LUBBOCK, Texas (January 19, 2021) - The Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals volleyball team opens their 42^nd season in program history and the first in a climate in which the regular season will be conducted during spring semester. The Lady Chaps open serve to a 15-match season at 7 p.m. hosting Wayland Baptist inside Rip Griffin Center.
 
WAYLAND BAPTIST | Tuesday, Jan. 19 | 7 p.m. | 
- The rivalry between the Lady Chaps and Pioneers began in 1991. Tuesday's meeting marks the first meeting since October 27, 2015 and the third meeting since the 2012 season. LCU has won 52 of the 63 contests, and LCU is 5-4 against the Pioneers over the last nine meetings. 
- This meeting will offset the team records towards inking the result into the record books. Wayland Baptist is playing the game as a "scrimmage," while LCU is claiming the game as a "regular season" contest. The NAIA recently revised policy to allow situations (scrimmage vs. regular season) as long as the team labeling the scrimmage (NAIA) does not report stats/scores. So while stats for the match are official for LCU, they are not for WBU.
- The Pioneers are playing a schedule mixed with matches in the fall and spring semesters, leading up to a Sooner Athletic Conference tournament on April 6. They have completed six regular season matches so far (3-3) and are in the mix of four consecutive scrimmage matches before returning to regular season play Jan. 23 at Our Lady of the Lake in San Antonio, Texas. 
- Through six regular season matches, WBU has two players with at least 50 kills on the season. Amber Daniel (51) and Kellie Kozak (50) each have 50 kills, with Kozak averaging 2.94 kills per set.
- Lucie Mahelova ranks 27^th in the NAIA in assists per game (8.9). Her season high in assists is 40 from Oct. 31, 2020 against Mid-America Christian.
 
LADY CHAP NOTES
- LCU is 27-14 all-time in season openers and has won nine of their 12 prior season openers (LCU has dropped their past two season openers).
- The Lady Chaps, who defeated Southwestern Oklahoma State 3-0 in their home opener last season, is 8-3 in home openers since 2008. The Lady Chaps went 10-5 at home last season and they have seven games scheduled at home this season.
- Tuesday's season opener marks the second season for head coach Mandy Polk, who served in both an interim role and head coaching role last season. Polk had served as Jennifer Lawrence's top assistant coach the past four continuous seasons prior to last season. Lawrence took over LCU's Director of Compliance in the summer of 2019 after 15 seasons as LCU's head coach. Lawrence went 336-155 in 491 career matches leading the Lady Chaps.
-The Lady Chaps are coming off a 15-13 season in 2019. They went 9-9 in conference, leading to LSC Championship (tournament) berth and hosting privileges in an opening round on-campus match. 
- LCU is preseason picked ninth in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll. This season marks LCU's second season as members of the Lone Star Conference. LCU was preseason picked sixth last season and finished tied for third in their division last season (5-5 in division play), taking the No.8 seed into the conference tournament. Prior to last season, LCU had been in the Heartland Conference since 2013.
- Avery Moore is LCU's only returning All-Conference selection, as she claimed Second Team All-Conference honors last season. The Amarillo, Texas native missed the final six games of the season, but still produced 259 kills (third on the team) at a team-leading rate of 2.78 per set (16^th in the LSC). Moore, a right-side hitter, also produced 43 blocks on the season. Even with missing the final four conference matches of the season, the junior still ranked second on the squad with 169 kills in LSC play, with a team-leading mark of 2.96 per set (12^th in conference). Moore is a two-time All-Conference selection, as she claimed Heartland Conference All-Conference First Team honors in 2018.
- There are six new additions on the LCU roster this season, looking to make their LCU debut. The six are comprised of one Division I transfer (Jenna Lyons from Texas A&M Corpus Christi) and five true freshmen from Texas-based high schools (Kalli Dalland, Chloe Menard, Rayna Pack, Zoe Parker and Sage Post).
- To avoid any potential last-minute postponements and cancellations, instead of honoring senior members of the Lady Chaps late in the season, LCU will have Senior Day Tuesday during their season opener. Due to COVID-19, the NCAA has allowed volleyball student-athletes to have a season classification exemption, but Avery Moore and Maddie DeGuire have decided to claim this season as their final playing season. The two will be recognized at Tuesday's match.