LUBBOCK, Texas (November 9, 2018) – The Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals are preparing to host their first postseason tournament since 2009 Friday, as they host the four-team Heartland Conference Tournament inside Rip Griffin Center.  LCU serves as the top-seed and they open play at 5 p.m. Friday facing No.4-seed St. Edward's University in a semifinal contest.  The winner advances to a 1 p.m. tournament championship game Saturday against either No.2-seed St. Mary's or No.3-seed Arkansas-Fort Smith.
 
ST. EDWARD'S | Fri., Nov. 9 | 5 PM
- The Lady Chaps and Hilltoppers are meeting for the fourth time this season. LCU has won 14 of the prior 16 meetings over SEU and has a 14-6 all-time advantage in the series, which dates back to the 1989 season. The Lady Chaps had won six straight meetings until their prior meeting, which SEU won 3-0 on Oct. 18 in Austin, LCU, 2-1 against SEU this season, had won the previous two meetings this season (a 3-1 neutral site win on Oct. 6 in Carrollton, Texas and a 3-0 win on Oct. 6 in Lubbock).
- SEU was preseason picked fourth in the Heartland Conference. They went 16-11 last season, with a 6-6 mark in conference play.
- The Hilltoppers went 17-11 in the regular season, with a 7-5 record in conference tilts. SEU are 2-5 in road play this season, with their last road match (Oct. 27) resulting in a 3-2 win at UAFS. They are making their third consecutive Heartland Conference Tournament appearance.(lost the prior two).
- SEU is a defensive minded squad, ranking 10th nationally in digs (2,189) and 26th in blocks (243.0). It is not to say they lack offense, as they rank 18th nationally in total attacks (4,484), ranking ninth in attacks per set (40.4). In their last meeting in Lubbock, Mikayla Parker set a program single-match record for a three-set match with 11 blocks. She leads the Heartland Conference with 113 total blocks and 1.1 blocks per set.
- Two players in the top-10 among active career dig leaders in NCAA Div. II will face off, as SEU's Morgan Beckham is fifth in career digs with 2,302. LCU's Kelsie French is third with 2,540 career digs. Beckham ranks 35th nationally this season with a conference leading 416 digs.
 
GAME NOTES
- Lubbock Christian concluded their regular season with a 21-8 overall record. LCU has 21 wins, marking their ninth 20-win season under 15^th-year head coach Jennifer Lawrence, but the first since 2012. LCU is also 9-3 at home this season.
- The Lady Chaps claimed their first Heartland Conference regular season title to claim the No.1-seed and the tournament hosting duties. This season's tournament marks the first time since 2011 the tournament has been hosted outside of Fort Smith, Ark.
- LCU is 1-3 all-time at the Heartland Conference Tournament, with their lone win coming in a win over St. Edward's in 2016 at Fort Smith, Ark. It is their only prior postseason meeting. LCU made 17 prior Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament appearances previous to making their Heartland Conference Tournament debut in 2015. The last time LCU hosted a postseason tournament was in 2009, as LCU hosted the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament. The Lady Chaps won the tournament with a dramatic 3-2 match win over Oklahoma Baptist.
- Serving aces has developed into an intriguing story this season. The Lady Chaps have experienced the highs (13 aces Sept. 14 vs. Newman and on Sept. 22 vs. Northwestern Oklahoma State, which tied a program single-match high under head coach Jennifer Lawrence) and lows (0 against Southwestern Okla. State on Sept. 6) from the serving line this season. LCU leads the Heartland Conference in aces per set (1.48) and total aces (149). Maddie DeGuire leads the conference in aces per set with 0.40 (73^rd nationally). DeGuire leads the Heartland and is 78^th nationally with 40 aces this season. Bradi Marshall had eight aces on Oct. 20 (vs. Dallas Baptist), marking the most by a Lady Chap in the 15 years Jennifer Lawrence has served as head coach.
- Marshall leads the Heartland Conference and ranks 20^th nationally with a conference-leading 11.15 assists per set, which ranks fourth nationally among all freshmen. Marshall leads the team in double-doubles this season with 15, with double-doubles in nine of 12 conference matches played.
- Kelsie French leads the Heartland Conference in digs per set (5.93) and enters Friday ranking 16^th nationally in the category. French is 41^st nationally in total digs (569) and her career mark of 2,540 ranks third among NCAA Division II active career leaders.
- Lauren Zoller ranks second in the Heartland Conference in kills per set (3.31) and is third in points per set (3.69).
- LCU was honored with six representatives receiving Heartland Conference wards at Thursday's tournament awards reception.  Kelsie French received the biggest honor as the Heartland Conference Player of the Year. Jennifer Lawrence (Coach of the Year) and Bradi Marshall (Setter of the Year) also received accolades.  Marshall and French were each First Team All-Conference recipients, joining teammates Avery Moore, Ashley Vanfleet and Lauren Zoller.
- Lubbock Christian University duo of Ashley Vanfleet (Offensive Player of the Week) and Bradi Marshall (Setter of the Week) picked up the final Heartland Volleyball Player of the Week honors of the season. The awards were given for matches played from Oct. 29 - Nov. 5.

LCU junior Ashley Vanfleet led LCU with 52 kills on the week and a pace of 4.73 kills per set. She also provided the Lady Chaps with four blocks and 7 digs. Vanfleet had back-to-back performances of over 20 kills. She opened the week with a career high 26 kills in a 3-2 win over West Texas A&M. The career high 26 kills ties as the second highest single-match mark by a Lady Chaps member since 15th-year head coach Jennifer Lawrence took over the program. Vanfleet recorded 27.5 points in the match, which ties as the second highest total since 2008. She followed with 21 kills against UAFS, which was the the most in a four-set match in program history since Nov. 15, 2013. This is Vanfleet's second player of the week honor this season.

Lubbock Christian freshman Bradi Marshall helped lead LCU with 152 assists, 43 digs, six blocks, six kills and four aces. She had a career high 64 assists against West Texas A&M, marking the second highest single-match individual assist total under Lawrence. The 64 assists ties as the 13th most this season in a NCAA Division II match and the highest marking produced this season by a freshman. She followed with her 15th double-double of the season and the ninth in conference play Thursday against UAFS with 49 assists and 16 digs. Marshall closed the week with 13.0 assists per set against Newman and eclipsed 1,000 assists on the season. This is Marshall's seventh award this season and her fifth in a row.