STEPHENVILLE - Just nine games into the 2013 volleyball season, the Tarleton TexAnns are faced with their first Lone Star Conference opponents as they welcome Cameron and Midwestern State into town this weekend.

The TexAnns will open up action against the Aggies Friday night at 6 p.m. before turning around for a 2 p.m. matchup against Midwestern State Saturday.

AT A GLANCE

Records: Tarleton State TexAnns, 5-4 (0-0 LSC); Cameron Aggies, 4-5 (0-1 LSC); Midwestern State, 7-2 (0-1 LSC)

Live Stats: Links to the live stats are available at the all-new TarletonSports.com. Visit the Tarleton Volleyball schedule and follow the link or click the "Stats" button in the top right corner of the home page. 

Live Video: Will be available at TarletonSports.com. Follow the link on the Tarleton Volleyball schedule or click the "Video" button in the top right corner of TarletonSports.com.

GAME TIMES

Friday: Cameron vs. Tarleton at 6 p.m.

Saturday: Midwestern State vs. Tarleton at 2 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT

The TexAnns went to Golden, Colorado for a four-game tournament at Colorado Mines where they won both matches on the first day before being swept on the second day by a pair of nationally ranked opponents. Tarleton swept in-region foe Fort Lewis and battled Western Oregon in an epic five-set thriller before falling to No. 6 Washburn and No. 19 Colorado Mines last Saturday.

SERIES HISTORIES

Tarleton and Cameron have met 35 times since 1978 with the Aggies holding a 25-10 advantage over Tarleton. Since 2008, however, the series has been one-sided with the TexAnns going 7-0 against Cameron in their last seven meetings. Meanwhile, Tarleton is looking to even the all-time series against Midwestern State. The Mustangs hold a slim 25-24 lead in the series which dates back to 1978. Tarleton has won five straight and nine of the last 14 meetings.

SCOUTING THE AGGIES, MUSTANGS

Cameron is coming off a 10-22 record in 2012 but are off to an improved start in the 2013 campaign. The Aggies, under the direction of third-year coach Doug Tabbert is 4-5 to start the season but dropped Tuesday's LSC opener to Eastern New Mexico in straight sets. Meanwhile, the Mustangs have already matched their entire win total from a year ago. Midwestern State, who went 7-23 last season, are 7-2 to begin the 2013 year but enter the weekend having just lost its conference opener via the sweep to No. 15 West Texas A&M Tuesday night. Midwestern State plays at No. 9 Angelo State Friday night.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Seniors Stacie Murrah and Emily Klein are this week's Lone Star Conference Co-Offensive and Co-Defensive players of the week, respectively. For Murrah, she is coming off a week in which she totaled 80 kills in five games on a .287 hitting percentage, including a career-high 26 kills against Western Oregon last Friday night. Meanwhile, Klein notched her first career PoW honor by leading Tarleton with 177 digs, 5.0 digs per set and six aces last week - including a 34-digs effort against WOU to tie a career-high. Klein recorded double-figure digs in all five games last week, including topping the 20-dig plateau in four of the five.

BARKER EYES HARTMAN AS ALL-TIME ASSISTS LEADER
Last weekend, Danielle Barker passed Christina Ortiz (2,313) for second place on Tarleton's all-time assist list. The senior from Amarillo enters the weekend with 336 assists on the season, giving her 2,462 for her career. Barker is currently 804 assists shy of tying her former teammate for the all-time lead in this category in the history of Tarleton volleyball. Barker is also 538 assists away from joining Hartman as the only two TexAnns to eclipse the 3,000 assists mark.

KLEIN CLOSING IN ON LISTER

Emily Klein is currently in third-place all-time on the Tarleton career digs list and is closing in on that second place spot - currently held by Sharon Lister with 1,463. Klein has 1,233 career digs, making her 230 digs shy of tying Lister's mark. Klein's former teammate, Shea McBrearty, is the school's all-time digs leader with 1,847.

TARLETON IN LSC OPENERS
Since joining the NCAA in 1994, Tarleton is 10-9 in conference openers and 5-3 in Lone Star Conference openers since head coach Mary Schindler took over the program in 2005. Tarleton has never officially opened the conference season against Cameron, but has played Cameron several times in non-conference affairs prior to LSC action when the Aggies were a part of the North Division. Tarleton was a part of the South Division of the LSC when the conference had division play from 1997 through the 2006 season.

UP NEXT FOR TARLETON

The TexAnns will take a one-match hiatus from conference play with a Tuesday night game against St. Mary's at 7 p.m. in Wisdom Gym.