The Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) volleyball team is set to host St. Mary's University in a Lone Star Conference matchup on Thursday at the Steve Loy Family Foundation Arena. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. Mountain Time.
The Greyhounds, currently holding a 4-21 overall record and 1-12 in conference play, are aiming to break an eight-match losing streak. Their opponents, the Rattlers, come into the contest with a 12-11 overall record and a 9-4 mark in the Lone Star Conference. St. Mary's is on a five-match winning streak and has received consideration in recent NCAA South Central regional polls.
Sophomore outside hitter Sophia Valdez leads ENMU with 312 kills this season, ranking third in the conference with an average of 3.63 kills per set and maintaining a .196 hitting percentage. She has also contributed defensively with 90 digs.
Junior Addison Bartlett has added 172 kills (2.10 per set) and is second on the team with 207 digs (2.52 per set). Middle blocker Amya Speller has recorded 137 kills (1.59 per set) and leads ENMU with 70 blocks (0.81 per set).
Setter Violeta Flores directs the team's offense, totaling 392 assists (5.03 per set) along with 20 service aces this season. Defensive specialist Imahni Brown leads ENMU's defense with a team-high 373 digs (4.34 per set), which ranks seventh in the conference, as well as recording 25 service aces.
Aaliyah Butler has contributed both offensively and defensively for ENMU, adding 88 kills (1.24 per set) and collecting 26 blocks (0.37 per set).
As a unit, ENMU averages just over eleven kills per set while their opponents average twelve; their hitting percentage stands at .124 compared to opponents' .214.
For St. Mary's, Landri Withers leads her team with 297 kills (3.19 per set), alongside contributing defensively with 286 digs and tallying thirty-five blocks this season. Laurene Robinson adds support offensively with her own totals of two hundred sixty-two kills (2.82 per set) and fifty-six blocks.
Dallasstar Johnson anchors St Mary’s defensive efforts by leading the team in blocks at ninety-five total—an average of just over one block each set—and contributing one hundred fifty kills along with twenty-three service aces.
Libero Alyssa Koehl provides stability to St Mary’s back row defense, accumulating four hundred ninety-three digs so far—an average of more than five digs each set—and thirty-six service aces.
Historically, St Mary’s holds an advantage in head-to-head competition between these teams: they have won twelve out of nineteen meetings including victories in each of their last six encounters.
After Thursday’s match against St Mary’s University, Eastern New Mexico will host St Edward’s University on Saturday November eighth for Senior Day—their final home match of the regular season—with play beginning at two o’clock p.m.
