2022 All-LSC First Team selection at St. Edward's; recorded 361 kills for the Hilltoppers in 2022

    Hannah Spencer
    Freshman * 6-1 * Middle Blocker
    San Antonio, Texas * Cornerstone Christian
Tallied 385 kills and 210 blocks; two-time all-district selection

    Evelyn Torres
    Senior * 5-9 * Outside Hitter
    Fort Worth, Texas * UT Tyler
All-LSC Second Team in 2022 for UT Tyler

    Kamryn Williams
    Freshman * 6-0 * Outside Hitter
    Wall, Texas * Wall HS
All-time kill leader at Wall HS with 1,260; most kills in a season with 448; 2021 All-West Texas MVP

UP NEXT
The Belles are on the road this Saturday to take on UT Permian Basin in LSC play.