2016 ASC Volleyball Championship Tournament Starts Thursday

11/1/2016 11:35:21 AM

ASC Bracket | History
Tournament Central | Host Site

Mary Hardin-Baylor posted an 11-3 record against league opponents to win the West Division title and the right to host the 2016 ASC Volleyball Championship Tournament, November 3-5, at the Mayborn Campus Center in Belton, Texas.

East Division
No. 1 UT Dallas (26-1 / 12-0 ASC)
The defending ASC champion UT Dallas, finished the season undefeated and claimed the top spot in the East Division for the second consecutive season. Ranked No. 3 in the AVCA top 25 poll, the Comets have not lost a conference match in the regular season over the last two years and their 13 straight tournament appearances is the longest active streak in the ASC. UT Dallas is 17-13 in tournament play and has won three ASC Championships (2008, 09', 15') and finished as the runner-up three times. The Comets finished the regular season as the ASC leader in five categories and rank in the top five in Division III in per set averages for assists (13.85), digs (20.23), kills (14.70) and team attacks (40.76). UT Dallas returns two all-tournament selections from its 2015 championship team - senior outside hitter Holyn Handley and senior middle blocker Michelle Toro. Toro and freshman outside hitter Dylan Brinkman led the UTD offense as the top kills duo in the ASC. Brinkman led the league (316) and is the only conference player with more than 300 kills on the year. Toro, who also led the ASC in hitting percentage (.353), ranks third in kills (281) and combined with Brinkman for 597 kills.

No. 2 UT Tyler (17-7 / 7-5 ASC)
UT Tyler makes its fourth consecutive tournament appearance and first under new head coach Lyndsay Mashe. The Patriots make their fourth straight trip to the postseason, its seventh overall and has a 4-10 record in tournament play. UT Tyler ranks second in the ASC in hitting percentage (.215), assists (12.15) and kills (12.72). The Patriots also hold top five marks in opponent hitting percentage (.131) and service aces (1.71), both at third and are fifth in digs (16.66). Senior setter Rebecca Floyd returns from her 2015 all-tournament selection to lead the Patriots in the 2016 event. Floyd ranks seventh in assists (5.71), followed by freshman middle blocker Kayla McCoy at sixth in hitting percentage (.297). UT Tyler also finished the season with seven players with more than 100 kills each led by freshman outside hitter Callie Reed (165).

No. 3 East Texas Baptist (10-12 / 5-7 ASC)
East Texas Baptist will compete in its fifth consecutive ASC tournament and leads the conference with 15 postseason appearances. The Tigers are 19-13 in tournament play, have won three ASC Championships (2001, 02', 03') and finished twice as the runner-up, most recently in 2013. East Texas Baptist ranks second in the ASC in digs (18.58), fourth in assists (11.30) and kills (12.06), and rank fifth in hitting percentage (.179) and blocks (1.77). Senior outside hitter Mallory Sanders ranks second in the league in kills (298) and 11th in Division III in attacks per set (12.11). Senior setter Kayla Green led the Tigers in assists (430) and ranks eighth in the conference (5.38).

West Division
No. 1 Mary Hardin-Baylor (19-8 / 11-3 ASC)
The 2015 ASC runner-up, Mary Hardin-Baylor won the West Division title for the second straight season and makes its sixth consecutive tournament appearance and 10th overall. The Cru is 11-11 in tournament play and won two ASC titles (1998, 2014). Mary Hardin-Baylor led the ASC in blocks and ranks third in Division III in blocks per set (2.50) and 16th in total blocks (235). The Cru also ranks third in the league in hitting percentage (.201) and fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.147). Senior outside hitter Abby Voskuil, a 2015 all-tournament selection, returns to lead the Cru in pursuit of its third ASC title. Ranked sixth in the ASC in kills (2.85), Voskuil also led the Cru in kills (239). Sophomore outside hitters Sydney Stolz (.333) and Maddie Frerich (.332) rank third and fourth, respectively, in the ASC in hitting percentage. Frerich also led the conference in blocks (118) and ranks 10th in Division III in blocks per set (1.26). Junior setter Natasha Evans played in all 96 Cru sets this season and was one of three ASC players to record more than 800 assists on the year (838) and ranks third in assists per set (8.73).

No. 2 Hardin-Simmons (15-11 / 10-4 ASC)
Hardin-Simmons makes its 12th straight tournament appearance. The Cowgirls lead the ASC with a 23-9 tournament record and five ASC titles. Hardin-Simmons claimed its first crown in 2006 and is the only team to win four consecutive championships (2010, 11', 12', 13'). The Cowgirls finished the regular season ranked second in the ASC in service aces (2.03) and third in assists (11.38) and kills (12.18). Junior middle blocker Grace Schulz ranks second in service aces (44) and is one of only two conference players to record more than 100 blocks on the year (102) and ranks second in the league. Sophomore outside hitter Allison Kuster led the team in kills and ranks fifth in the ASC (287). Senior defensive specialist Lauren Wish ranks fifth in digs (4.78) and freshman setter Ashley Pierce ranks sixth in assists (6.92).

No. 3 Howard Payne (11-14 / 5-9 ASC)
Howard Payne makes its first tournament appearance since 2000. The Lady Jackets are 0-1 in the ASC postseason and will look to pick up their first win in the event. Howard Payne finished the regular season ranked fourth in the ASC in digs (17.45) and opponent hitting percentage (.133). Senior outside hitter Shelbie Harry is one of three Lady Jackets to record more than 200 kills on the year and led with a team-best 254. Sophomore middle hitter Zhartezia Bradley ranks third in the league in blocks (91), sophomore libero Analisa Anzaldua ranks fourth in digs (4.86) and led the team with 462 on the year. Junior setter Cheyanne Lovelady is fifth in assists (8.25) and led the team with 767.

The 2016 ASC Volleyball Championship Tournament is the 19th postseason event dating back to 1998. The ASC tournament winner earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship.

NOTES: Admission: $8 for adults, $4 for students per day and no tournament passes ... This is the third time Mary Hardin-Baylor will serve as host of the ASC Volleyball Tournament (2014, 1998) ... The ASC Tournament began in 1998. There was no conference tournament in 1996 (Howard Payne) or 1997 (McMurry) ... To talk about / follow the tournament on Twitter, use the hashtag: #ASCvb.

2016 American Southwest Conference Volleyball Championship Tournament
Belton, Texas | Mayborn Campus Center | Hosted by University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

Day One: Thursday, November 3
Game 1 - West #2 Hardin-Simmons vs. East #3 East Texas Baptist, 12:00 p.m.
Game 2 - East #2 UT Tyler vs. West #3 Howard Payne, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3 - East #1 UT Dallas vs. Winner Game 1, 5:00 p.m.
Game 4 - West #1 Mary Hardin-Baylor vs. Winner Game 2, 7:30 p.m.

Day Two: Friday, November 4
Game 5 - Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 3, 12:00 p.m.
Game 6 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 4, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 5:00 p.m.
Game 8 - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 7:30 p.m.

Day Three: Saturday, November 5
Game 9 - Loser Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 11:00 a.m.
Game 10 - Championship / Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9, 2:00 p.m.
Game 11 - (if needed) / Game 10 Teams, 5:30 p.m.

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