No. 6 Angelo State Belles Hit the Road Against UTPB This Weekend

SAN ANGELO, TX — The No. 6 Angelo State volleyball team will conclude its road trip Saturday, Oct. 10, when the Belles travel to Odessa to face UT Permian Basin in Lone Star Conference play.

The matchup marks Angelo State's shortest road trip of the season as the Belles look to continue their nine-game winning streak following victories over UT Dallas and UT Tyler.

Angelo State opened its road trip Friday against UT Dallas, where Julia Hopkins recorded a career-high 19 kills to lead the Belles to a four-set victory over the Comets. The Belles followed with another four-set victory Saturday against UT Tyler in a matchup between two teams near the top of the Lone Star Conference standings.

UT Permian Basin enters the weekend with a 5-8 overall record and a 0-7 mark in conference play. The Falcons opened their season with a 3-1 record at the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational, earning straight-set victories over Fort Lewis, Minnesota State Moorhead and Colorado State Pueblo before falling to East Central in five sets. Serving as Angelo State's travel partner in the Lone Star Conference, UT Permian Basin also faced UT Tyler and UT Dallas last weekend, playing the opponents in reverse order of the Belles.

The Falcons were swept by UT Tyler on Friday before losing a five-set match to UT Dallas. Offensively, UT Permian Basin ranks 14th in the Lone Star Conference with a .172 team attack percentage. Kaitlyn leads the Falcons with 150 kills while hitting .204. Makenna Grimes and Nickilah Whatley are tied for second on the team with 92 kills apiece.

UT Permian Basin operates a 6-2 offense, with Kierra Freeman leading the team with 245 assists. Emma Gonzalez follows with 219 assists. Defensively, opponents are hitting .177 against the Falcons, ranking UT Permian Basin sixth in the conference in opponent attack percentage. Six Falcons have recorded more than 100 digs this season, led by Freeman with 141. At the net, Precious Johnson leads UT Permian Basin with 42 blocks, followed by Whatley with 39.

Angelo State enters the matchup ranked No. 6 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II coaches poll, released Monday, Oct. 5.

The ranking matches the Belles' highest position of the season.