The Teams: Tarleton State (11-8, 2-3 WAC) vs. Southern Utah (4-11, 0-5 WAC)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Arena: Wisdom Volleyball Gym
Time: 1 p.m. CT 
Streaming Platform: ESPN+
 
Texan Volleyball will continue their time in Wisdom Gym with a match against the Thunderbirds at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Tarleton State will face Southern Utah and are looking to claim a second win over the T-Birds for their second meeting in program history. 
 
Quick hits
• Tarleton State is tied for sixth in conference with UT Arlington and Utah Tech.  
• This is the best start for Texan Volleyball in the Division l era through 19 matches. This is Tarleton's best start through 19 matches since they went 12-7 as the No. 23 ranked team in the nation in 2019. In the 2019 season, the Purple and White finished 22-12 overall and 12-6 in conference.  
• This will be the second meeting between Southern Utah and Tarleton State.  
• The overall record between the two teams sees an undefeated record for the Texans. In the first and most recent meeting against the T-Birds, Oct. 8 of 2022, the Purple and White finished the match with a 3-2 victory in home territory for Southern Utah.  
• Junior Allison Bryant leads the WAC with 257 kills and ranks 15th in the nation for kills. Bryant is second in the WAC with 276.5 points. 
• Sophomore Emma Burke has a hitting percentage of .415 and has compiled 30 aces to lead the WAC and tie for 24th in the nation in aces. Burke is also tied for 18th in the nation for total blocks and leads the WAC with 78.0.
• Sophomore Megan Hodges leads the team with 449 assists on the season. Hodges compiled 22 assists in the match against Utah Tech.
• In the match against the Trailblazers, the Texans compiled 69 digs, 43 kills, 39 assists, eight blocks and 11 aces. 
• In the 2023 season, Tarleton State has compiled 982 kills. The Texans have ammassed 909 assists and 117 aces the team's season high of 12 aces against UIW and a close second in their most recent match with 11 aces against Utah Tech. The Purple and White have surpassed the 1,000 mark for digs with a grand total of 1,095 digs on the season with 11 matches remaining in the regular season. Texan Volleyball averages 14.6 digs per set. Tarleton State's defense has compiled 27 solo blocks and 216 block assists for 135.0 total blocks.
• The most recent match for the Purple and White took place at home for the Texans and ended with Utah Tech taking the five-set battle. 

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 257. 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 16 out of 19 matches played for the Texans. She also leads the team and the WAC with 276.5 points on the season.

In her second season with the Texans, Megan Hodges has quickly put up some impressive numbers. Leading the team with 449 assists, Hodges has made it clear she is here to compete. The setter is in second place for digs with 168 on the season.

Sophomore Emma Burke is a vital part of the Texan's defense. Leading the team with 78.0 blocks and sitting in third place on the team with 150 kills, the returner is a consistent, key player for Tarleton. Burke also leads the Texans in service aces with 30 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 292 digs, the junior averages 3.89 digs per set.

Another notable returner is junior Grayson Schirpik. The outside hitter from Leander, Texas, currently sits in fourth on the team with 148 kills on the season, averaging 2.00 kills per set. Schirpik also ranks fourth on the team in points with 170.5. 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 188. The outside hitter sits in second for service aces with 20 on the season. Fitzmaurice is also in third for digs with 139 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 19 matches. At 11-8, they surpassed their previous best match through 19 matches of 12-7 in 2019 (Spring 2021). This is Tarleton's best start through 19 matches since they went 12-6 as the No. 23 ranked team in the nation in 2019. 
 
 
Two-way player
 
Megan Hodges (S) currently leads the team in assists with 449 and assists per set with 5.99 on the season. Hodges is tied for second most digs with 168 and averages 2.24 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 150 kills in comparison to her total of 126 in the previous season. With 31 collegiate career aces, 30 coming from the 2023 season, Burke leads the WAC in service aces. The Texas, native, has tallied 35 digs on the season to top her total of 14 in the 2022 season. Burke sits at 78.0 total blocks on the season so far to surpass her 67.0 total blocks in the previous season. She has also compiled 225.5 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 188 kills for the Texans to top her career high season at Liberty of 163 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 20 aces in her first season at Tarleton State with 11 set conference matches remaining for the Purple and White. With a 221.0 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.