Lubbock Christian (5-0, 4-0  Heartland) at Arkansas-Fort Smith (9-3, 3-0 Heartland)
Thursday, September 18 at 7 p.m. – Fort Smith, Ark. (Stubblefield Center)
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Lady Chaps to be tested this week
LCU has perhaps their toughest string of games this season within the next few days. Back-to-back-to-back matches are at Heartland Conference perennial power Arkansas-Fort Smith, 2013 Great American Conference champions Arkansas Tech, and 2013 Heartland Conference tournament champs Dallas Baptist. While the Lady Chaps have never faced ATU, UAFS took both meetings versus LCU last season and DBU won against the Lady Chaps in Dallas
It's a 1-2 showdown
The matchup between LCU and UAFS is an important one, as the two teams finished first and second in the Heartland Conference standings last year and are currently positioned in the same order early on in 2014. The Lions took both matches from the Lady Chaps in 2013 and currently feature a pair of two-time Players of the Week in Michelle Walker (Hitter) and Emily Tripp (Libero), as well as current Setter of the Week, Bailey Katzfey. LCU leads UAFS in the majority of team statistics, including: hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, assists, kills and service aces, while the Lions are ahead in blocks and digs.
 
Lady Chaps have depth
Five matches into the 2014 season, the Lady Chaps have been able to use a variety of lineups and combinations against opponents. While only three players (Erin Fisher, Kyleigh Lucia and Malori Maddox) have seen action in all 17 games, Head Coach Jennifer Lawrence has been able to toy with the starting lineup, giving a dozen Lady Chaps an opportunity at one time or another.
 
Formidable frontline too much for Jets
LUBBOCK, Texas (September 13, 2014) – The collection of Maddie Johnson, Channing Castleberry, Amy Edwards and Christiana Tavo combined for 45 kills and six blocks to blast Lubbock Christian past the Newman Jets in three sets September 13 at the Rip Griffin Center and give the Lady Chaps a 5-0 overall record, their best start since the 2010 season.
LCU held NU to a .160 hitting percentage largely due to the stoppages at the net put on by Edwards (three blocks) and Tavo (two-and-a-half blocks), and not a single Jet player was able to reach double-digit kills. Offensively, Johnson led the charge with 13 kills, Castleberry totaled a dozen, Edwards tallied 11 and Tavo added a career-high nine.
The first set contained 11 ties and four lead changes, but LCU was able to pull ahead 20-16 after the Jets hit the ball into the net and miscommunicated on a hit by Samantha Matthews, allowing the ball to drop to the floor. Failed attack attempts by Johnson and Erin Fisher pulled NU to within a pair, but a Jet service error and a block by Edwards and Fisher extended the Lady Chap lead to 23-20. A kill by NU's Gaylnn Jones gave the Jets a bit of momentum, but Edwards was there placing a perfect kill to the back line and then sealing the game on a final kill from the middle for the win.
The Lady Chaps led throughout the entire second set, but the Jets were able to stay close, scrambling to within 11-9 on an attack error by Edwards and then inching to within 18-15 on an attack error by Johnson.  A kill by Castleberry through the outstretched arms of a Jet defender increased the Lady Chap lead to 20-16, and another perfectly placed kill by Edwards gave LCU another point. A pair of attack errors by the Lady Chaps allowed NU to clamber to within 23-21, but kills by Johnson and Tavo sealed the game two victory.
Newman worked their way to a 10-6 lead in game three, but a 5-1 Lady Chap run put the score at an 11-11 tie following a Johnson and Ariel Froeschl block. A Tavo kill and solo block finally put LCU on top at 13-12, and Edwards and Fisher extended the lead to three at 18-15 on a combined stop at the net. Newman crept to within one at 21-20 on a Castleberry service error, but a trio of kills by Froeschl, Tavo and Edwards positioned the game at match point. A block by the duo of Tavo and Edwards finalized the match with a 25-21 game three win.
Fisher dealt out game-highs in assists (43) and digs (15) for the Lady Chaps.
For Newman, Ashley Gonzalez and Jarin Braithwait each had eight kills.