STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton TexAnns will be looking to end a handful of streaks as No. 6 West Texas A&M heads into Stephenville for a Lone Star Conference match on Thursday, Oct. 29, at Wisdom Gym.
The Lady Buffs (26-3, 10-0 LSC) have won 10 straight contests heading into Thursday, along with a remarkable 46-match winning streak against LSC opponents. WTAMU has not lost a conference match in nearly four years since falling in five sets to Abilene Christian on Nov. 3, 2005, in Canyon. Add-in six more wins over LSC opponents at the conference championship tournaments, and the Lady Buffs' streak is extended to 54 consecutive matches.
The TexAnns (8-18, 3-6 LSC) will try to end their current three-match losing streak as well, that includes last week's road loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville (3-0). Tarleton's last win came back on Oct. 10, when the TexAnns defeated Cameron 3-2 in Stephenville.
Senior middle blocker Shay Gracy leads the TexAnns offensively with 265 kills and a .239 hitting percentage. The Stephenville native leads Tarleton at the net as well with 22 solo blocks and 63 block assists for a total of 85. She is just seven blocks away from becoming fifth all-time on Tarleton's career blocks list.
Sophomore setter Jessie Hartman leads the team with 765 assists as she runs the TexAnn offense. Shea McBrearty meanwhile leads the squad with 435 digs as she works the back-row for the TexAnns. Junior Rachel Wolf has already set career-highs in multiple categories this season and comes into Thursday's match with 242 kills.
Melissa Harper leads the Lady Buff attack with a conference-leading .410 hitting percentage. Along with Laura Prinsen's 3.31 kills and Katie Rickwartz's 11.31 assists per set, the WTAMU offense is tops in the LSC in hitting percentage (.249), kills (13.88) and assists (13.11).
The Lady Buffs have quite simply dominated the all-time series having won all 31 matches dating back to 1993. A win against WTAMU on Thursday would end that streak as well.
Thursday's contest will be PURPLE OUT Wisdom Gym night. All fans are encourage to wear purple to the match and one fan wearing the most purple will receive a door prize. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
