LUBBOCK, Texas (October 19, 2024) – Two old rivals reunite for the first time since 1998, as former Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association opponents Lubbock Christian University and Sul Ross State face off as Lone Star Conference foes. The matchup takes place on Saturday at 2 p.m. inside the Rip Griffin Center. As the programs rekindle their rivalry, the Lady Chaps aim to secure their fourth consecutive victory.
 

LSC VOLLEYBALL
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
Sul Ross State	Rip Griffin Center	Sat., Oct. 19	2:00 p.m.	Video	Stats

 
 LOOKING AT SRSU
- The Lady Chaps and Lobos will meet for the 52^nd time, but for the first time since Sept. 5, 1998. LCU has a 40-11 all-time advantage in the all-time series. SRSU won the first six all-time meetings, before LCU responded winning the following 21 straight matches. The Lady Chaps have an active 14-match win streak against the Lobos, as SRSU has not defeated LCU since Oct. 21, 1991. Saturday's meeting does not mark the first conference meeting between the two programs, who met in the NAIA postseason in 1981, 1983, 1985, and 1991 (District VIII Tournament), as the two were conference foes in the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA).

- Sul Ross State is in their first season competing in the Lone Star Conference. They made the move to Division II from Division III, where they were members of the America Southwest Conference. They went 9-16 last season.

- SRSU has had a challenging 2024 volleyball season, with an overall record of 2-11 and a 2-5 mark in conference play. Despite their struggles, the Lobos have shown resilience, picking up two home wins, including a 3-1 victory over St. Edward's and a 3-0 sweep of Cameron. Their performance away from home has been less successful, as they remain winless in both road (0-5) and neutral-site (0-4) matches. Sul Ross fell 3-0 Friday at Sul Ross State.

- The Lobos rank sixth in the Lone Star Conference in digs per set, with an average of 16.19. Miranda Acosta leads the team in digs with 3.72 per set (14^th in LSC).

- Vital to Sul Ross State's play is Natalie Hernandez, who leads her team in kills with 123 and averages 2.93 kills per set, ranking 18th in the Lone Star Conference. She also averages 3.0 points per set this season.

LADY CHAP NOTES
- Lubbock Christian enters Saturday's match with a 9-8 overall record and a 5-2 mark in Lone Star Conference play, currently ranked tied for fourth among LSC teams (with Dallas Baptist and Texas Woman's). While the Lady Chaps have a winning record on neutral courts (4-3 record), they have faced challenges on the road, going 2-5. They played their first 14 matches of the season away from home, but have taken advantage of the limited home play, posting a 3-0 record on the home floor.
 
- Bryleigh Schweer entered Wednesday's match with defensive credentials after claiming Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors, but she left an offensive mark Wednesday. She tied a match-high and career-high with 15 kills for Lubbock Christian. She had 15 kills on 20 attempts without an error for a .750 attack percentage. The mark shattered the prior program single-match record of .708 held by Elissa Loynes from Oct. 31, 2009 against Mid-America Christian.

- LCU stands out in the attacks per set category, entering Saturday averaging 37.6 attacks (per set), which ranks fifth in the Lone Star Conference and 48th nationally. Kiana Fallaha and Lily Bickley are at the forefront, contributing significantly to this statistic. Fallaha ranks second in the conference with 11.1 attacks per set (22nd nationally) and has 568 total attacks (seventh in the conference) despite missing the prior four matches. Overall, LCU's total attacks amount to 2,480, which is second in the conference and 48^th nationally.

- This season marks LCU's fourth season under coach Giboney. The Lady Chaps seventh head coach in program history has jumped into his 20th year of NCAA coaching. Giboney, who has four NCAA Tournament appearances and seven conference titles on his resume, surpassed 400 coaching victories in his first season with LCU and has a career coaching mark of 441-212. The Chaps head coach entered the season as the 29th best-active head coach in win percentage (.679) and as the 27th best-active head coach in victories (432). He has the third-highest win total of head coaches with less than 20 years of head coaching experience.

- Setter Kayton Genenbacher currently sits seventh all-time in LCU's career record books for assists with 2,792. On Sept. 27 in Denton, Texas, she became the ninth Lady Chaps member in program history to reach 2,500 assists. Wednesday, she posted 39 assists, which moved her past Tiana Hergert (2,761, 1989-92) and Erin Fisher (2,767, 2011-14) and into seventh all-time in program history. Genenbacher ranks 20^th nationally in assists per set with an average of 10.8, which places her second in the Lone Star Conference. She has amassed a total of 714 assists this season (second in LSC and 18^th nationally).
 
-The Lady Chaps have shown potential in several key statistical categories within the Lone Star Conference and at the national level. Notably, the team's digs per set average of 15.6 ranks eighth in the conference, highlighting a solid defensive effort, led by Leddy Rae Guinn (14^th in LSC with 3.7 digs per set). On the offensive side, the team's kills per set average of 13.7 is respectable, placing fitth in the conference, with Kiana Fallaha (sixth in points per set and 97^th nationally, 3.87) and Lily Bickley (11th in LSC, 3.7) leading the way in scoring (points). Payton Murray has also been on display with double-figure kill efforts in seven of the prior eight matches and is averaging 3.48 kills per set over the eight-match span.
 
- LCU has made notable strides in conference play. Kayton Genenbacher has been a standout, averaging 12.1 assists per set (leads the LSC), contributing a total of 315 assists in seven matches. Payton Murray supports the offense with 96 kills (tied for fourth in LSC), with Lily Bickley (84) and Bryleigh Schweer (75) providing a balance attack (14.6 kills per set for LCU to ranking fourth in the LSC, and ranking fourth in hitting with a mark of .254). Schweer leads in hitting (.340) and Bickley leads in points per set (4.19, sixth in LSC). Defensively, Leddy Rae Guinn shines with an average of 4.31 digs per set (eighth in LSC).
 
- LCU has had strong performances at home, leading to a perfect 3-0 record at the Rip Griffin Center this season. Offensively, Payton Murray has been a standout, leading the Lady Chaps with 44 kills across three matches (3.67 kills per set) and a .252 hitting percentage. Bickley is the points leader at home, producing 38 kills (3.17 per set) and adding seven service aces and 1.0 blocks per set. Kayton Genenbacher has been the team's setter leader with 141 assists (11.75 per set), also contributing five blocks and four service aces. Defensively, Leddy Rae Guinn leads the team in digs, with 42 total and a 3.5 digs per set average. Bryleigh Schweer has been a force at the net with 14 block assists (1.17 blocks per set) and 38 kills (3.17 kills per set and hitting .342).

- All remaining regular season scheduled matches can be watched via live streaming on FloSports. FloSports has recently partnered with the Lone Star Conference to offer a subscription-based service that provides live video coverage. A subscription to FloSports gives you access to all content on their platform. For more details, visit www.lcuchaps.com/live.