PHOENIX, ARIZONA – The University of the Incarnate Word volleyball team heads to Phoenix to finish the season at the Grand Canyon University Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

The Cardinals (10-20, 6-10 SLC) will play New Jersey Institute of Technology on Friday at 3 p.m. and then face Grand Canyon at 8 p.m.  On Saturday, the face Omaha at 12:30 p.m. and then close the tournament and season against UMass-Lowell at 5:30 p.m.

As a team the Cardinals are hitting .158 while averaging 11.6 kills, 14.1 digs, and 1.7 blocks per set.  Angelique Vidaurri (San Antonio/Southwest HS) leads the Cardinals with 3.19 kills per set and was recently named honorable mention all-Southland Conference for a second straight season.  Freshman Bryaunea Hall (Copperas Cove/Copperas Cove HS) has had a great rookie season.  She leads the team in total blocks with 83 and has accumulated 166 kills.  Freshman Madison Williams (New Braunfels/Canyon HS) is coming off one of her best offensive matches of the season; she had nine kills on .417 hitting, while also dishing out 29 assists on Saturday against Stephen F. Austin.  Shaina Garza (San Antonio/Warren HS) is averaging 2.08 kills and 2.55 digs per set and has been an all-around threat all season long.  Brittani Dear (La Vernia/La Vernia HS) is averaging 2.12 kills and 2.59 digs per set leading the Cardinals as one of the team captains.

NJIT (11-20 overall) have won three of their last four matches of the season coming into the tournament.  The Highlanders offense is led by Danica Vukotic with 282 total kills and an attack percentage of .119.  Alyssa Armada averages 8.93 assists per set while Camilla Tinari contributes 3.43 digs per set.

The Antelopes (17-11, 6-8 WAC) finished their Western Athletic Conference schedule by winning five of their last seven matches.  They have two players closing in on 400 kills for the season; Shannon Dugan, 390 and Natalie Tardy, 387.  Michelle Steagall hands out 8.76 assists per set while Mackenzie Phelps leads the defense with 5.10 digs per set.

Omaha (11-18, 6-10 Summit League) lost six of their last eight matches of their regular season, but finished the conference season on a high note, sweeping Western Illinois at home 25-9, 25-20, 25-22.  Kelley Wollak leads the Mavericks with 356 kills, Sydney O'Shaughnessy has 784 assists and Kimberly Bailey is averaging 3.33 digs per set.

The River Hawks (3-26, 1-11 AEC) finished in last place in the America East Conference.   As a team, they are hitting .095 while averaging 9.8 kills, 14.3 digs, and 1.4 blocks per set.  Ella Merrill leads the team 2.56 kills per set, Kylee Chun averages 7.5 assists per set and Hannah Rey chips in with 5.15 digs per set.
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