Volleyball Heads To St. Edward's

2/8/2021 12:00:00 PM

St. Mary's (2-0, 2-0 Lone Star) at St. Edward's (1-3, 1-3 Lone Star)
Tuesday, February 9 • 4:30 p.m. • Austin • Rec. & Athletics Center
Wednesday, February 10 • 6 p.m. • Austin • Rec. & Athletics Center
Video Stream
Live Stats
Game Notes

Opening Tip
•    After having last week's matches postponed due to Covid-19 protocols, the St. Mary's Volleyball team returns to action at rival St. Edward's on Tuesday and Wednesday.
•    St. Mary's is one of five undefeated teams in the Lone Star Conference and is receiving votes in the Feb. 3 AVCA Division II poll.
•    The Rattlers are looking to snap a three-match losing skid to the Hilltoppers. St. Edward's is 1-3 in 2021.
•    Junior OH Alissa Tolbert tied her career-high with 20 kills in the season opener against Texas A&M International. In the second match, she led the team with 12 digs.
•    Six freshmen played in all eight sets during the opening week. S Aislan Lennon leads the team in assists, setting 5.88 per set, while OH Julie Aleman leads the club with a .297 hitting percentage (min. 2 kills/set).

On Tap: After a week off from action, St. Mary's will travel to St. Edward's for the initial Battle of the Saints. The Hilltoppers are 1-3 on the year. Tuesday's match will begin at 4:30 and Wednesday's at 6 and fans will not be permitted to attend. 

Scouting The Hilltoppers: St. Edward's dropped its first two matches of the year to Texas A&M-Kingsville before splitting a pair of five-set matches to Texas A&M International. Maya Smalls leads SEU with a .279 hitting percentage, while Kaitlyn Krafka leads with 3.00 kills per set. McKinley Sellers is digging a team-best 3.56 per set and Laura Doocy is blocking 1.33 a set.

Last Time Out: St. Mary's won a pair of matches against Texas A&M-International. The Rattlers won in five sets on Tues. and swept the Dust Devils on Wed. Junior OH Alissa Tolbert recorded double-doubles in both matches, with a career-high tying 20 kills and 14 digs in the opener, while recording 10 kills and 12 digs in the rematch. Both setters also had double-doubles in the five-set win, as freshman Aislan Lennon had 25 assists and 15 digs, while senior Lindsey Kaufman had 28 assists and 11 digs.

It's Been A While: For the first time since 2009, the St. Mary's Volleyball team has started conference play 2-0. They are one of five unbeaten teams left in the Lone Star, joining Angelo State, UT-Tyler, Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Receiving Votes: The Rattlers are receiving votes in the latest AVCA Division II poll. The team garnered 12 votes in the first weekly poll and is one of six Lone Star Conference teams either ranked or receiving votes.

Career Marks: In the eight sets against TAMIU, several Rattlers obtained milestones:
• Senior Lindsey Kaufman recorded her 25th ace and her 350th assist and now has 379 for her career. 
• Junior Alissa Tolbert recorded her 500th kill in the opener and now has 512. She also recorded her 50th career ace.