Lubbock Christian (13-2, 9-1 Heartland) at Newman (8-10, 4-6 Heartland)Thursday, October 16 – 7 p.m.
Wichita, Kan. (Fugate Gymnasium)
Johnson, Fisher earn Heartland weekly honorWACO, Texas (October 13, 2014) –
Maddie Johnson was credited with her first career Heartland Hitter of the Week honor on Monday, while
Erin Fisher collected her ninth Setter of the Week Award, marking the third time she has been honored this season.
Johnson was one mark short of tying a career-high against St. Mary's on Saturday with her game-high 18 kills. The redshirt junior was seldom needed in the sweep of Texas A&M International on October 9, but the outside hitter finished the week averaging 4.33 kills per set to go along with a pair of blocks and an ace. The Frenship High School product is back on the court for LCU after sitting out last season recovering from surgery and currently leads the Lady Chaps in kills (178) and kills per set (3.71).
Fisher directed the Lady Chaps to a 2-0 week, dishing out game-highs in assists with 38 in the sweep of TAMIU and 54 versus St. Mary's. The senior averaged 13.14 assists per set while also contributing 20 digs, eight kills and a pair of aces. On the season, the Monahans, Texas, native is compiling an average of 11.71 helpers per set, the most in the Heartland and 10th-best in all of NCAA Division II. Fisher has contributed in other ways for the Lady Chaps, collecting 166 digs and recording 38 kills along with seven service aces on the season.
Lady Chaps fend off Mustang rallyWICHITA FALLS, Texas (October 15, 2014) – A career-high 20 kills by
Channing Castleberry, a
Christa Daniel career-best 34 digs, and a double-double by
Erin Fisher consisting of a game-high 53 assists and 10 digs, helped thwart off a late attack by Midwestern State allowing Lubbock Christian to survive throughout a five-set Lady Chap win by scores of 25-22, 25-15, 18-25, 15-25 and 15-12 on Wednesday night at the D. L. Ligon Coliseum.
LCU (13-2, 9-1 Heartland) breezed out to a 2-0 match lead before the Mustangs came galloping back to knot the match at two game apiece, forcing a fifth set. MSU (6-14, 2-7 Lone Star) carried its momentum into the early goings of the final frame, jumping ahead 3-0 on a Sarah Rosinke service ace, a Mustang block on Castleberry and a mistimed LCU attack. Communication was an issue throughout the night for the Lady Chaps, and was quite evident on successive plays, where the team first watched as a free ball dropped at their feet and then with two Lady Chaps colliding on the floor, putting MSU ahead 8-4. The Mustangs came through with a pair of kills to take a vaulting lead of 10-6 before the Lady Chaps picked themselves up and started to roll.
Abby White fired a kill, while
Samantha Matthews teamed up with Castleberry for a block and then provided a kill to slice into the Mustang lead at 10-7. Another combined block from the aforementioned duo brought the Lady Chaps one point closer, and a trio of Castleberry kills moments later knotted the game at 11-all. A huge block by
Amy Edwards and White gave the Lady Chaps their first lead since the beginning of the fourth set. A kill by MSU's Nicole Marzik tied the set at 12-12 before another White kill put LCU ahead, 13-12. Castleberry delivered her final two kills of the night at the right time to push the Lady Chaps to victory.
LCU was able to escape with the win despite amassing a season worst 62 attack errors and hitting at a dismal rate of .119, the second lowest output on the year. Defensively, the Lady Chaps totaled 106 digs, the highest amount garnered since a 124 dig output late last season at Texas-Permian Basin.
Edwards added 14 kills and four blocks for LCU. Midwestern's Sarah Garfield led her team with 14 kills.
