PITTSBURG, Kan. (September 4, 2025) – Lubbock Christian University volleyball is breaking new ground this weekend, opening its 2025 campaign in Kansas for the first time in program history. The Lady Chaparrals tip off the season at the Gorilla Classic, hosted by Pittsburg State inside John Lance Arena. LCU takes the court Friday with an 11:30 a.m. clash against the host Gorillas before wrapping up the day against Truman State. The Lady Chaps return Saturday for a two-match slate, battling Southern Arkansas at 9 a.m. and closing the tournament against Missouri Western at 4:30 p.m.
 

GORILLA CLASSIC
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
Pittsburg State	Pittsburg, Kan.	Fri, Sept. 5	11:30 a.m.	Video	Stats
Truman State	Pittsburg, Kan.	Fri, Sept. 5	4:30 p.m.	Video	Stats

TOURNAMENT SITE
  
LADY CHAP NOTES

• LCU enters the season projected eighth in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll. The Lady Chaps are coming off a 13–14 campaign in 2024, which included their second consecutive 9–7 finish in league play. The season ended with a return to the LSC Championship tournament for the first time since 2021.
• The Lady Chaps bring back a senior-heavy roster, returning 10 veterans, including four of their top five kill leaders from a year ago. Anchoring the attack is senior right-side hitter Lily Bickley, a two-time All-LSC selection and the team's preseason offensive "Player to Watch." Bickley posted 335 kills and hit .340 last season, ranking sixth in the conference in hitting efficiency. She enters her final campaign with 809 career kills and 166 blocks.
• Surrounding Bickley are senior outside hitters Payton Murray (553 career kills) and Bryleigh Schweer (231 kills, .313 hitting percentage in 2024), along with junior Tatum Fleitman (123 kills, 38 blocks). That group combines for more than 1,700 career kills and gives LCU experience and balance across the front row.
• Defensively, the Lady Chaps will turn to veterans Abby Dominguez (268 digs in 2024), Olivia Elofsson (206 digs, 19 aces), and junior Ramsey Clark (116 digs) as they compete for the libero role. Dominguez, the team's preseason defensive "Player to Watch," enters 2025 with more than 650 collegiate digs across her JUCO and NCAA career.
• Two key returners return from injury in 2025: sophomore middle blocker Madyson Eberly, who missed last season after a strong freshman campaign, and versatile sophomore Jade Workman, who produced 78 kills in 16 matches before a midseason injury cut short her rookie year. Workman is tabbed as LCU's preseason "Player to Watch" at setter, adding flexibility to the lineup.
• Eight newcomers add depth and long-term promise to the roster, highlighted by transfers Kyla Farnan (Saint Michael's) and Drea Laughlin (ULM). Freshman Emilee Sikora (San Angelo Central) arrives as a 1,000-kill prep hitter expected to contend for an immediate role. Local product Kat Dulin (Lubbock Christian School) and Camdyn Sears (Midland Christian) add depth at setter, while Aubree Lundberg (Midland Christian), Hope Gonsioroski (Baker, Mont.), and Sienna Cavalier (Amarillo High) round out a balanced class.
• The Lady Chaps face the challenge of replacing two decorated starters in Kayton Genenbacher (2,070 career assists) and Kiana Fallaha (more than 1,200 career kills). Genenbacher finished her career as one of just 12 players in program history with 2,000 assists.
• Head coach Keith Giboney enters his fifth season leading LCU and his 21st as a collegiate head coach. He owns a 445–218 career record, ranking 24th among active NCAA Division II coaches in career wins. Giboney has guided LCU to steady improvement, returning the program to the LSC Championship in 2024.
• Historically, LCU is 30–16 all-time in season openers and has won 12 of their last 17. They opened last season with a sweep of Cal State East Bay in Pueblo, Colo. This year, LCU opens in Kansas for the first time in program history and will face host Pittsburg State in its season debut. The Lady Chaps are 2–1 all-time against the Gorillas, with the last meeting coming in 2022 in Anchorage, Alaska.
• The Gorilla Classic marks the first time LCU has played in Pittsburg, Kan., and is the program's first trip to the Sunflower State since facing Newman in Wichita on Oct. 13, 2018. Giboney also has coaching history at PSU—he went 6–3 against the Gorillas during his tenure at Harding.

LOOKING AT PITT ST.
 - The Lady Chaps debut Friday against host Pittsburg State in what will be the fourth meeting all-time between the programs. LCU holds a 2–1 edge in the series, though Pitt State claimed the last matchup in 2002 in Anchorage, Alaska. Senior right-side hitter Lily Bickley (13 kills, 3 blocks) and senior outside hitter Payton Murray (7 digs, 3 kills) are the only current Lady Chaps who played in that contest. For head coach Keith Giboney, it's a return to a familiar opponent (He last coached in Pittsburg in 2005 while at Harding) - he is 6–3 in his career against the Gorillas, including a 6–2 mark during his 13 seasons at Harding.
 
- Pittsburg State enters 2025 with a new era under first-year head coach Megan Besecker, who compiled a stellar 58-10 record in two seasons at Barton Community College. She guided the Cougars to back-to-back Kansas Jayhawk Conference titles, a fourth-place finish at the 2024 NJCAA National Tournament, and earned AVCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year and AVCA 30 Under 30 honors last fall.
 
- The Gorillas were slotted ninth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, collecting 43 points after a 10-16 campaign in 2024 that included a 5-11 league mark. Nebraska–Kearney, Central Oklahoma and Washburn claimed the top three positions in the poll.
Pitt State brings back 11 letterwinners from last year's squad, including four who started at least 10 matches. The headliner is two-time All-MIAA libero Josie McCroskey, who paced the Gorillas with 479 digs (5.15 per set) a season ago.
 
- Additional returning statistical leaders include Vix Vilott with 235 kills (2.53 per set) and 291.0 points (3.13 per set), Jesa Wallace with 454 assists (5.68 per set), and Anna Dean with 94 blocks (1.02 per set). Those pieces give Besecker a mix of proven production and experience to build on.
 
LOOKING AT TRUMAN STATE
- Lubbock Christian and Truman State have met only once before, with the Bulldogs holding a 1–0 edge in the series. That matchup came on Sept. 1, 2018, at the Westminster Invitational in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Truman swept the Lady Chaps, 3–0.
 
- The Bulldogs are guided by head coach David Gannon, who is entering his fifth season at the helm in Kirksville, Missouri. Gannon is seeking to return Truman to consistent contention in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) as the Bulldogs aim to reverse recent struggles.
 
- Truman State is looking to achieve a .500 or better season for the first time since 2018, the same year it last faced LCU. That 2018 squad marked the program's most recent winning campaign, as the Bulldogs have since endured rebuilding stretches in the highly competitive GLVC.
 
- The Bulldogs finished 6–22 overall and 3–10 in GLVC play during the 2024 season. In the 2025 GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll, they were tabbed 11th out of 14 teams, reflecting both the depth of the league and the challenge Truman faces in climbing the conference ladder.
 
- Truman returns several key contributors, including Michaela Goad, who led the team with 342.5 points and 295 kills in 2024. Defensively, Addy Janssen paced the Bulldogs with 319 digs, while Makayla Way anchored the net with a team-best 101 blocks.
 
HOW TO WATCH
All matches of the Gorilla Classic can be viewed on the MIAA Network, which is a subscription service (not part of FloCollege and is not included in your FloCollege subscription).
 
2025-26 MIAA NETWORK RATES:
·  Individual Broadcast Pass: $15
·  Monthly Access Pass: $35
·  All-Access Pass: $140
·  Individual Broadcast Download: $15

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