PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico volleyball travels to Dallas, Texas for the opening round of the LSC 2021 Volleyball Championship as the Hounds will tangle with (5) Dallas Baptist University, on Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 5 p.m. The winner will advance into the quarterfinals against (3) Lubbock Christian University on Thursday, Nov. 18, held in San Angelo, Texas.

2021 LONE STAR CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Lone Star Conference announced the LSC 2021 Volleyball Conference Championships Field on Saturday afternoon. 12 teams received places in the postseason tournament, with the the top four seeds earning a bye straight to the quarterfinals. As for the other eight teams, they will play in a opening round game held at the higher seed on Nov. 16. From then, quarterfinal matches through the final will be held at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, from Nov. 18-20, after the Rambelles were crowned regular season champions. 

LAST TIME OUT

The Greyhounds split their final weekend of the regular season. First, falling to the Lady Patriots of DBU 3-2 on Friday, then winning the final game of the regular season against Texas Women's University, 3-0. Saturday's win against TWU advanced Eastern into the postseason, and the Hounds were awarded the 11-seed after a three-way tiebreaker.

FAMILIAR FOE

The Hounds and Lady Patriots will face each other for the third time this season, and the second time in the past five days. Eastern and DBU first met on Sept. 3^rd, with the Lady Patriots taking the contest 3-1 in the 2021 Patriot Tournament. Recently, ENMU and DBU tangled this past weekend, Friday, Nov. 12, with the Lady Patriots coming out on top after a back and forth contest, 3-2.

SCOUTING THE HOUNDS

Eastern finished the regular season with 7-18 record, along with a 7-10 conference standing. The Hounds as a team are providing 11.2 kills per set (k/s), along with 10.2 assists per set (a/s). Defensively, ENMU are averaging 13.0 digs per set (d/s), and with 2.06 blocks per set (b/s).
 
Jasmine Gannon leads the Hounds attack with 2.96 k/s, while Mikaela Garvin is adding 2.23 k/s. Rae Sapiga averages 5.05 a/s, Qitana Sapiga provides 3.79 a/s to the offense. Daejia Rodriguez paces the team for digs with 2.92 d/s, with Gannon also adding 2.85 d/s. At the net, Gracelyn Stubbs is finding 0.85 b/s, just behind is Adriana Puni with 0.84 b/s.
 
Statistically speaking, R. Sapiga stands in 4^th in the conference with 0.41 service aces per set (sa/s). The Hounds as a team stand in 4^th across the Lone Star Conference for b/s with 2.06 b/s, while also holding teams to just 1.64 b/s, which is 4^th in the LSC. ENMU stands as the top team in opponent digs, with 13.40 d/s.

SCOUTING THE LADY PATRIOTS

DBU closed the regular season holding a 13-7 record, with a 10-7 LSC record. The Lady Patriots spilt its final weekend picking up a 3-2 over Eastern on Friday, then being sweep by West Texas A&M University, 3-0, on Saturday.

Together, DBU are posting 12.8 k/s and 11.5 a/s on offense. The Patriots on defense are suppling 15.8 d/s, and adding 1.8 b/s up front.

Halle Van Poppel stands at the top of the LSC and leads DBU with 4.38 k/s. Van Poppel's stands 7^th among all Division II student-athletes for k/s nationally. Leading the team in assists, Aryn Walton supplies 5.11 a/s to the Patriots. On defense, Leah Palensky is finding 4.77 d/s, which sits 4^th in the conference. At the net, Sofia Black and Alyssa Parks provide 0.79 b/s each for the DBU defense.