PORTALES, N.M. − Eastern New Mexico volleyball (1-3) prepares to travel to Denton, Texas as they compete in the Pioneer/Patriot Invitational hosted by Texas Woman's University.
 
The Hounds will play four games over the course of two days as they face Sioux Falls and Harding on Friday and finish the weekend against Pace and Oklahoma Baptist on Saturday.
 
OPENING TIP
 
The Greyhounds opened the 2019 season with four games at the Cougar Classic in San Marcos, Calif. hosted by Cal State San Marcos.
 
Eastern captured an opening day victory after defeating Saint Martin's in four sets. Rebekah Spencer and Sarah Tuioti-Mariner finished with four service aces apiece which is tied for the second-highest single-game mark in the Lone Star Conference. Sophomore setter Rae Sapiga totaled 27 assists against the Saints, tying her career best.
 
Jasmine Gannon had a fantastic start to the 2019 campaign as she was named to the CSU-San Marcos Volleyball Cougar Classic All-Tournament Team for her efforts. The junior outside hitter compiled 46 total kills and two double-doubles for the tournament. Gannon recorded those double-doubles with 16 kills and 13 digs in the Greyhound's win over Saint Martin's as well as in the final match of the weekend with 14 kills and 14 digs against CSU-San Marcos. The Clovis, N.M. native finished the opening weekend of play with the seventh most kills per set (3.07) and the 11th most points scored per set (3.37) in the LSC. Eastern New Mexico finished the Cougar Classic with a record of 1-3.
 
Following the Pioneer/Patriot Invitational Eastern will return home and begin the grind of LSC play beginning with its home opener against Lubbock Christian Friday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. inside Greyhound Arena.
 
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
 
The Cougars begin the week with an undefeated record and have yet to drop a set throughout their first four games. Sioux Falls earned wins over Fort Hays State, Montana State Billings, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, and Chadron State as they competed in the Best Western West Hills Inn Eagles Classic.
 
Sioux Falls received 37 votes to be in the Top 25 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Coaches Week 1 Poll.
 
Leading the offensive charge for the Cougars is junior outside hitter Averey Yaksich as she sits on top of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference leader board with 102 kills, 30 more than the next closest competitor.
 
Junior outside hitter KaSandra Springer tied a USF program second-best finishing with six service aces in back-to-back matches against Montana State Billings and South Dakota Mines.
 
SCOUTING THE BISON
 
Harding began the season with a five-set victory over University of Montevallo and then rattled off consecutive sweeps against University of West Georgia and Lees-Mcrae College. The Bison wrapped-up the weekend as they lost to tournament host Alabama-Huntsville 1-3.
 
Junior middle blocker Emily Smith was named the Great American Conference Offensive Player of the Week after posting a .424 attack percentage in the UAH Invitational. Smith leads the squad with 52 kills and 17 blocks.
 
Harding is led by Head Coach Meredith Fear as she enters her eighth season at the helm of the Bison volleyball program. Fear is a two-time GAC Coach of the Year and has led her squad to a 164-61 overall record as well as a GAC regular season championship and a GAC Tournament championship in 2018.
 
SCOUTING THE SETTERS
 
The Setters have failed to win a set so far this season after dropping games to Holy Family, Goldet-Beacom, and host West Chester as they competed in the Ram Fest.
 
Pace is led by first year Head Coach Jackie Granger who comes to the team after spending the 2018 campaign as the top assistant at Georgetown University and helped the team to a 17-13 record.
 
Senior middle blocker Tatjana Calimpong-Burke recorded a team-best 21 points averaging 2.33 per set. Calimpong-Burke is sesocnd on the team with 16 kills and six blocks.
Sophomore outside hitter Sandra Yang leads the team with 20 kills  while sophomore setter Katy Motz has a team-high 28 assists.
 
This will be the first meeting between ENMU and the Pace in the history of the two programs.
 
SCOUTING THE BISON
 
Oklahoma Baptist began the season splitting games at the Loper Pre-Season Invite with wins over Adams State and Findlay and losses to Augustana and No. 11 Nebraska-Kearney.
 
Juniors Diana Carranza and Malia Leatherland were named to the All-Tournament team. Carranza averaged 5.07 digs/set and finished with a double-double against UNK after totaling 11 assists and 33 digs. Leatherland led the Bison offensively at 3.29 kills/set which included a 15-kill, 25-dig performance against Findlay.
 
The Bison defeated Central Oklahoma 3-1 Wednesday night for their first victory over the Bronchos since 1987. Before that victory, OBU had won just a single set in the previous four meetings since OBU volleyball was revived in 2008.