The Teams: Tarleton Texans (0-0, 0-0 WAC) vs. Prairie View A&M (0-0,0,0 SWAC); Northern Arizona (0-0, 0-0 BSC), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-0, 0-0 SWAC), Incarnate Word (0-0, 0-0 WAC)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Arena: Wisdom Volleyball Gym
Times: Friday: 9:30 a.m. CT, 7:30 p.m. CT; Saturday: 5 p.m. CT, 7:30 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ for all Tarleton matches, WAC International TV for non-Tarleton matches
 
TEXAN VOLLEYBALL MATCH DAY 
Tarleton Volleyball will kickstart their season as the host of the Texan Invitational tournament on Friday morning. 
 
To open up tournament play, the Texans will take on Prairie View A&M at 9:30 a.m. CT in Wisdom Volleyball Gym. Following the morning match, Tarleton will go head-to-head with the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona at 7:30 p.m. CT. On Saturday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. CT, the Texans will take the court against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Tarleton will wrap up the tournament with a final match against the Cardinals of Incarnate Word at 7:30 p.m. CT. 
 
Quick Hits
This will be the second straight year that Tarleton State is hosting the Texan Invitational. Over the past 15 years, this will be the ninth such event that Tarleton has hosted. In the past eight events, Tarleton has had a winning record in seven tournaments with the other going .500. Over that span, they have gone 27-8 (.771). Here are their records in those eight events; 2022 Texan Invitational 3-0, 2019 Texan Invitational 3-1, 2018 Tarleton Invitational 3-1, 2017 Tarleton Invitational 4-0, 2016 Tarleton Invitational 3-1, 2012 Tarleton Invitational 3-1, 2009 Tarleton TexAnn Invitational 2-2, 2008 Tarleton State Invitational 3-1.
•     Tarleton hosts four opponents in this years Texan Invitational, two of which they have never played. The Texans will play Northern Arizona for the first time on Friday night and Arkansas- Pine Bluff for the first time Saturday afternoon. Against UIW and Prairie View A&M, the Texans have played a combined 36 matches. They are 3-1 all time against PVAMU, with three straight wins dating back to 2001, and they have won six of their last seven matches against UIW dating back to 2010. 
•     Tarleton has won two straight home openers and nine of their last 10. 
•     Last season the Texans started 7-0 at home with no five-set matches.
•     In the 2022 season, returner Grayson Schirpik ranked fifth in the WAC in services aces per set and ninth in the WAC in points with a complied 321.5 points on the season. Schirpik also led the team with 275 kills and a season high of 17 kills against Sam Houston. Schirpik recorded 16 games with 10+ kills. 
•     Tarleton is returning three of their top five points leader from a year ago; Grayson Schirpik, Breanna McDonough and Emma Burke. 
•     Projected starters Rajini Fitzmaurice and Mary Kate Stasevich bring veteran leadership to the Texans. Fitzmaurice played four seasons at Liberty and Stasevich played the previous two years at North Alabama.  
Notables
          Freshmen on the block
In the 2023 season, Tarleton State Volleyball will welcome 11 new players to the roster. The new additons to the roster include six freshmen, three juniors and two seniors. Here is information for all freshmen. 
 
Madison Frank comes to Tarleton State from Aledo HS where she inished out her senior season with a hitting percentage of .441, the second highest in the area.Frank was named First Team All-District (2021 and 2022), TGCA Senior Legacy (2022), AVCA All-Region (2022), AVCA All-American watchlist (2022), Star Telegram All-Area third team (2021), Star Telegram All-State Honorable Mention (2021), Academic All-District (2020-2022), TGCA Academic All-State (2022), THSCA Academic All-State Honorable Mention (2022), received GJNC All-Tournament team award and AVCA Best and Brightest (2022). Frank also played in the TGCA All-Star game in July of 2022. Received GJNC All-Tournament team award.
Faith Wilkins comes to Tarleton State from Concordia Lutheran HS. Wilkins was named First Team All District and Second Team All State. She also is a recipient of a Full Scholarship Acknowledgment Award as well as a Heart of Legacy Award recipient. Wilkins high school team placed third in state for freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. The 6'1 freshman was a member of Texas Legacy VC select team where the club team appeared at nationals every season and took first place at the GJNC.
Carly Lange is a freshman from Bellville, Texas. During her time as a member of Bellville Volleyball, the team earned the title of District Champions (2019-2022), and State semi-finalists (2022-2022). Langhe was named Defensive MVP (2022), First team All-District (2021), Second team All-District (2020), TGCA All-Star MVP (2022), First team All-State (2021 and 2022), VYPE Preseason Libero of the Year, Super Elite team 4A MVP of the Year, and GHVCA Libero of the Year. She also recieved an Academic Excellence (2019-2022) award. The 5'3  Libero also broke the Bellville Volleyball career dig record with 2,500 digs. She also appeared in the TGCA All-Star game 1A-4A in July of 2022 and was named TGCA All-Star MVP. Lange was a club team member of Houston Stellar, Houston Skyline, and Houston Juniors.
Addison Goss will join the Texans after attending Rockwall HS. The 5'3 Libero was a member of Rockwall Volleyball which earned the title of  District Champions (2019-2022), Undefeated District Champions (2022), Regional Quarterfinalist, Area Champions (2022). Goss was named Freshman MVP (2019) … Team Defensive MVP (2021-2022) … District Defensive Leader (2022).
Charlize Ching is a 5'8 setter from Hawaii. Ching and her teammates earned the title of Girls Volleyball State Champion (2021). She earned the tile of All-League second team (2022). Ching also received the Principal's Award eight times for achieving a 4.0 GPA each semester. She also ranked second setter in the state with 456 assists, fifth in the state for aces with 48, placed ninth in the state for digs with 173, ranked thirteenth in the state for kills with 148 on the 2022-2023 season. 
Sydney Garrison carries the title of 2023 American Volleyball Challenge National Qualifier Champions, 2023 Music City Championship National Qualifier Champions, and UIL State Championship runner up (2022). She was also named UIL State All-Tournament Team (2022), TGCA All-State for three years, Denton Record Chronicle All-Area MVP (2022),  Aubrey High School team MVP for three years, two time Aubrey High School Offensive MVP, two time Denton Record Chronicle All-Area Offensive Player of the Year, District 11-4A MVP (2022), TGCA All-State (2021), District 9–4A MVP (2021), TGCA All-Star team selection (2021), District 9-4A MVP (2021), TGCA All-Star team selection (2021), District 9–4A Hitter of the Year (2020), 1st team Denton Record Chronicle All-Area (2019), District 11–4A Newcomer of the Year (2019), District 11–4A Academic All-District for two years, and District 9–4A for two years. Garrison ended her high school career with 2,336 career kills with 783 in her senior season alone and 500+ kills per season. She appeared in the TGCA All Star game in July of 2022 where she competed with Carly Lange who would join her as a member of Texan Volleyball. 
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 accomodate 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 Awards
Freshman right side Breanna McDonough was named the WAC Freshman of the Week on Oct. 10 after she posted a career-high 14 kills in a win over Southern Utah the week prior. McDonough finished the 2022 season with a compiled 244 kills averaged 2.28 kills per set. 
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. 
Returning assists and digs leader
Megan Hodges (S) racked up 729 assists with 6.75 assists per set last season, the hightest of all returners for the Texans. Hodges collected a season high of 43 assists against UTRGV. She plays a critical part for the Texans as she leads two categories. Hodges also leads the returners with 209 digs on the season, averaging 1.94 digs per set.