UTA Mavericks Volleyball Looking to Continue Fast Start
By UT Arlington University Communications
Posted on September 08, 2014, September 08, 2014

UTA-Volleyball

Coming off of a weekend that propelled them to their best start since the 2004 season, UT Arlington (7-1) will look to continue their winning ways as they play host to Baylor (4-2) on Tuesday with the match set to begin at 6 p.m. The Mavericks will come into Tuesday's match confident as they look to repeat their performance when they faced the Bears in 2013, winning the match in four sets (25-18, 25-27, 25-12, 25-17).

"Anytime that you can take down a Big 12 opponent it will give you confidence the next time you face them,' UT Arlington coach Diane Seymour said. "We are excited to play them again and our girls want to show that last year wasn't a fluke."

One Maverick player to watch for in the match is senior OH Taylor Gross who came away with a team-high 13 kills with no errors and a hitting percentage of .650 in the 2013 matchup with Baylor. The Allen, Texas native also chipped in defensively as her eight blocks were a key factor in the win as UTA out-blocked Baylor 16-5.

"We had really good crowds last weekend (at the College Park Maverick Classic) so we are expecting a great crowd again,' said Gross. "I think that it will be a great environment for us to play in."

Another Maverick who will look for a repeat performance of last year's match is junior OPP Stacey Koch. Koch's efficiency showed in the match as she recorded seven kills with no errors and a hitting percentage of .778.

When asked how the strong showing last year affects the team on Tuesday, Koch said, "I think it helps the whole team to come out strong and can help us get a good start from the beginning of the match."

In the two home night games that the Mavericks have played this season they have averaged an attendance of 628 while their home season average last season was 462. The support has been noticed by the UTA players who expect the Maverick faithful to come out in full-force on Tuesday.

"I'm expecting a lot of energy from the crowd and a really positive environment,' Koch said. "I think it should be a fun night for all of us."

With the Mavericks having the Bears number last year, UTA will look to become the first team in the athletic department to claim a victory over a Big 12 school at College Park Center. This will be just the third Big 12 opponent to visit CPC as the men's and women's basketball programs hosted Oklahoma and Oklahoma State respectively in the 2012-13 season. The last time that UTA-volleyball-claimed a home win over a Big 12 opponent was in the 2004 season when UTA defeated Baylor in five sets at Texas Hall.

"We are fortunate enough to be in an area where we can get teams like Baylor to come play us on our court,' added Seymour. "It is a great opportunity to showcase the arena and have a great crowd."

Quick Hits

-With the four wins this past weekend at The Big Daddy's Invitational, UTA-recorded its-first sweep of an away tournament since 2007 when they claimed three victories at the Marquette Kick-off Tournament.

-The Mavericks have held their opponents to a hitting percentage of .119 which is the lowest mark by any Sun Belt Conference school this season.

-Stacey Koch showed her efficiency once again as she garnered a hitting percentage of .552 with 39 kills in 67 attacks in UTA's five matches this past week.

- UTA's Briana Sharratt and Ashley Bennett rank 3rd and 4th respectively in the Sun Belt in blocks this season. Sharratt has averaged 1.07 blocks per set while Bennett holds a mark of 1.04 blocks per set.

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