The Teams: Tarleton State (11-7, 2-2 WAC) vs. Utah Tech (4-9, 0-3 WAC)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Arena: Wisdom Volleyball Gym
Time: 6 p.m. CT 
Streaming Platform: ESPN+
 
Tarleton State Volleyball begins their slate at home on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 6 p.m. with a match against Utah Tech after back-to-back road matches. The Texans look to continue their home winning streak and add a sixth consecutive win at home. The Purple and White have won every home match since Aug. 26. 
 
Quick hits
• Tarleton State is tied for fifth in conference with UT Arlington and Abilene Christian.  
• This is the best start for Texan Volleyball in the Division l era through 18 matches. At 11-7, they surpassed their previous best match through 18 matches of 10-8 in 2020 (Spring 2021). This is Tarleton's best start through 18 matches since they went 12-6 as the No. 23 ranked team in the nation in 2019. 
• This is the best conference record through four matches for the Texans at the Division l level. They last started 2-2 or better in conference play in 2019 (3-1). 
• This will be the sixth meeting between Utah Tech and Tarleton State.  
• The overall record between the two teams sits at 3-2 in favor of the Texans. In the most recent meeting against the Trailblazers, Oct. 6, the Purple and White took the match in four sets at the home site for Utah Tech. The first meeting took place Aug. 30, 2018 and resulted in a win for Utah Tech with a 3-1 final on their home court. In March of 2021, the Texans hosted the Trailblazers and took the match 3-0. The following day, Utah Tech matched the energy of the Purple and White and claimed the match 3-0. Oct. 23, 2021, Tarleton State evened the score at a neutral site with another sweep of the Trailblazers.  
• Junior Allison Bryant leads the WAC with 247 kills and 264.5 points. 
• Sophomore Emma Burke has a hitting percentage of .426 and has compiled 28 aces to lead the WAC, two of those earned in the most recent match against Grand Canyon.  
• Freshman Madison Frank tallied seven kills in the match against the Lopes. Frank also compiled two total blocks to tie for the most blocks on the team for the battle. The middle blocker saw a .538 hitting percentage on the evening.
• Sophomore Megan Hodges leads the team with 427 assists on the season. Hodges compiled 17 assists in the match against GCU.
• In the match against the Lopes, the Texans compiled 37 digs, 36 kills, 35 assists, three blocks and five aces. 
 
 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 and the WAC in kills with a total of 247. 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 15 out of 18 matches played for the Texans. She also leads the team and the WAC with 264.5 points on the season.

In her second season with the Texans, Megan Hodges has quickly put up some impressive numbers. Leading the team with 427 assists, Hodges has made it clear she is here to compete. The setter is in second place for digs with 157 on the season.

Sophomore Emma Burke is a vital part of the Texan's defense. Leading the team with 72.0 blocks and sitting in third place on the team with 145 kills, the returner is a consistent, key player for Tarleton. Burke also leads the Texans in service aces with 28 to lead the conference.

Defensive specialist Matti Theurer has seen time in each set for the Texans so far this season. Leading the defensive with 263 digs, the junior averages 3.83 digs per set.

Another notable returner is junior Grayson Schirpik. The outside hitter from Leander, Texas, currently sits in fourth on the team with 141 kills on the season, averaging 2.04 kills per set. Schirpik also ranks fourth on the team in points with 163.0. 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 180. The outside hitter sits in second for service aces with 18 on the season. Fitzmaurice is also in third for digs with 133 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. 
 
A record start
    This is the best start for Texan Volleyball in the Division l era through 18 matches. At 11-7, they surpassed their previous best match through 18 matches of 10-8 in 2020 (Spring 2021). This is Tarleton's best start through 18 matches since they went 12-6 as the No. 23 ranked team in the nation in 2019.           This is the best conference record through four matches for the Texans at the Division l level. They last started 2-2 or better in conference play in 2019 (3-1). 
 
 
Two-way player
 Megan Hodges (S) currently leads the team in assists with 410 and assists per set with 6.12 on the season. Hodges is tied for second most digs with 152 and averages 2.27 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 only 18 matches played for Tarleton State so far. The middle blocker has compiled 145 kills in comparison to her total of 126 in the previous season. With 29 collegiate career aces, 28 coming from the 2023 season, Burke leads the WAC in service aces. The Texas, native, has tallied 34 digs on the season to top her total of 14 in the 2022 season. Burke sits at 72.0 total blocks on the season so far to surpass her 67.0 total blocks in the previous season. She has also compiled 215.5 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 180 kills for the Texans to top her career high season at Liberty with 163 kills in 2019. Fitzmaurice is also on course to beat her career high of 18 aces in the 2019 season. The Lake Mary, Florida, native has tallied 18 aces in her first season at Tarleton State with 12 set conference matches remaining for the Purple and White. With a 210.0 point contribution to the team, Fitzmaurice has already beaten her previous record in a season with 206.0 points in her first season at Liberty in 2019.