The Teams: Tarleton State (13-12, 4-7 WAC) at Utah Valley (8-14, 5-6 WAC)
Where: Orem, Utah
Arena: Lockhart Arena
Time: 2 p.m. CT 
Streaming Platform: ESPN+
 
Tarleton State are heading into the match again Utah Valley after a reverse sweep over the match host, Seattle U. The Texans will head into Saturday's match 13-12 overall and 4-7 in WAC play. The will be the fifth meeting between the Wolverines and Texans but the first Utah Valley has hosted the Purple and White. In the most recent match on Sept. 21, Tarleton State took the Wolverines in four set for a 3-1 final in favor of the host, the Texans. 
 
Quick hits
• Tarleton State is tied with Utah Tech for eight place going into the match. 
• Matti Theurer claimed the first WAC award for the Texans on Oct. 18, as she claimed the title of WAC Libero of the week after seeing two new season-highs against UTA.  
• In the most recent matchup for Tarleton State, the Texans battled back to thake the final three sets for a reverse sweep over Seattle U.  
• This will be the fifth meeting between the teams and the first time the Wolverines have hosted the Purple and White. The inaugural meeting took place in the 2021 season on Feb. 19, when Tarleton State hosted the Wolverines. The first match resulted in a 3-1 victory for Utah Valley. The following day the Texans changed the narrative and took a 3-1 win over the visitors. In the 2022 season on Oct. 27, the Purple and White hosted the Wolverines again and Utah Valley took the match in three sets. In the most recent meeting between the two, Tarleton State saw another 3-1 victory over the visitors. 
• Junior Allison Bryant leads the team with 312 kills and 336.5 points. 
• Sophomore Emma Burke has compiled 34 aces to lead the Texans. She has also amassed 103.0 total blocks for the 2023 season.  
• Sophomore Megan Hodges leads the team with 602 assists on the season. She has also compiled 216 digs and 30 service aces in the 2023 campaign.
• Rajini Fitzmaurice is consistenly a key player for Tarleton State. With an impressive new season high of 22 kills in the match against the Redhawks, Fitzmaurice has now seen 15 matches with 10+ kills for her overall total of 269 kills for the season. The Florida, native, has compiled 21 aces for the Texans. Fitzmaurice has totaled 192 digs and 309.0 points.  
• The Purple and White have compiled some impressive numbers with 1,294 kills, averaging 12.9 kills per set. The Texans have amassed 1,189 assists, 156 aces and 1,443 digs averaging 14.4 digs per set. The Tarleton State defense consists of 30 solo blocks, 307 block assists and183.5 total blocks.
 • In the match against Seattle U, several Texans saw new season highs. Fitzmaurice tallied 22 kills and 23 points, Maldonaldo Ortiz contributed three aces and Hodges amassed 36 assists for her second highest match of the season. 
 
Notables
 
Watch list
Allison Bryant joins the Purple and White as a transfer from Palm Beach State. The junior outside hitter has quickly made her mark as a member of the team as she leads the Texans in kills with a total of 312. Bryant's season-high comes from a five-set battle against the UIW Cardinals where she racked up 24 kills throughout the duration of the match. The Kelseyville, California, native, has compiled 10-plus kills in 18 out of 24 matches played for the Texans. She also leads the team with 336.5 points on the season.

In her second season with the Texans, Megan Hodges has quickly put up some impressive numbers. Leading the team with 602 assists, Hodges has made it clear she is here to compete. The setter is in second place for digs with 216 on the season.

Sophomore Emma Burke is a vital part of the Texan's defense. She leads the team and is ranked second in the WAC with 103.0 blocks. The middle blocker is fourth on the team with 193 kills. The returner is a consistent, key player for Tarleton. Burke also leads the Texans in service aces with 34. 

Defensive specialist Matti Theurer has seen time in each set for the Texans so far this season. Leading the defense with 404 digs, the junior averages 4.45 digs per set. The libero has also amassed 21 aces on the season. 

Another notable returner is junior Grayson Schirpik. The outside hitter from Leander, Texas, is third on the team with 198 kills on the season, averaging 2.00 kills per set. Schirpik also ranks fourth on the team in points with 226.5. In the 2022 season, Schirpik was a vital power for the Purple and White.

Rajini Fitzmaurice has pulled some serious weight for the Texans in recent matches. Fitzmaurice sits in second for most kills on the team with 269. The outside hitter is tied for third in the team in service aces with 21 on the season. Fitzmaurice is also in third for digs with 192 on the season, with a career high of 17 against UTSA.

Future upgrades coming soon
 
    Tarleton State is in the era of upgrades. With the groundbreaking of the new event center, Tarleton State Volleyball will part ways with the Wisdom Volleyball Gym that has been the home for the Texans since 1977. Tarleton Volleyball will move to Wisdom Gym, which has been home to Tarleton Men's and Women's Basketball since 1970, after the completion of the events center. Tarleton Volleyball will soon allow more room to accommodate fans in a familiar setting as well as give members of Texan Nation the opportunity to utilize reserved seating for future Texan Volleyball matches.
 
WAC preseason poll
Tarleton was picked to finish 9th out of 11 in the Western Athletic Conference. With 28 points, the Texans were picked to follow up Southern Utah (34). Tarleton State will go to battle against Grand Canyon, who is projected to win the league, on Sept. 30 in Phoenix, Arizona. 
 
WAC awards
On Oct. 18, Matti Theurer claimed the first WAC award of the season for the Texans as she was named Libero of the Week. In the match against UTA, Theurer saw multiple new season-highs with four aces and four points tallied for the Purple and White. She compiled 39 digs in two matches and averaged 4.17 digs per set. She also contributed eight assists in two matches. 
 
 
Two-way player
Megan Hodges (S) currently leads the team in assists with 602 and assists per set with 6.02 on the season. Hodges is tied for second most digs with 216 and averages 2.16 digs per set. 
 
Second year stride
In her second season as a Texan, Emma Burke has been a powerhouse player for the Purple and White. In the 2022 season, Burke saw time in 28 matches but the sophomore has surpassed her numbers from the previous season with 25 matches played for Tarleton State so far. The middle blocker has compiled 193 kills in comparison to her total of 126 in the previous season. With 35 collegiate career aces, 34 coming from the 2023 season, Burke is tied for fourth in the WAC in service aces. The Texas, native, has tallied 43 digs on the season to top her total of 14 in the 2022 season. Burke sits at an impressive 103.0 total blocks on the season so far to surpass her 67.0 total blocks in the previous season. She has also compiled 285.5 points on the season so far in comparison to her 167.0 total previously. 
 
New school, new numbers
With several newcomers putting on the Purple and White for the first time, the newest members of Tarleton Volleyball have seen impressive numbers to greatly contribute to the team's success. Rajini Fitzmaurice comes to Tarleton State from Liberty University. In her first season for the Texans, the outside hitter has quickly become a leading force for Tarleton State compiling 269 kills for the Texans to top her career high season at Liberty of 163 in 2019. Fitzmaurice has beat her previous career high of 18 aces in the 2019 season. The Lake Mary, Florida, native has tallied 21 aces in her first season at Tarleton State with five set conference matches remaining for the Purple and White. With a 309.0 point contribution to the team, Fitzmaurice has beaten her previous record in a season with 206.0 points in her first season at Liberty in 2019.