SAN ANGELO, Texas – The No. 14 Angelo State University volleyball team continues its road trip through the Centennial State this weekend, competing in the Colorado Premier Challenge, hosted by MSU Denver and Regis, beginning Friday, Sept. 4.

LAST TIME OUT
Angelo State opened its Colorado road trip with a four-set victory over Adams State inside Plachy Gym on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The Belles controlled the opening two sets before the Grizzlies battled back to take the third set, which extended beyond the 25-point mark. The Blue and Gold responded in the fourth set, holding off a late Adams State surge to secure the match victory.

SCOUTING THE COLORADO PREMIER CHALLENGE
Known as one of NCAA Division II's most prestigious volleyball tournaments, the Colorado Premier Challenge features 12 programs competing across four pools. This year's field includes Anderson, Angelo State, Bentley, Central Missouri, Concordia-St. Paul, Ferris State, Lewis, MSU Denver, Palm Beach Atlantic, Regis, Wayne State and West Texas A&M.

The Belles are in Pool Four, where they are guaranteed matches against Bentley and MSU Denver, the reigning NCAA Division II national champions.

This weekend marks Angelo State's 10th appearance at the Colorado Premier Challenge. The Belles enter the weekend with an 18-19 record through their first nine appearances.

MSU Denver will be making its 30th appearance at the event and enters with a 59-57 record, while Bentley will make just its second appearance after going 2-2 in its first appearance.

HAVE A DAY, ALLI K!
Alli Kirkpatrick has been on a tear to begin the 2026 season. The senior right side leads the Belles with 52 kills and a .335 attack percentage through the team's first five matches after recording 69 kills across her first three seasons in the Blue and Gold. The Bonham, Texas, native's best performance thus far came at the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational, where she recorded 20 kills in Angelo State's four-set victory over MSU-Moorhead.

THE ASHCRAFT WAY
Gabi Ashcraft has recorded 94 assists to begin the 2026 season and is currently on pace to surpass her assist total from last season. The senior is averaging nearly six assists per set, compared to the 5.38 assists-per-set mark she posted in 2025.

HOP-PING HIGHER
Julia Hopkins ranks second on the team behind Kirkpatrick in both kills (43) and points accounted for (51), while ranking third in service aces with five. The junior from Austin is also trending upward in attack percentage compared to her 2025 numbers.

PARRISH DOING PARRISH THINGS
Preseason Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Year Madi Parrish currently ranks third on the team in points accounted for with 47 entering the weekend. The senior from Saginaw, Texas, has recorded 37 kills while adding seven service aces and five total blocks. She is also tied for the team lead with 52 digs.

MIDDLES GETTING IT DONE
Sydney Thornton and Hannah Barnhill have held down the middle for the Belles, combining for 71.5 points accounted for and 20 total blocks. Both players have also taken advantage of their opportunities offensively. Barnhill leads all qualified hitters with a .395 attack percentage, while Thornton ranks second at .386.

THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Three of Angelo State's six newcomers have made immediate impacts through the team's first six matches. Leah Klueber has recorded 25 kills from the right side, while Vivian Parker, the Belles' lone incoming transfer, has accounted for 21 points. Olivia Pena has also provided a solid pairing with Ashcraft in the setter role. The freshman from Helotes, Texas, has recorded 61 assists, averaging 4.69 assists per set.

BELLES NAMED LSC PRESEASON FAVES
Angelo State was selected to repeat as Lone Star Conference champions in the league's preseason poll, receiving 951 points and 41 of the 54 available first-place votes. The Belles were picked ahead of West Texas A&M, Lubbock Christian, UT Tyler and St. Mary's, with Oklahoma Christian, Texas A&M-Kingsville, DBU and Midwestern State rounding out the top 10. It marks the second consecutive season Angelo State has been selected as the LSC preseason favorite.

PARRISH NAMED LSC PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Senior outside hitter Madi Parrish was selected as the LSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Parrish, an AVCA First Team All-American in 2025, returns following a standout junior campaign in which she led the conference with 435 kills. She became the first Belle to earn consecutive LSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honors.

BELLES IN THE (PRESEASON) RANKINGS
Angelo State began the 2026 season ranked No. 21 in the AVCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Belles have appeared in 14 consecutive AVCA polls dating back to Sept. 17, 2024. Four of Angelo State's 28 regular-season matches are scheduled against teams ranked in the preseason top 25, with the Belles potentially facing two additional ranked opponents during the Colorado Premier Challenge on Sept. 4-5.

RETURNING STATS
The Belles return a significant portion of their production from last season, including 66.1 percent of their kills, 89.8 percent of their blocks and 65.9 percent of their digs. Angelo State returns 12 letterwinners from the 2025 squad, including All-American Madi Parrish and former All-LSC selections Sydney Thornton and Julia Hopkins.

BELLES' 51ST SEASON
The 2026 campaign marks the 51st season of Angelo State volleyball. Through its first 50 seasons, the program has compiled a 1,118-638-3 record for a .634 winning percentage, including a 406-189 mark in LSC play. The Belles have captured 12 LSC Tournament championships and advanced to 17 NCAA Tournaments, including two regional championships.

HOME COURT DOMINANCE
Under head coach Chuck Waddington, Angelo State has compiled a 220-34 record inside the Junell Center-Stephens Arena, good for an .864 winning percentage. The Belles are 41-2 at home over the past three seasons, with both losses coming against ranked opponents that went on to win their respective regions later that season. Angelo State fell to No. 5 West Texas A&M in 2023 and No. 23 Central Oklahoma in 2024.

ATTENDANCE
Angelo State volleyball continues to rank among Division II's top draws. At the 2024 Kathleen Brasfield Invitational, 3,315 fans packed the Junell Center-Stephens Arena to watch the Belles sweep New Mexico Highlands, setting program and LSC attendance records. During Waddington's tenure, Angelo State has welcomed more than 1,000 fans to 40 matches, posting a 35-5 record in those contests. During the 2024 South Central Regional, 4,237 fans watched the Belles win three matches inside the Junell Center-Stephens Arena to claim the regional championship and advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The 2024 regional attendance surpassed the previous program record of 2,936 fans, set during the 2023 Kathleen Brasfield Invitational when the Belles swept Southwest.