LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (18-10, 10-5 Heartland) vs. NEWMAN (25-8, 13-3 Heartland)
Friday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Stubblefield Center (Fort Smith, Ark.)
All-time Series: LCU leads 4-3
Lady Chaps compete in first NCAA postseason tournament
Lubbock Christian has been waiting two years to once again compete following the conclusion of the regular season, and the Lady Chaps earned the right to play as the third-seed in the Heartland Conference tournament in 2015. Prior to the 2013 and 2014 seasons in which LCU was ineligible for postseason play, Lady Chap volleyball had made a tournament appearance in the Sooner Athletic Conference for 17 straight years.
History between Lubbock Christian and Newman
The Lady Chaps are looking to end a three-game losing skid to the Jets dating to last season. Newman has eked out the trio of wins all in five-set matches. LCU took the first four meetings between the teams with a win in 2004, two victories in 2013 in their inaugural season as Heartland conference foes and gained their most recent victory during their first matchup with NU in 2014.
Last meeting amongst the squads
Wichita, Kan. (October 24, 2015) – A career-high 17 kills by Ariel Froeschl and a career-best 57 assists from Mallory Powell were not enough to overcome second-place Newman in a five-set showdown (25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 15-25, 12-15) Saturday afternoon inside Fugate Gymnasium. Sets one and two were contested very tightly, with LCU pulling out 25-22 victories. Trailing 21-20 during in the opening set, two kills by Froeschl and another from Maddie Johnson pushed the Lady Chaps in control at 23-21, and a big block on power hitter Ashley Gonzalez prompted set point. A kill by NU's Kayla Turner was equaled by one from Johnson to put LCU up 1-0 in the match. The ensuing set saw the Lady Chaps again facing a 21-20 deficit, but a Newman attack error, an Emily Hanaway kill to the back corner, a Kelsie French ace and a block by Christiana Tavo and Hanaway placed LCU at set point once again before Kacey Deterding provided the final point on a kill. The Lady Chaps jumped to a 5-1 advantage in set three before the Jets propelled their way to a to a 22-20 lead before kills by Hanaway and Johnson matched the score. A ball handling error called on setter Mallory Powell followed by a Jet kill and Johnson attack error doomed LCU and kept NU alive in the match. The fourth set was not one to go the Lady Chaps' way, as the team fell behind, 16-7, before needing an injury timeout for Powell. The momentum stayed in favor of the Jets throughout to force a fifth set.
Two errors by NU in the final set gave LCU a 4-2 lead, but a 3-1 Jet run, capped by a questionable service line call, knotted the score at 5-all. The squads swapped sides after a trio of Lady Chap attack errors, but a kill by Deterding and an NU attack error brought the score even at 8-8. Froeschl flew high for two kills and an 11-11 tie before a Gonzalez kill put the Jets ahead at 12-11. Froeschl tallied another score and Gonzalez answered with one of her own, and the pair again created the same result for a 13-12 NU edge. A tough serve by Gonzalez resulted in an ace, and a final kill by Newman's Gaylynn Jones gave the Jets the hard-fought victory.
Three Lady Chaps net conference recognition, French tabbed as top freshman and defensive player
Waco, Texas (November 19, 2015) – The Lubbock Christian University trio of Maddie Johnson, Mallory Powell and Kelsie French earned a spot on the All-Heartland volleyball team, while French was named the Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year, the league office announced Thursday. The three Lady Chaparrals represented the group of fourteen players who were chosen by the conference's head volleyball coaches. The Player and Setter of the Year was awarded to a pair from Newman, Ashley Gonzalez and Alexus Litts, respectively. Kennedi Coleman of Arkansas-Fort Smith received the Offensive Player of the Year award while her coach, Jane Sargent, was the Coach of the Year.
Johnson, a two-time All-Heartland selection, is fourth in the conference with 307 kills at an average of 3.01 per set. The redshirt senior racked up nine double-doubles in kills and digs throughout the season and was recognized as the conference Hitter of the Week on September 7. The Frenship High School graduate totaled 253 digs, 34 blocks and 20 service aces on the season.
Powell's 1,080 totals assists and 10.59 output per set each ranked second in the conference, and the Aledo, Texas, native's 3.32 digs per set average was 10th-best in the league. The redshirt sophomore was twice named Setter of the Week and recorded 19 double-doubles in assists and digs during the regular season. Powell contributed 339 digs, 80 kills, 33 blocks and 19 service aces for the Lady Chaps.
French, a two-time Heartland Libero of the Week, led the league with 624 totals digs and 6.12 digs per set. The Frenship High School grad's total digs were the seventh-highest total in the nation, and French had the ninth and 14th-best output in digs within a three-set match with 31 against Wayland Baptist and 30 versus Drury.
Lady Chaps forfeit match
Lubbock, Texas – The Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparral volleyball team made the decision to forfeit their match at Oklahoma Panhandle State, scheduled for November 12 at 7 p.m. in Goodwell, Okla., due to the recent events surrounding the health of redshirt sophomore Malori Maddox. The Frenship High School graduate fell ill during the match at Midwestern State on November 10 and was rushed to the hospital. Malori underwent surgery in Wichita Falls before being flown to Dallas for further treatment, where she is being met and supported by head coach Jennifer Lawrence and Lady Chap teammates. Coach Lawrence and the Lady Chaps released a statement last week. "Thank you for the thoughts and prayers for Malori and her family. Please continue to support the Maddox family as God continues to stay by their side throughout this trying time. Malori is in exceptional care and we know her fighting spirit, optimism and faith will continue to shine."
