Volleyball | 10/27/2016 4:22:00 PM
SAN ANGELO -Â The No. 10 Angelo State volleyball team will have the luxury of facing its next to opponents at home, facing West Texas A&M at 7 p.m. Friday night and then taking on Texas-Permian Basin at 2 p.m. Saturday.
The Belles (21-2, 12-1 LSC) are carrying an eight-game win streak into the weekend dating back to an October 1 win against Texas A&M-Kingsville, and so far this season ASU has not suffered a loss at home. Angelo State's stellar play has not only earned them the top spot in the Lone Star Conference, but a No. 10 ranking in the nation as well.
ASU has been able to lead the LSC throughout the season thanks to a top-flight attack. The Belles lead the conference in hitting percentage by more than 20 points at .262 and lead in most other offensive categories as well including kills per set and assists per set.
Outside hitters Mallory Blauser and Brianna Sotello along with right side Abbie Lynn have led the attack for the Belles this year. Blauser is the best on the team with 329 total kills and a kill per set average of 4.27. The senior's performance has boosted her to the No. 5 kill total all-time at ASU, and she ranks third in the conference this season as well. The Round Rock native has chipped in from the service line this season too, earning the second most service aces on the team with 24.
Close behind Blauser with 251 total kills this season is Brianna Sotello. The junior's attack this year has come at a .228 clip and has pushed her to 999 kills in her career, good for 15th all-time at ASU. Sotello has also contributed defensively with 3.42 digs per set, leading the Belles and ranking No. 12 in the LSC. Rounding out the trio on the opposite Blauser and Sotello on the right side is junior Abbie Lynn, who has attacked at a clip of .281 this season for 182 total kills.
Also contributing to the offensive attack has been middle blockers Morgan Seaton and Tulani Titley. The two have been a force in the middle this season coming in a t fourth and fifth on the team in total kills. Titley had one of her best games of the season against Tarleton State, racking up seven kills on just 10 swings. The freshman's best game of the season came against WT earlier this season in Canyon when she put in eight kills and added seven blocks as well.
Seaton is the team leader in blocks, but has come up big on offense as well with 155 kills, averaging just over two per set. Three times this season she has reached the double digits in kills, with the last time coming on the road against Texas A&M-Commerce last weekend.
Setting up all of the ASU attacks has been setter Meghan Parker, who is just in her freshman season at ASU and only 34 assists away from breaking the top ten all-time career assists at Angelo State. Parker is the best in the conference in assists per set at 11.61, which is also good for No. 10 in the nation. The freshman also leads the team in service aces with 29 and ranks third in the conference in service aces per set.
Defensively, the Belles have seen Mallory Davidson step up since taking over the libero role, averaging 3.30 digs per set in 74 sets played this season. The team leader in digs is Sotello with 263, and Davison is not far behind at 244.
The Belles have also been helped by a strong blocking presence on the net. Seaton leads the team with 69 blocks on the season, 10 of which have come on her own. Blauser, Titley, Lynn and Leiyona Young also have more than 40 total blocks on the season as well,
West Texas A&M is coming into the match at 14-9 overall with a 9-4 showing in conference play. The Lady Buffs are the only LSC team to top the Belles this season, winning in five sets in Canyon.
Texas Permian Basin is 7-16 so far on the season and has just a 3-10 showing in conference play. The Falcons only LSC wins so far have come against Texas Woman's and Cameron.
"The same thing happened last time we played WT, where we beat Tarleton earlier in the week," ASU head volleyball coach Chuck Waddington said. "We've just got to stay focused because that's a really good team coming in here and look to do whatever it takes to beat them."
