The Teams: Tarleton Texans (5-5, 0-0 WAC) PVAMU Panthers (3-7, 0-0 SWAC)
Where: Prairie View, Texas
Arena: William Nicks Building
Times: 6 p.m. 
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ 
 
Tarleton State Volleyball will head to Prairie View to take on the Panthers of Prairie View A&M for the second time this season and the seventh time in program history. In the first match of the season, the Texans fell to the Panthers after a five-set battle. The Purple and White will head into the match searching for redemption after an early season loss. 
 
Quick Hits 
• This will be the seventh meeting between the Texans and the Panthers in five years.
• The first meeting between PVAMU and Tarleton State took place in 2000. Tarleton State fell in set five giving the Panthers their first win against the Texans. In the next four meetings between the two teams, Tarleton would end up on top. 
• This will be the second meeting this season between the Panthers and the Texans. In week one of the season, PVAMU and Tarleton State met to kick-off the season and the Texan Invitational tournament. The match ended in a five set battle with the Panthers on top, 2-3.  
• The Texans left their most recent tournament, the Blazer Classic, with a 2-1 record after sweeping Texas A&M-Commerce and the host team, UAB. Tarleton State fell just short in a fifth set against the Crimson Tide ending the match, 10-15.  
• Tarleton State has competed in three tournaments so far with one final home tournament remaining. The Texans currently sit 5-5 on the season. 
• The Purple and White have seen five matches out of 10 this season that went on to a fifth set.
• Tarleton is returning three of their top five points leaders from a year ago; Grayson Schirpik, Breanna McDonough and Emma Burke. 
• The Purple and White have amassed 550 kills averaging 13.4 kills per set. Tarleton State has also compiled 513 assists with an average of 12.5 assists per set. The Texans have also compiled 606 digs on the season averaging 14.8 per set. 
• Allison Bryant leads the team and the WAC with 142 kills. She is ranked fourth in kills per set with 3.46. Bryant also sits in first on the team and second in the WAC with 152.0 points.
• Matti Theurer leads the WAC and the team in digs with a total of 149. She sits in first on the team with 3.63 digs per set. 
• Megan Hodges leads the team with 254 assists and 6.20 assists per set.  
• 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.  
• 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.  
• Emma Burke leads the team and sits at second place in the WAC with 37.0 total blocks. She also leads the team in solo blocks with five. Burke also leads the team in service aces with 13 on the season. 
• Grayson Schirpik holds the second most kills on the team with 100 kills. Schirpik sits third on the team with eight service aces and 113.0 points. 
 
Notables
            
Watch List
In the 2023 season, Tarleton State Volleyball will welcome 11 new players to the roster. Accompanying the new members are seven familiar faces you can find on Tarleton's roster. Here are a few that are making some waves in Texan Nation.
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
142. 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 eight out of 10 matches played for the Texans. She also leads the team with 152.0 points on the season.
In her second season with the Texans, Megan Hodges has quickly put up some impressive numbers. Leading the team with 254 assists, Hodges has made it clear she is here to compete. The setter also sits in second place for digs with 86 on the season.
Sophomore Emma Burke is a vital part of the Texan's defense. Leading the team with 37.0 blocks and sitting in fourth place on the team with 80 kills, the returner is a consistent, key player for Tarleton.
Defensive specialist Matti Theurer has seen time in each set for the Texans so far this season. Leading the defensive with 149 digs, the junior averages 3.63 digs per set.
Another notable returner is junior Grayson Schirpik. The outside hitter from Leander, Texas, currently sits in second on the team with 100 kills on the season, averaging 2.50 kills per set. Schirpik also ranks third on the team in points with 113.0. She sits in third on the team in service aces with eight on the season. 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 third for most kills on the team with 97. The outside hitter sits in fourth for service aces with 6 on the season, three of those coming from the match against the UTSA Roadrunners. Fitzmaurice is also in third for digs with 83 on
the season, with a career high of 17 against UTSA. The senior also sits in fourth for block assists with 12.
            
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 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 in 2022
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. 
            
Ranked in the WAC in 2022
Grayson Schirpik was a force to be reckoned with in the 2022 season. Schirpik ranked fifth in the WAC in service aces and ninth in the WAC in points, totaling 321.5 points on the season, averaging 3.42 points per set, the highest on the team for the Texans. She also led the team with 275 kills after seeing a season-high of 17 kills against the Bearkats of Sam Houston. Schirpik also racked up 16+ matches with 10+ kills and ended the season with 185 digs. 
            
Two-way player
Megan Hodges (S) racked up 254 assists for the Texans. Hodges collected a season high of 37 assists against UIW. She plays a critical part for the Texans as she leads the team in assists and holds second place on the time in digs with 86.