LONGVIEW, Texas -- The No. 4 seeded LeTourneau volleyball team opens the ASC Tournament on Thursday against No. 5 seeded Hardin-Simmons at 5 p.m. on the campus of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton.
Thursday's winner advances to face No. 1 seed Mary Hardin-Baylor on Friday at 5 p.m. UMHB is hosting the entire ASC Tournament.
TOURNAMENT DETAILS:
TOURNAMENT NOTES:
- LeTourneau ended the year 13-13 overall and 7-7 in league play to finish fourth in the ASC. It marked the sixth consecutive season the YellowJackets have finished in the top-four of the ASC.
- The YellowJackets started the season 4-9, but reversed that record over the final 13 matches. LeTourneau has won six of its last eight matches -- with the only losses coming in tight contests with Hardin-Simmons and UT Dallas.
- LeTourneau is making its seventh appearance in the ASC Tournament, and the sixth straight overall. The YellowJackets are 2-6 all-time in the tournament and have advanced to the semifinal round twice (2019, 2021).
- LeTourneau and Hardin-Simmons split their regular season matches, with each team winning on its home floor. The two teams also met in the quarterfinal round of the ASC Tournament last season and HSU took a 3-0 win, but all three sets were decided by either two or three points.
- Senior Morgan Nix continues to re-write the program's record book. The libero is arguably one of the best in the nation as she leads all of Division III -- and all three levels of the NCAA -- in digs per set (7.24) and total digs (738). She is on pace to break her own program record, and the ASC record, for digs per set in a season while also recently eclipsing her program record for total digs in a season. Nix is the first player in program history to surpass 700 digs in a year. Additionally, she is 33 digs shy of tying the ASC record in a season (771, Anna Aronovich, UT Dallas, 2005).
- Nix is a two-time ASC Defensive Player of the Week award winner this year. LeTourneau has had three players earn ASC Offensive Player of the Week honors (Yari Ortiz, Nov. 6; Reina Lawson, Oct. 23; Kaci Monk, Oct.16).
- Lawson leads the ASC in assists per set (7.91) and had a career-high 50 in a win over Howard Payne. She has registered a team-high 16 double-doubles this season, including seven straight to end the regular season.
- Ortiz is the biggest hitter for the YellowJackets as she leads the team in kills (298) and kills per set (3.10). The junior transfer has a stretch of 10 consecutive matches with double-digit kills, including two matches with a career-high 19 kills.
- Allison Smith keeps adding to her career record totals in blocks. The senior became the program's career leader in total blocks and block assists earlier this season and enters the tournament with 340 total blocks in her career. Smith ranks fourth in the ASC in blocks per set at 0.94, currently a season career-high. Smith is also one of the most efficient hitters in program history as she holds a career attack percentage of .280, including a .269 mark this year that leads the team.
- Thursday's winner moves on to Friday's semifinal against No. 1 seed Mary Hardin-Baylor (5 p.m.). The championship match is set for Saturday at 2 p.m.
- All matches live stats and video links can be found at the link above or at letuathletics.com/live
FOLLOW THE YELLOWJACKETS
Be sure to follow LeTourneau athletics all season long on letuathletics.com and social media at Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram for up-to-date scores, news, and other information.
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