Johnson, Fisher earn Heartland weekly honor
WACO, 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.
 
Career nights by Lady Chaps not enough to cool off Jets
WICHITA, Kan. (October 16, 2014) – A seesaw battle between Lubbock Christian and Newman went in favor of the host Jets on Thursday night at Fugate Gymnasium, with NU stealing a 3-2 match victory from LCU despite career-highs from Channing Castleberry, Erin Fisher and Christa Daniel.
 
The Lady Chaps (13-3, 9-2 Heartland) rebounded from a paltry 25-21 set one loss to taking a tight 29-27 victory in the next frame to tie match at one apiece. Following intermission, LCU found energy to dismiss the Jets 25-16, but managed to let a 19-11 set three lead turn into a 25-23 Jet win to force a fifth set, which eventually went to NU (9-10, 5-6 Heartland) at 18-16. For the second night in a row, Castleberry and Daniel registered career-highs, with the outside hitter tallying 25 kills and the libero handling 40 digs. Fisher notched a new career-best with 25 digs to go along with a game-high 63 assists, marking her 12^th double-double of the season.
 
Leading the match two sets to one, the Lady Chaps seemed on the brink of victory with a 19-11 lead in set four until the Jets took off, reeling off three unanswered points that ignited a 10-2 NU run to tie the game at 21-all. A kill by Jet Emily Harvey, an LCU attack error and a Newman block gave NU a 24-21 edge before kills by Samantha Matthews and Castleberry put LCU in contention trailing 24-23, but an attack error by the Lady Chaps gave the set to NU, forcing a the tiebreaker.
 
The Jets shot off to a 6-1 lead in set five before the Lady Chaps were able to get going. Trailing 10-6, LCU received a kill from Maddie Johnson and a block by Abby White and Matthews to creep within a pair. The teams then traded kills before Castleberry rattled off two of her own to tie the game at 11-11. The Lady Chaps had themselves at match point at 14-12 and 14-13 but were unable to convert. NU's Gaylynn Jones gave LCU a break by sailing a serve too deep, but a rare ball handling error on Fisher put the Jets up 16-15. Fisher answered with a well-played tip to tie the set at 16-all, but a kill by Harvey and a final block by Ashley Gonzalez gave the Lady Chaps their second conference loss on the season.
 
Johnson registered 16 kills and four blocks for LCU, while Edwards tallied 14 kills along with five stuffs.
 
For NU, Alexis Roecker finished with 21 kills and Gonzalez had 20.