LUBBOCK, Texas (September 14, 2023) – Lone Star Conference programs are all split up this week and assigned to four locations, based on last season's standings, and competing in a series of non-conference contests (against conference foes) labeled as the LSC Crossover. Lubbock Christian University is serving as one of the hosts and is welcoming Oklahoma Christian, Texas Woman's and UT Permian Basin to the Rip Griffin Center for a round-robin series, which has LCU facing UT Permian Basin Thursday (6 p.m.), Texas Woman's Friday (6 p.m.) and Oklahoma Christian (3 p.m.).
 

LSC CROSSOVER
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
UTPB	Rip Griffin Center	Thur, Sept. 14	6 p.m.	Video	Stats
Texas Woman's	Rip Griffin Center	Fri, Sept. 15	6 p.m.	Video	Stats
Okla. Christian	Rip Griffin Center	Sat, Sept. 16	3 p.m.	Video	Stats

 
LOOKING AT UTPB
- The Lady Chaps and Falcons first squared off in 1995 and have met 50 times since, with LCU owning a 41-9 series advantage over the Falcons.  LCU had won 15 consecutive matches prior to 2019, but UTPB has won five of the last eight meetings. LCU is 17-5 all-time in Lubbock in the series and have not met in Lubbock since a 3-1 UTPB win on Mar. 10, 2021. The two programs were former Heartland Conference foes and LCU was 6-0 all-time in Heartland action against the Falcons.

- UTPB was preseason picked 13th in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll. They went 11-16 overall last season, going 6-10 in conference, which resulted in a four-way tie of 11^th place in the conference.

- The Falcons have held their opponents to a .100 attack percentage, which leads the LSC and ranks 17^th nationally. They have held four opponents to under a .100 attack percentage, but Minnesota Crookston was the lone Division II squad of the four programs (.042).

- Former Lady Chap Aaliyah Gray is second in points (2.81) and kills per set (2.71). She had a season-high 15 kills against Henderson State and has posted at least 10 kills in her prior two matches (against Eastern New Mexico and St. Mary's).

- UTPB is 7-1 on the season. Of the eight contests, five are Division II programs and UTPB went 4-1 in the contests. They are 0-1 in road matches, as a 3-0 loss at Angelo State (Sept.2) has served as their lone road match of the season.
 
LOOKING AT TEXAS WOMAN'S
- The all-time series is tied at 5-5 between the two programs. LCU has won the prior two meetings and is also 2-2 all-time at home against. Last season, LCU won 3-2 in Lubbock on Oct. 5, 2022, which was the previous meeting and the last meeting in Lubbock. The first four all-time meetings (of 10) were neutral site meetings and played between 1979 and 1988.

- TWU was preseason picked ninth in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll. They went 16-12 overall last season (7-9 in conference), closing out their regular season going 4-1.

- On the offensive side, TWU is hitting .249, which ranks third in the LSC and 30^th nationally.

- Cara Pool is hitting .384 on the season, which is second in the LSC and 34^th in the nation. She is coming off a 16-kill performance (vs. Arkansas Monticello) in which she hit .600 in the match.

- The Pioneers are 5-3 to start their season. They went 2-2 in the Westminster Invitational, and last week, they hosted the Denton Volleyfest, where they went 3-1. They defeated Augustana and Arkansas Monticello in their last two matches to give them a two-match win streak heading into Lubbock. They face Oklahoma Christian Thursday prior to facing LCU Friday.
 
LOOKING AT OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN
- LCU holds a perfect 5-0 record all-time against the Lady Eagles, which includes a 14-0 advantage in sets. Friday's meeting will mark the third consecutive meeting in Lubbock. Prior to 2021, LCU and OC had not faced each other in volleyball since October 16, 1980 (Lady Chaps claimed a 3-0 win in Oklahoma City at "The Barn," which is now known as the Dave Smith Athletic Center). The first three meetings of the all-time series were played in Oklahoma City, and the two teams are scheduled for a Lone Star Conference match Sept. 23.  

- OC is preseason picked 11th in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll. They went 15-14 overall last season and was one of four teams tied for 11^th in the LSC with a 6-10 record. They closed the season 2-6 in their final eight matches.

- The Eagles are in a three-way tie atop the LSC in aces with 62 (second in aces per set at 2.14), which ranks tied for 31^st nationally. Giorgia Turri leads the LSC with 19 aces (14^th nationally). She averages 0.66 aces per set.  

- Megan Rek leads OC with 34 blocks, which is third in the LSC and two behind the conference leaders. She averages 1.17 per set and is one of two Eagles with at least 1.0 blocks per set (Camryn McGough, 1.03). As a team, OC ranks third in the LSC with 2.24 blocks per set.

- OC is making a return trip to Lubbock, as they participated in the Chap Classic last week (went 4-0), and they return with a 6-2 record and on a six-match win streak. They face Texas Woman's (Thursday) and UTPB (Friday) before Saturday's matinee meeting.
 
LADY CHAP NOTES
- LCU is one of 13 unbeaten teams this season and they have a 7-0 record on the campaign (four of the seven wins have been in straight sets). The season start is their best since opening 2010 with an 8-0 record. Toss in last season's season-finale win over Western New Mexico and LCU is on an eight-match win streak, which is their longest under head coach Keith Giboney and the longest streak since a 12-match win streak in 2018. LCU opened 2023 with a 4-0 mark at the Yellowjacket Invitational in Billings, Mont., and followed with a 3-0 record this past weekend hosting the Chap Classic.

- Kayton Genenbacher has a trio of double-doubles this season and enters the weekend ranking second in the LSC in aces (15), aces per set (0.6), assists (259, 50^th nationally) and assists per set (10.36, 23^rd nationally). Her assists are fueling a Lady Chaps offense that ranks 14^th nationally (second in the LSC) in kills per set (14.0) and is hitting .230 on the season.

- For a second consecutive week, a member of the Lady Chaparrals received a Lone Star Conference weekly honor, as Kiana Fallaha received Offensive Player of the Week accolades.
 
Kiana led LCU in kills (42, 4.20 per set) and digs (28, 2.8 per set), ranking second in the LSC on the week in kills and kills per set and third in points per set (4.7). Kiana opened the week with a 16-kill performance to carry LCU to a home-opening victory over Southern Arkansas. The junior followed the match with another 16-kill performance, but in three sets, as LCU swept Arkansas Tech. She wrapped the weekend with a double-double performance against Minot State, with 10 kills and 11 digs for her third career double-double (all three have been this season).
 
The honor is the first received by Fallaha and she is the first Offensive Player of the Week in the LSC since Sage Chain claimed the honors on Nov. 9, 2021. Fallaha is the sixth student-athlete recognized with a weekly honor all-time by the LSC, and she is the second to receive an honor this season, as Kayton Genenbacher received Setter of the Week honors last week.

- LCU ranks fourth in the LSC in digs per game (17.36), but it has been a balanced effort, as the Lady Chaps do not have any representation in the top-10 in conference leaders in digs. Chloe Menard is LCU's leader with 3.92 digs per set, as she has 98 total digs on the season. Four Lady Chaps (Menard, Genenbacher, Olivia Elofsson and Fallaha) have at least 2.5 digs per set.

- Saturday (against Minot State), had a hitting percentage of .311. Toss in Friday's .318 hitting percentage against Arkansas Tech, LCU hit .300-or-better in consecutive matches for the first time since Oct.29, 2015 - Nov.5, 2015 (against UT Permian Basin and St. Edward's).

- LCU is 3-0 at home this season. Averaging 13.7 kills per set, LCU is averaging 4.2 kills per set on the homecourt from Kiana Fallaha (4.7 points per set at home). The Lady Chaps are hitting .261 at home and holding their opponents to a .147 mark. Kalli Dalland leads the defensive side with an average of 1.2 blocks per set.