BILLINGS, Mont. (September 1, 2023) – For a second consecutive season, Lubbock Christian University will open their season in unchartered waters. Opening the 2022 season in Anchorage, Alaska, LCU opens the 2023 season at another destination within the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, as they head to the Yellowjacket Invitational hosted by Montana State Billings, where they open the season Friday facing Black Hills State (9 a.m.) and Mary (3 p.m.) inside Alterowitz Gymnasium.
 

YELLOWJACKET INVITATIONAL
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
Black Hills St.	Billings, Mont.	Fri, Sept. 1	9 a.m.	Video	Stats
Mary	Billings, Mont.	Fri, Sept. 1	3 p.m.	Video	Stats
Game Notes (PDF)

LOOKING AT BLACK HILLS STATE
- The Lady Chaps and Yellow Jackets are meeting for the second time all-time and for the first time away from the Hub City. LCU holds a 1-0 all-time series record against BHSU after a 3-1 LCU win on Sept. 13, 2019 in Lubbock. Hannah Thomas had 16 kills and Bradi Marshall produced 46 assists in the win, which put LCU 1-1 all-time against programs. LCU's first meeting against a South Dakota based squad resulted in a 3-0 loss to National American University on Oct. 13, 2000.  

- BHSU was preseason picked 14th in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). They went 5-21 overall last season, going 4-14 in conference.  

- The Yellow Jackets have nine returning student-athletes to the court this season, including Haedyn Rhoades, who finished the season with the highest digs/set rate (5.16/set) in the RMAC and was 23^rd in NCAA DII.

- Both LCU and BHSU have nine new editions for the 2023 season. The Yellow Jackets have three transfer players in their mix. Head Coach Bree Davis is in her second season leading the Yellow Jackets.

- Ironic for LCU that their first meeting of the season is against BHSU. LCU's Director of Athletics last season was Scott Larson, who left in August for BHSU to serve in the same capacity.
 
LOOKING AT MARY
- The Marauders and Lady Chaps have no prior history. This will mark the second-ever meeting for LCU against a North Dakota based program (Mary is located in Bismarck, N.D.). LCU fell to Dickinson State 3-0 on Nov. 28, 2001 in West Palm Beach, Fla. At the NAIA National Championships.   

- Mary was preseason picked 13th in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). They went 6-22 overall last season, posting a 3-17 in conference.  

- Nehkyah Ellis is listed as a NCIS Player to Watch this season for the Marauders. The outside hitter contributed 2.5 kills and 3.0 digs per set in 28 matches played last season.

- The Marauders return 15 players from last season and have two new additions on the roster.

- This season marks the second consecutive season for Mary to open the season at the Yellowjacket Invitational (went 0-4 last season at the event). The Marauders open their play Friday facing host MSU Billings before battling LCU, as this season's opener marks the first time Mary has not had Chadron State scheduled as their opening opponent since 2019.
 
LADY CHAP NOTES
- LCU enters the season with a No.10 Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll ranking. LCU had a huge turnaround season in 2021, as they produced 17 more victories in than they did in the 2020 season, but they were unable to keep the progression going last season (went 11-16 in 2022).

- The Lady Chaps roster continues this season with a lot of youth. Fielding a roster of 16 student-athletes, LCU adds nine new additions this season, with seven true freshmen and a pair of junior college transfers. The seven freshmen are LCU's highest crop of first-year collegians since the 2014 roster featured nine freshmen. The 2014 squad was part of LCU's final year of transitioning from NAIA to NCAA Division II (second year in Heartland Conference and they were not eligible for postseason), and they posted an 18-5 record (13-3 in conference to finish second). Freshman Channing Stewart (then Channing Castleberry) claimed Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year honors and was one of four Lady Chaparrals claiming All-Conference honors (joined Amy Edwards, Erin Fisher and Maddie Johnson).

- This season marks LCU's third season under coach Giboney. The Lady Chaps seventh head coach in program history preps for his 18th year of NCAA coaching. Giboney, who has four NCAA Tournament appearances and seven conference titles on his resume, surpassed 400 coaching victories in 2021 and has a career coaching mark of 415-195. Giboney has nine new additions joining the Lady Chaps roster this season. Among the crop of newbies bringing experience to the 2023 roster are junior college transfers Macie Morgan (Ranger College) and Lacie Schooley (New Mexico Junior College). The seven freshmen include six Texas natives, with Jaiedyn Rankin coming from Gilbert, Ariz. and serving as the only out-of-state freshman on the squad. The high school products from Texas looking towards their college debut are Raylynn Adams (Dodd City, Texas), Ramsey Clark (Midland, Texas), Madyson Eberly (Amarillo, Texas), Tatum Fleitman (Lindsay, Texas), Mikalie Floyd (Pampa, Texas) and Austen Goodgion (Denton, Texas).

- The LSC recognized 46 student-athletes as Players to Watch heading into the season. LCU representatives making the list were Lily Bickley (offensive), Kalli Dalland (defensive) and Kayton Genenbacher (setter). Bickley is one of 13 sophomores on the list. The Lady Chaps right-side hitter ranked tied for second on the squad in kills (210) and 27^th in the LSC in kills per set (2.33). She ranked 28^th in the LSC in attack percentage (.232). Genenbacher is coming off her first season as the program's primary setter. The junior ranked third in the LSC with a team-leading 9.69 assists per set. She was fourth in the LSC with 969 assists and is listed as the team's Setter to Watch. The program's Defensive Player to Watch is Dalland, who ranked 19^th in the LSC with 0.84 blacks per set. The senior posted 112 kills last season and was second on the squad with 63 blocks.
 
- Fielding a roster of 16 student-athletes, LCU has seven returnees and they have 10 student-athletes with at least three seasons of eligibility remaining. LCU did lose Second Team All-Conference selection Sage Chain, who led LCU in points (287.5), points per set (2.99), blocks (99) and blocks per set (1.03). She ranked fifth in the LSC in block per set and sixth in total blocks. Chain completed her LCU career with 569 kills and 269 blocks (71 solo... 77 would have broke her into the top-10 in program history).  They return LSC All-Academic Team selections Kiana Fallaha and Genenbacher.

- Lady Chaps opens a 26-match season in Billings at the (MSU Billings) Yellowjacket Invitational. LCU will play 16 conference matches, playing each LSC program once, beginning September 22 at Arkansas – Fort Smith. The LSC will house 17 volleyball programs, which leads to LCU playing everyone once and the 16 matches divided into eight home and eight road contests (in conference play). LCU's first regular season home game is scheduled for September 8, as they open the Chap Classic hosting Southern Arkansas.

- LCU is 28-16 all-time in season openers and has won 10 of their 15 prior season openers (LCU fell 3-0 in Anchorage, Alaska to Alaska Anchorage in last season's opener). LCU aims for their first season-opening win since 2020 (over Wayland Baptist on Jan. 19, 2021, as COVID pushed the 2020 season to a Spring 2021 playing season).