LUBBOCK, Texas (October 21, 2017) – The last time Lubbock Christian University lost a volleyball conference home match was Sept. 22, 2016 to Arkansas – Fort Smith.  Saturday, they put a nine-match home conference win streak to the test hosting Arkansas – Fort Smith for a noon opening serve inside Rip Griffin Center. Three of LCU's nine matches in the streak have come this season, which has LCU 4-3 in the Heartland Conference and tied for third place in the conference standings. UAFS enters as the conference's only unbeaten team in conference play. LCU is coming off a 3-1 win Thursday over Newman, which was paced by Brynn Warnack's team leading fifth double-double this season (50 assists, 10 blocks).
  
ARKANSAS FORT SMITH (18-5, 6-0) | Saturday, Oct. 21 | Noon
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
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• The Lady Chaps and UAFS are meeting for the 12th all-time meeting. UAFS, who defeated LCU in all three 2016 meetings, is 1-0 against LCU this season and 11-0 all-time against LCU. The prior meeting this season resulted in a 3-1 UAFS win on Sept. 21 in Fort Smith.
• After winning five regular-season titles in a row and four tournament championships in that time span, the Lady Lions were a near unanimous pick to claim the conference crown again in 2017 receiving 13 of the 14 first-place votes in the conference preseason poll. They come into the contest holding a 6-0 conference mark.
• The Lady Lions have won 43 consecutive regular season conference matches and haven't lost a regular season league match since Oct. 9, 2014, when they lost in four sets to the Newman Jets at the Stubblefield Center. Factor in conference tournament matches, and the Lady Lions have won 49 matches in a row overall against conference opponents. Since joining NCAA Division II in 2009, the Lady Lions are 120-12 all-time against conference opponents.
• UAFS is ranked second nationally in digs (1,761), fourth in digs per set (20.7) and attacks (3,393) and eighth in assists (1,080) and kills (1,151).
• Individually, Autumn Reese leads the nation in digs (605). Debra Rogers ranks third in blocks (106), Reese is third in digs per set (7.1) and Susannah Kelley ranks fourth in assists (927).
 
GAME NOTES
• LCU enters Saturday's play riding a nine-match conference home win streak dating back to last season. The Lady Chaps lost to Arkansas – Fort Smith in their Heartland Conference home opener before winning six straight to complete a 6-1 conference home record last season. They are 3-0 in conference play at home this season.
• The Lady Chaps rank 56^th in digs per set (17.8), with Kelsie French ranking 10^th individually with 6.1 digs per set. She is 18th nationally in total digs with 453.
• Freshman Jaiden Kennedy ranks fifth in the Heartland Conference in total blocks (67) and ranks fifth in blocks per set (0.92).
• Of LCU's 20 matches, they have only won the opening set five times.  They are 5-0 this season when winning the opening set (2-13 when losing the opening set). LCU has won the opening set in their prior three home matches.
• Lauren Zoller has 32 kills (combined) in her prior two matches, with 15 kills Thursday against Newman and 17 on Oct. 10 at Midwestern State. It is her best two-match sequence this season.
• Channing Stewart produced 14 kills Thursday (vs. Newman) for her third consecutive match with at least 10 kills.  She did not have a match in double figures in kills this season prior to the current three-match stretch.
 
DIG PINK
LCU's "Dig Pink" match supporting the fight against breast cancer is scheduled for Saturday against UAFS. LCU is encouraging fans to wear pink and special Dig Pink shirts will be sold at the game for fundraising effort.