Schreiner opens home slate against former conference rival Texas Lutheran

The Schreiner University volleyball team plays its first true home match of the season tonight, hosting Texas Lutheran at Stephens Family Arena in a meeting between two programs that spent more than a decade as Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference rivals before Schreiner’s move to the American Southwest Conference this year. First serve is set for 6 p.m.

Schreiner (1-2) enters off a mixed opening week: a season-opening loss at Trinity, followed by a 1-1 showing at the Trinity National Invitational in San Antonio, where the Mountaineers beat Redlands in four sets before being swept by Gustavus Adolphus. Texas Lutheran (3-1) is coming off the UMHB Tournament in Belton, where the Bulldogs won a five-set thriller over Mary Hardin-Baylor, swept Alverno and Carroll, and dropped their pool-play finale to Millsaps in straight sets. 

Schreiner to watch

Giana Hilliard has been Schreiner’s most productive player through three matches, leading the team with 31 kills (2.82 per set) and 34 digs while also topping the roster in overall scoring at 37 points. Jesse Garner (18 kills) and Emma Frye (17 kills) have provided secondary scoring punch, with Frye also owning the team’s best hitting percentage at .350 and its most total blocks with seven. Lauren Monaco (16 kills, .325 hitting) and Mackenzie Strban (16 kills) round out Schreiner’s attack.

Setting duties have been split down the middle, with Gaby Torres (49 assists) and Harlie Gallaspy (45 assists) each running the offense in different lineups. Defensively, libero Maleyci Soliz leads the team with 53 digs, and Anna Eubanks has been Schreiner’s most productive server with nine aces.

Texas Lutheran to watch

The Bulldogs bring a balanced attack led by Nadia Dunn (33 kills, .238 hitting) and Ava Search (29 kills, a team-high 40 digs). Andie Lozano-Lomeli has added 25 kills, and Briana Salvatierra-Moore has been Texas Lutheran’s most efficient high-volume hitter at .302 to go with 11 total blocks. Addison Gallegos runs the Bulldog offense with 65 assists on the season.

As a team, Texas Lutheran has out-served opponents 36 aces to 16 through four matches — an average of 2.6 per set — while hitting .162 as a team.

Series history

Texas Lutheran holds a commanding 43-3 edge in the all-time series, but Schreiner’s two most recent meetings with the Bulldogs have gone the Mountaineers’ way — Schreiner won both matchups last season.

With Schreiner now in the ASC and Texas Lutheran remaining in the SCAC, Tuesday’s match is non-conference — the first time the two programs have met outside a shared conference schedule in recent memory.