SAN ANGELO, Texas – The No. 6 Angelo State University volleyball team returns home to the Junell Center/Stephens Arena this weekend to continue Lone Star Conference play, hosting Oklahoma Christian on Friday, Sept. 25, and Cameron on Saturday, Sept. 26.
MATCH THEMES
Friday, Sept. 25 vs. Oklahoma Christian – Women in Sports Day (Belle Bash)
Girls 14 and younger will receive free admission to Friday's match, while girls and women 15 and older can attend for $5 at the gate.
Fans can enjoy a sign-making station, face painting, a photo opportunity with Bella and special in-game features celebrating the incredible women who make an impact in sports.
Saturday, Sept. 26 vs. Cameron – Military Appreciation Day
Active-duty military personnel and their dependents receive free admission with a valid military ID. Veterans and military retirees also receive free admission with a valid military ID.
LAST TIME OUT
Angelo State opened Lone Star Conference play with a trip to Central Texas, beginning with a five-set thriller against St. Mary's on Sept. 18. The Belles fell behind 2-0 in sets before rallying to reverse-sweep the Rattlers and claim the victory.
The Blue and Gold followed with a four-set victory over St. Edward's on Sept. 19, led by a 15-kill performance from
Madi Parrish.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Oklahoma Christian enters the weekend with a 7-6 overall record. The Eagles opened Lone Star Conference play at home against UT Dallas and UT Tyler, splitting the two matches with a 3-0 victory over UT Dallas and a 3-1 loss to UT Tyler.
Most recently, Oklahoma Christian hosted Newman on Tuesday night, sweeping the Jets 3-0.
Offensively, the Eagles rank sixth in the Lone Star Conference with a .219 team attack percentage. Chloe Jones leads Oklahoma Christian with 143 kills while hitting .262. Molly Brunell and Kenzy McArtor are also nearing the 100-kill mark with 99 and 98, respectively.
Running a 6-2 offense, Summer van Meerveld directs the Eagles' attack with 282 assists, followed by Emma Eyster with 149 assists.
Defensively, opponents are hitting .240 against Oklahoma Christian, which ranks second-to-last in the LSC. Macey Nehring leads the Eagles with 163 digs, while Lauren Cary paces the team with 41 blocks.
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
Cameron enters the weekend with an 0-12 record and is in the midst of a 17-match losing streak dating back to Oct. 28 of last season. The Aggies opened LSC play last week by hosting UT Tyler and UT Dallas, dropping both matches by 3-1 scores.
Despite their record, the Aggies have battled throughout the season, picking up set wins against Southern Nazarene, UT Tyler and UT Dallas. Cameron's closest match of the season came against Minot State, a five-set thriller during the Cameron Invitational on Sept. 4.
The Aggies are hitting .104 as a team, which ranks last in the Lone Star Conference. Maria Osorio leads Cameron with 119 kills while hitting .172.
Running a 6-2 offense, Mavery Salisbury leads the team with 146 assists, followed by Sydney Walker with 131.
Defensively, opponents are hitting .216 against the Aggies. Addison McClure leads the team with 117 digs, while Osorio and Caitlyn Cornell have combined for 43 blocks.
AVCA COACHES' POLL, SEPTEMBER 21ST
The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced its fifth weekly poll on Monday, September 21
st, with the Angelo State Belles checking in at No. 6 after its 12-1 start to the season.
PARRISH DOING PARRISH THINGS
Preseason Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Year
Madi Parrish leads the Belles in both points accounted for (155) and kills (126) entering the weekend. The senior from Saginaw, Texas, has also recorded 22 service aces and 12 total blocks while ranking second on the team with 133 digs.
HOP-PING HIGHER
Julia Hopkins ranks second on the team with 117 kills and third with 135.5 points accounted for entering the weekend. The junior from Austin also ranks fourth on the team with 11 service aces.
SYD THE KID
Sydney Thornton continues to make her presence felt early in the 2026 season, ranking second on the team with 142 points accounted for behind 106 kills. The junior also leads the Belles with 43 blocks and has added nine service aces. Thornton was named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8 after helping lead the Belles to a 4-1 record at the Colorado Premier Challenge against a challenging field that included then-No. 5 Ferris State, No. 7 MSU Denver and Bentley, which was receiving votes in the AVCA Division II Coaches Poll. The Prosper, Texas, native totaled 43 kills while hitting .373 and added 16 blocks during the five-match stretch. She also recorded 16 digs, three service aces and one assist.
HAVE A DAY, ALLI K!
Alli Kirkpatrick is on pace to become the fourth Belle to reach 100 kills in 2026. The senior right side has recorded 97 kills while hitting .317, already surpassing the 69 kills she recorded 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 203 assists to begin the 2026 season and is currently on pace to surpass her assist total from last season. The junior is averaging nearly 5.50 assists per set, compared to the 5.38 assists-per-set mark she posted in 2025.
THE PROWESS OF PENA
Olivia Pena has made her mark in the Belles' 6-2 system alongside Ashcraft. The Helotes, Texas, native is tied for the team lead with 203 assists. Pena earned Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Week honors on Sept. 15 after helping guide the Belles to a perfect 2-0 record during LSC Challenge Weekend against West Texas A&M and Lubbock Christian. The freshman from Helotes, Texas, totaled 44 assists while averaging 5.5 assists per set. She also added 10 digs, one kill and one service ace during the weekend.
THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Along with Pena, two additional newcomers have made immediate impacts through the team's first 12 matches.
Leah Klueber has recorded 65 kills from the right side, while
Vivian Parker, the Belles' lone incoming transfer, has accounted for 70 points.
SCRIVNER IS HER
Madison Scrivner has demonstrated the Belles' depth and ability to step up when called upon. During the Lone Star Conference Challenge, the junior recorded back-to-back double-doubles, totaling 43 assists and 25 digs across matches against West Texas A&M and Lubbock Christian.
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
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 222-34 record inside the Junell Center-Stephens Arena, good for an .867 winning percentage. The Belles are 47-2 at home over the past four 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.
