PITTSBURG, Kan. (September 6, 2025) – The Lubbock Christian University Lady Chapparals close play in the Gorilla Classic, hosted by Pitt State, Saturday with a pair of contests, as they face Southern Arkansas (9 a.m.) before facing Missouri Western State (4:30 p.m.) inside John Lance Arena.
| GORILLA CLASSIC |
| OPPONENT |
LOCATION |
DAY |
TIME (CT) |
WATCH |
STATS |
| Southern Arkansas |
Pittsburg, Kan. |
Sat, Sept. 6 |
9:00 a.m. |
Video |
Stats |
| Missouri Western |
Pittsburg, Kan. |
Sat, Sept. 6 |
4:30 p.m. |
Video |
Stats |
TOURNAMENT SITE
The Lady Chaps split Friday's play, as they fell 3-0 to Pittsburg State before rebounding with a 3-0 win over Truman State.
Lily Bickley produced 22 kills over six sets Friday, and is averaging 4.58 points per set.
LOOKING AT SAU
- Lubbock Christian and Southern Arkansas are tied 2–2 in the all-time series. The Lady Chaps evened the matchup in 2024 with a 3–1 win in Lubbock, their first meeting in nearly three decades. SAU earned both of its victories on Sept. 24, 1994, sweeping a pair of matches at the Southern Arkansas Invitational in Magnolia, while LCU won the inaugural meeting in 1985 at the River City Classic in San Antonio.
- The Muleriders, who went 0-2 Friday, enter 2025 under the direction of fourth-year head coach Alli Harrell, a former SAU standout who has steadily rebuilt the program. Harrell guided the squad to a 12–12 overall record in 2024, narrowly missing the GAC Tournament after falling on the wrong side of tiebreakers.
- Picked 11th in the 2025 GAC Preseason Coaches Poll, SAU has plenty to prove after losing 10 seniors from last year's roster. The Muleriders return just six players and will integrate 12 newcomers, evenly split between freshmen and transfers.
- SAU's anchor is defensive specialist Sadie Kabisch, a 2024 All-GAC honorable mention. Kabisch led the GAC in digs per set (6.42), a mark that ranked second nationally in Division II, and totaled 533 digs on the year. Alongside her, junior Brinklee Dauenhauer returns as a team captain after finishing among the Muleriders' leaders in service aces last season.
- The Muleriders finished 6–10 in GAC play in 2024 but demonstrated competitive balance, with Kabisch and Dauenhauer appearing in all 24 matches. With so many new faces around them, SAU will rely heavily on that veteran leadership as it works to climb back into postseason contention in 2025.
LOOKING AT MWSU
- Lubbock Christian and Missouri Western have met just once before, with the Griffons taking a 2–0 neutral-site victory on Sept. 3, 1988, in Magnolia, Ark., at the Southern Arkansas Invitational. That result gives MoWest a 1–0 lead in the all-time series heading into this weekend's matchup.
- The Griffons, who capped Friday's play with a 3-2 reverse sweep of Pitt State for a 2-0 mark, are coming off a 23–8 season in 2024, including a 12–4 record in the rugged Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). Their success earned them an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament—the program's first postseason appearance since 2017 and fourth overall.
- Under head coach Jessica Fey, now entering her fourth year, Missouri Western has posted back-to-back 20-win seasons. Fey has guided the program to steady growth, capped last fall by a win over No. 13 Regis at the Oredigger Classic and a return to the NCAA postseason.
- MoWest was slotted fourth in the 2025 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll with 96 points, trailing only Nebraska Kearney, Central Oklahoma and Washburn. The Griffons finished just two points behind Washburn for the No. 3 spot.
- The Griffons suffered a first-round NCAA loss to perennial power Concordia-St. Paul in 2024 but proved their ability to compete nationally with quality wins along the way. With a veteran core returning (lost four seniors off a 19-player squad last season) and postseason experience back in the fold, Missouri Western enters 2025 with momentum and is receiving votes in the AVCA Top-25 Preseason Poll.
