SAN ANTONIO, Texas – HBU will start the 2022 season against Texas State and Texas Southern at the Cardinal Classic hosted by UIW Friday and Saturday at the McDermott Center. The Huskies will open against Texas State on Friday at 4:30 p.m. and will play Texas Southern on Saturday at 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
HBU is picked second in the Southland after going 12-2 in conference play and 21-9 overall during the 2021 season and advanced to the semifinals of the Southland Conference Tournament, before falling to McNeese. The Huskies return four starters and their libero and garnered four preseason all-conference selections. Senior outside hitter Anna Gadway enters her fourth year coming off a career high 285 kills, and a team high 340 points scored. Gadway is named to the 2022 Southland Volleyball Preseason All-Conference First Team and ranked fourth in the conference last year with 3.44 kills per set and fourth with 3.98 points per set, while also averaging 2.75 digs and 0.79 blocks per set. She recorded double-digit kills in 12 of 14 conference matches, including six double-doubles.
Named to the 2022 Southland Volleyball Preseason All-Conference First Team is senior setter Ellie Wipf. Wipf ranked second in the conference in 2021 with 10.50 assists per set during conference play, while hitting .273 with 1.12 kills, 2.38 digs and 0.90 blocks per set. She recorded eight double-doubles. Wipf dished out 40 or more assists six times during the 2021 season.
Junior free Kaley Feris was named to the 2022 Southland Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Second Team and ranked seventh in the Southland Conference with 4.42 digs per set and totaled 221 digs overall…recorded double-digit digs 11 times, including the last eight matches.
Sophmore middle blocker Audrey Pearce was also named to the 2022 Southland Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Second Team and lead the conference with 1.42 blocks per set in conference play, while hitting .209 with 2.21 kills per set. The Aledo, Texas, native posted double-digit kills twice and five or more blocks four times.
Senior Jada Allen returns after earning All-Southland Conference Second Team honors. Allen played in all 19 matches, including 18 starts, and 66 sets. She ranked fifth in the league with a .313 hitting percentage while ranking third on the team with 148 kills, 2.24 per set, and ranked second with 61.0 total blocks for an average of 0.92 per set. HBU also returns junior outside hitter Sarah Brookthree sophomores: setter Mollee Henickelibero Tatiana Evansoutside hitter Alexia Jonesand red-shirt freshman Grace McLaughlin. The Huskies have also added six freshmen: middle blocker Lexie Templeoutside hitter Cassy Drapelaoutside hitter Shelby O’Nealoutside hitter Leah Fraysurdefensive specialist Hazel Allenand setter Morgan Brown.
Texas State comes off a runner up finish in the 2021 Sunbelt Conference Volleyball Championship with a 14-2 conference record, and a 20-12 overall record. The Bobcats are led by the 2021 Sun Belt Player and Setter of the Year Emily DeWalt who has been named the Sun Belt Preseason Setter of the Year for the fourth consecutive year. DeWalt is joined by the Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Janell Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was a two-time Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week last season, led the Sun Belt with a 4.06 kills per set clip in conference-only matches.
Texas Southern comes off an eighth place finish in the SWAC Conference last year with a 6-10 conference record and a 7-24 overall record. The Tigers are led by senior outside hitter Thalia Cordero Moreno who was named to the 2022 All-SWAC Volleyball Preseason First Team. Moreno started 30 of 31 matches and led the team offensively with 269 points. She registered 244 kills (2.39 k/s) and had seven games with double-digit kills.
HBU will be at home next weekend to host the Molly Howard Gerwig Memorial Tournament featuring UC Riverside, Bethune-Cookman, and ULM.
