Women's Volleyball 8/22/2018 8:30:00 AM

Bronchos Open Season In Texas This Weekend

No. 16-ranked Central Oklahoma makes its 2018 debut this weekend when the Bronchos trek to Stephenville, Texas for the Tarleton State Invitational.

UCO -- coming off a 29-6 season and winners of 90 matches over the past three years -- will play Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association rival Southwest Baptist and former Lone Star Conference foes Midwestern State, Texas A&M-Commerce and tournament host Tarleton State in the two-day event at the Wisdom Volleyball Gym.

The Bronchos of seventh-year head coach Edgar Miraku open the season at 10 a.m. Friday against SBU and tangle with MSU at 3 p.m. Central returns Saturday to face TAMU-C at 11:30 a.m. before ending the tournament against No. 18-rated Tarleton State at 4:30 p.m.

Click here for the tournament page, which includes links for live stats and live video streaming of the matches.

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO has five starters and six other letterwinners back from last year's 29-6 squad that advanced to the Division II national tournament, falling to eventual champion Concordia-St. Paul in the first round of the Central Regional.

Leading the charge for the Bronchos is two-time All-American Taylor Bevis and three-time All-MIAA performer Jordan Spence.

Bevis was the MIAA Player of the Year last season in addition to earning first-team All-America honors after ranking among the national leaders in kills with 5.04 per set. Her 529 kills ranked sixth on UCO's single-season list and the senior outside hitter is ninth in career kills with 1,340.

Spence was second in the league in hitting percentage (.343) last year while collecting 283 kills and she was also ninth in the MIAA in blocks with 0.97 per set. The senior middle blocker already ranks eighth on the school career charts in both solo (50) and assisted (292) blocks.

Central also returns a pair of second-team All-MIAA performers in senior setter McKenzie Fyfe and junior libero Dominique Lipari.

Fyfe handed out 10.3 assists per set last season in powering UCO's high-octane offensive attack, while Lipari averaged 5.02 digs a set to lead the back-row defense.

Also back from last year is senior Karyn Chrisman, junior Lyndsey Becker and sophomores Callie Bangasser, Jordan Cramer, Haley Deschenes, Malia Kaaiohelo and Ericka Scholl.

All seven players saw extensive action, with Kaaiohelo an honorable mention All-MIAA selection after collecting 131 kills and 69 blocks. Chrisman had 161 kills and Deschenes 120 in just 14 matches as she was limited by injury.

Junior Kelly Crow sat out last year with injury and is expected to help the Bronchos defensively this fall, while freshmen Alycia Bradley-Adriano, Amanda Desch, Chloe Hancock and Lauren Jenkins will also challenge for playing time.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST BAPTIST: The Bearcats are coming off a 2-30 season, losing their last 18 matches. UCO owns a commanding 17-2 lead in a series that started in 1988 and is riding an eight-match winning streak in the rivalry.

It's the first of three meetings this season between the two, with MIAA contests set for Sept. 14 in Edmond and Oct. 19 in Bolivar, Mo.

ABOUT MIDWESTERN STATE: The Mustangs of the Lone Star Conference were 15-16 a year ago. MSU has three starters and five other letterwinners returning.

The Bronchos have a big 22-5 advantage in the rivalry that started in 1987. The two teams met last season for the first time in seven years, with UCO claiming a four-set victory.

ABOUT TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE: The Lions qualified for the Division II national tournament last year, finishing with a 21-12 record. Returning first-team All-LSC performers Shelly Chapron (264 kills, 155 blocks) and Jaslyn Wacker (263 kills, 52 blocks) pace TAMU-C.

Central leads the series 30-19 and has won the last three meetings. The series started in 1987 and the teams met every year until 2010 before not playing again until 2016 and '17.

ABOUT TARLETON STATE: The defending LSC champion TexAnns were 17-0 at home and 29-6 overall last year in qualifying for the national tournament. A pair of second-team All-LSC players are back to lead TSU – Adriana Darthuy (347 kills) and Hannah McManus (197 kills, 119 blocks).

The TexAnns swept UCO in last year's season-opening Tarleton State Invitational in the first meeting between the two since 2010. The Bronchos have a 14-5 edge in a rivalry that started in 1994.

WHAT THE COACH SAYS: Edgar Miraku has amassed a 155-48 record in just six years at the UCO helm and is a two-time MIAA Coach of the Year honoree. He has led the Bronchos to two national tournament berths and their first-ever MIAA championship in 2015.

"We're excited about getting started. The team has really worked hard in the preseason and we've made a lot of progress, but we still have a long ways to go to get where we want to be.

"This weekend will be a good challenge for us and I'm anxious to see how our team reacts."

NEXT WEEK: Central goes back on the road for another weekend event, traveling to Durant, Okla. Aug. 31-Sept. 1 for four matches in the South Central Classic.

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Players Mentioned

#6 Callie Bangasser: DS; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#5 Lyndsey Becker: OH/RS; 5' 11"; Junior

#16 Taylor Bevis: OH; 5' 10"; Senior

#3 Karyn Chrisman: RS/OH; 6' 0"; Senior

#12 Jordan Cramer: DS; 5' 6"; Sophomore

#13 Haley Deschenes: OH/RS; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#11 McKenzie Fyfe: S/DS; 5' 6"; Senior

#7 Malia Kaaiohelo: MB; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#1 Dominique Lipari: DS/L; 5' 1"; Junior

#4 Ericka Scholl: S; 5' 7"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#6 Callie Bangasser
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: DS

#5 Lyndsey Becker
: 5' 11"; Junior
: OH/RS

#16 Taylor Bevis
: 5' 10"; Senior
: OH

#3 Karyn Chrisman
: 6' 0"; Senior
: RS/OH

#12 Jordan Cramer
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: DS

#13 Haley Deschenes
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: OH/RS

#11 McKenzie Fyfe
: 5' 6"; Senior
: S/DS

#7 Malia Kaaiohelo
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: MB

#1 Dominique Lipari
: 5' 1"; Junior
: DS/L

#4 Ericka Scholl
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: S