By Heather Kennedy | St. Mary's Athletics Communications
SAN ANTONIO -- As the St. Mary's volleyball team looks toward it's final Heartland Conference Tournament, let's take a look at how the Rattlers earned the two-seed at Lubbock Christian.
The Deets: St. Mary's is the two-seed and will face third-seeded UAFS for the third time this season. The Rattlers swept the Lions in the regular season, winning in four sets in Fort Smith and in three sets in San Antonio. The two squads met in the championship match of last year's conference tournament with the Rattlers winning in an upset sweep.
Coach Says: "I believe if we focus and control the little things like serving, passing and our energy, we will be successful this weekend," Head Coach Stephanie Armstrong said. "Fort Smith is a tough team and we will need to give everything we are capable of giving. From this point forward, we have to leave it all on the floor."
Searching For Four: St. Mary's has won three previous Heartland Conference Championships, 2000, 2010 and 2017. A total of 13 players return off last season's championship team, including starters senior outside hitter Channing Hankins, sophomore opposite side hitter Mackenzie Harless, junior setter Bree Perry, senior middle blocker Jaycie Pluenneke and senior libero Monica Ramon.
It's A Grand Ole Time: Senior outside hitter Channing Hankins (Katy, Texas) recorded her 1,000th career kill at Tarleton State on Sept. 22 and currently ranks fourth in school history with 1,131 kills. She needs just 53 more to tie Anna Seals (2002-05) for third on the school's all-time list. Hankins also ranks third on the career total attacks list with 3,366 attempts, just passing Suzie Sammis (2000-03) who had 3,364. Seals currently sits in second place with 3,782 swings.
D-D-D-Defense: Senior libero Monica Ramon (San Antonio) has made a huge impact in just two seasons with the Rattlers. She recorded her 1,000th career dig in the blue & gold last weekend at DBU and she earned Heartland Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors for her efforts. Thursday against the Patriots, Ramon recorded 37 digs in the four sets, the second-highest total in school history. Ramon is also third on that list with her 36 digs against Lubbock Christian last season. On Saturday, she added another 25 digs to give her an average of 6.89 digs per set for the week.
Block Party: Senior middle blocker Jaycie Pluenneke (Liberty Hill, Texas) tallied 10 block assists in the final regular season match at St. Edward's on Saturday, tying for the second-most block assists and the fourth-most total blocks in a five-set match in school history. It is the second-time a Rattler has had 10 total blocks in a five-set match this season as sophomore Mackenzie Harless (Brownsburg, Indiana) did so against Our Lady of the Lake on Sept. 4 with two block solos and eight block assists. Pluenneke also holds the school record for block assists in a four-set match with 10 which she did against DBU in 2017, and is tied for the total blocks record with those 10.
Newcomers Make Big Impact: Freshman Alissa Tolbert (San Antonio) has started 22 of 28 matches this season and is second on the team with 2.92 kills per set and she leads the team with 33 service aces (0.34 per set) and 912 attacks. Tolbert is also second on the Rattlers with eight solo blocks and third with 2.70 digs per set. Junior transfer KK Payne (New Braunfels, Texas) played in 26 of the team's 28 matches and started in 21 on the outside. She was third on the team with 2.65 kills per set. In conference matches, Tolbert led the team with 3.24 kills per set, while Payne was second on the club with 3.17. Tolbert is also second in conference matches with 3.41 digs per set and leads with 18 aces (0.44 per set).
Setting The Table: Junior Bree Perry (Houston, Texas) has recorded 2,576 assists in her three seasons with the Blue & Gold, which moves her into third place all-time in school history, passed Allie Murry (2009-12), who had 2,435 in her time with the Rattlers. Courtney Matula (2004-07, 4671) and Kristelle Rodriguez (2000-02, 4546) own the top two spots on the career assists chart. Perry also ranks fourth in assists per set with 8.62 in her career behind Rodriguez (11.90), Katie Griffin (1997-98, 11.38) and Matula (10.22).
