STEPHENVILLE, Texas – The HCU volleyball team will compete in the Tarleton State Tournament this weekend for their final test before entering Southland Conference play. The tournament runs from Friday, Sept. 20, through Saturday, Sept. 21.
The Huskies (2-6) will face ULM (2-7) in their first match on Friday at 2 p.m., followed by a match against host Tarleton (1-8) later that day. On Saturday, they will conclude the tournament with a match against Alcorn State (1-5) at 2 p.m.
HCU faced tough competition last weekend at the UTRGV Tournament where they fell to San Francisco in straight sets (13-25, 22-25, 12-25) and narrowly lost to Texas Tech in five sets (13-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-23, 13-15). HCU got standout performances from
Audrey Pearce,
Emerald Jacobs, and
Ravyn Dash, who each tallied 16 kills, along with strong defensive efforts from Pearce and
Jade Smith.
For the season, Pearce leads the team with 96 kills, followed by
Cassidy Drapela with 68 and Dash with 66.
Grace McLaughlin has been a driving force with 317 assists and her 9.91 assists per set ranks third in the SLC.
Tatiana Evans leads in digs, with 109, just ahead of McLaughlin's 104. Pearce also leads the team in blocks, with 35, and her .359 hitting percentage ranks third in the conference.
ULM last competed in the Green Wave Classic where they defeated Grambling State 3-0 but suffered losses to Mississippi State and Tulane, both 3-0. Ariana Brown has been a standout for ULM, leading the team with 97 kills, followed by Hannah Redrow with 43 and Taly Cloyd with 34. Morgan Howard has been the primary playmaker with 186 assists, and Cameron Rogers leads the defense with 132 digs.
Tarleton recently competed in the Lumberjack Classic, defeating New Mexico 3-2 but falling to Northern Arizona and McNeese. Allison Bryant leads the team in kills with 102, followed by Tatum Busch with 66. Megan Hodges paces the team with 219 assists, while Emma Halcomb leads the defense with 109 digs.
Alcorn State is coming off a win against Tougaloo College, earning a 3-0 sweep. Hannah Solomon leads the team in kills with 150, followed by Makayla Wardlaw with 137. Ramona Pulu has been effective both offensively, leading in assists with 230, and at the service line, with 20 aces. Defensively, Harmoni Carswell leads the team in digs with 159, and Jalayah Hamby tops the team in blocks with 25.
Following this weekend's action, HCU will begin Southland Conference play on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. in Thibodaux, La., against Nicholls.
