Volleyball | 9/11/2024 5:21:00 PM

DENTON, Texas (Sept. 11, 2024) – After starting their 2024 season out on the road, the Texas Woman's volleyball team returns home to Kitty Magee Arena to host the Denton Volleyfest.

TWU (1-2) claimed their first win of the season on the road at the 2024 Courtyard by Marriott Tampa Volleyball Classic against New Haven, winning in four sets.

This week, they will play four matches – one on Thursday, one on Friday and two on Saturday.

TWU will play their home opener on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. against Colorado Christian. On Friday, Sept. 13, they will play one match against Arkansas Forth Smith at 4:30 p.m. Then, the Pioneers will close the Denton Volleyfest with two matches on Saturday, Sept. 14, opening the final day at 9 a.m. against Henderson State. Finally, they will close the Denton Volleyfest at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14 against Pittsburg State.

Against Colorado Christian, the Pioneers are 3-1 all-time, and the two teams have never met in Denton, Texas. This will be their first meeting since 2017.

UAFS and the Pioneers met last season in November, and TWU fell 3-1. The Pioneers are 2-3 all-time against the Lions and 1-1 at home.

TWU last met Henderson State in 2021 at a neutral site. The Pioneers are 7-6 all-time against the Reddies at 7-3 at home in KMA.

Against Pittsburg State, TWU is 5-2 and 3-1 at home. The Pioneers have not met the Gorillas since the 2010 season.

After three matches in 2024, TWU is hitting .201 with 12.4 kills per set. Tori Woods leads TWU currently in kills with 45. Grace Reynolds is the Pioneers' assists leader with 65, and Luna França leads TWU in digs with 56.  

HOME SWEET KMA

• Tickets for Denton Volleyfest can be purchased here. Fans can purchase day passes Thursday, Friday and Saturday, or a pass for both Friday and Saturday can be purchased. Reentry will be allowed all days of the tournament. 
• All TWU Athletic Events have a Clear Bag Policy. Fans with prohibited bags or items will be denied entry into the facility and refund of tickets will not be provided. No outside food or drinks are allowed. No pets or ESA animals are allowed, only certified service animals will be allowed in the venue.
• Children under five years of age do not require a ticket.
• If you cannot make it to KMA, all Denton Volleyfest games will be live streamed on FloSports.
• For individual match live stat links and live stream links, visit the Denton Volleyfest Landing Page.  

BRING THE ENERGY

• A LOOK AT COLORADO CHRISTIAN: The Cougars started their season off at the Golden Eagle Classic hosted by Concordia University Irvine. They played four matches at the Classic and split, going 2-2 in their opening weekend. They lost to the host, Concordia University Irvine and were swept by Alaska Fairbanks; nevertheless, they closed the Classic with wins over Ursuline College and Northwest Nazarene. They are currently averaging .232 on the season and holding their opponents to .189. Additionally, the Cougars are averaging 2.1 aces per set and 1.6 blocks per set.
• A LOOK AT UAFS: UAFS, a former member of the Lone Star Conference, will be a familiar foe for the Pioneers. In their final season in the LSC in 2023, the Lions finished fourth in the conference standings. This season, they are competing in the MIAA. UAFS started the season at the Mountain Lion Classic in Colorado Springs, Colo. They went 2-1, defeating the University of Mary and Cameron in four sets. On the final day of the Classic, they fell to the host University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in five sets. The Lions average 12.6 kills per set, 1.3 aces per set and 3.2 blocks per set.
• A LOOK AT HENDERSON STATE: The Reddies are coming into the Denton Volleyfest undefeated at 5-0 to start the season. At their Reddie-Tiger Invitational, they went 4-0, defeating Montevallo, McKendree, St. Mary's and Mississippi College. They swept each match, except for St. Mary's, where they went to four sets. Their most recent win came against Lane College on the road in Jackson, Tenn. on Monday, Sept. 9, as they defeated Lane in three sets. The Reddies are hitting .214 on the season with 11.5 kills per set.
• A LOOK AT PITTSBURG STATE: The Gorillas are 3-1 on the season, after opening the year at home in the Gorilla Classic Tournament. In their wins over Arkansas Tech, Western Colorado and Southwest Baptist, Pittsburg State swept each match. However, they lost to LSC opponent Oklahoma Christian in three straight sets. The Gorillas are hitting .209 on the season and holding their opponents to .097. They are averaging 2.3 blocks per set and 12.1 kills per set.