The Teams: Tarleton Texans (9-5, 0-0 WAC) Utah Valley (3-8, 0-0 WAC)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Arena: Wisdom Volleyball Gym 
Time: 6 p.m. 
Streaming Platform: ESPN+ 
 
As the Texans head into conference play, the Purple and White will take on the Wolverines of Utah Valley for their first match in conference. Tarleton State is coming into conference play on a four-game winning streak. The match between the Texans and the Wolverines will begin at 6 p.m. CT in Stephenville at the Wisdom Volleyball Gym.

Quick Hits 
• This will be the fourth meeting between the Texans and the Wolverines. 
• In the past three match ups, Tarleton State has hosted Utah Valley.  
• The first meeting between the teams took place in 2021 and the Wolverines took the match 3-1. The following day, the Texans evened the score with a 3-1 victory. At the most recent match up in 2022, the Purple and White fell 0-3 against Utah Valley. UVU finished the 2022 season with a 10-4 conference record.
• Tarleton State heads into the match with a four win streak after taking down PVAMU in Prairie View, 3-1 and going 3-0 on the weekend at the second annual Dr. Pam Littleton Classic. 
• In the previous week, sophomore Megan Hodges surpassed 1,000 assists in her collegiate career with a total  of 1,073 assists. The setter has amassed 344 assists on the 2023 season with a season-high of 37 in the match against UIW. Hodges averages 6.14 assists per set.
• In their most recent tournament appearance, the Texans hosted the second annual Dr. Pam Littleton Classic. This tournament consisted of four teams, including Tarleton State. The final pre-conference tournament for the Purple and White saw matches from UC Riverside, Texas Southern and UMES. In the match against UCR, the Texans took the Highlanders into four sets and Tarleton State came out on top ending day one of the tournament, 3-1. Day two for the Purple and White began with a sweep for the Texans against Texas Southern. To conclude tournament play, Tarleton State saw four sets against UMES but closed out the night 3-1 over the Hawks. 
• As Tarleton State heads into conference play, the Purple and White sit at a 9-5 overall record. The Texans have amassed a total of 754 kills and 703 assists with an average of 12.6 assists per set. The team has compiled an impressive 90 aces in 14 matches, along with 809 digs, averaging 14.4 digs per set. The Texan's defense has racked up 24 solo blocks and 156 block assists. 
 
 
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 195. 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 12 out of 14 matches played for the Texans. She also leads the team with 209.0 points on the season.
In her second season with the Texans, Megan Hodges has quickly put up some impressive numbers. Leading the team with 344 assists, Hodges has made it clear she is here to compete. The setter is in second place for digs with 122 on the season.
Sophomore Emma Burke is a vital part of the Texan's defense. Leading the team with 57.0 blocks and sitting in third place on the team with 112 kills, the returner is a consistent, key player for Tarleton. Burke also leads the Texans in service aces with 23. 
Defensive specialist Matti Theurer has seen time in each set for the Texans so far this season. Leading the defensive with 208 digs, the junior averages 3.71 digs per set.
Another notable returner is junior Grayson Schirpik. The outside hitter from Leander, Texas, currently sits in third on the team with 125 kills on the season, averaging 2.27 kills per set. Schirpik also ranks fourth on the team in points with 143.0. 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 146. The outside hitter sits in fifth for service aces with 14 on the season, eight of those coming from the previous four matches. Fitzmaurice is also in third for digs with 109 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 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. 
            
Winning streak
The Texans enter conference play with four consecutive match wins, the longest winning streak for the Purple and White since the 2022 Dr. Pam Littleton Classic. A victory over the Wolverines would make for the longest winning streak for the Texans since 2020 when Tarleton State took six matches in a row. 
            
Two-way player
Megan Hodges (S) currently leads the team in assists with 344 and assists per set with 6.14 on the season. Hodges is tied for second most digs with 122 and averages 2.18 digs per set.