SAN ANTONIO- After a hot 3-0 start to the season, the University of the Incarnate Word Volleyball team will head to Arlington, Texas this weekend for the UTA Classic. The tournament will be the second of the season for the Cardinals with play kicking off on Friday morning at 10 a.m. against Presbyterian College. Later on that night, UIW will then take on the host school, UT Arlington, at 6 p.m. with streaming available on ESPN+. On Saturday, they'll close out the weekend facing Louisiana Tech at 1 p.m.
FOLLOW THE MATCH
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
Presbyterian College
This will be the first matchup in history between the Cardinals and the Blue Hose.
After a tough weekend at the UNCW Hampton Inn University Invitational, Presbyterian College is looking for successful weekend. Junior Hannah Rowe finished out the tournament with a team-high 26 kills on a total of 114 attacks. In an impressive fashion, Rowe completed her stat line in only 10 sets. Another notable upperclassman, senior Kinsey Bailey, will be one to watch on the offensive side. In last weekend's tournament she compiled 46 assists.
UTA Arlington (UIW, 3-2)
UIW hasn't faced the Mavericks since beating them in 2021. In that last matchup only six of the current Cardinals players appeared in the game. UIW won the match 3-2.
Risa Sena led all hitters in the five sets she played with 17 kills and 16 digs. Annamarie Alvarez tallied 15 kills and four blocks and to round out the hitting trio, Allison Palmi finished with 10 kills. Junior Natalie Kimmel also got some playing time during the match during her freshman year. Acting as a setter, Kimmel collected 15 assists.
LA Tech
This match will also be another first for the Cardinals. The Bulldogs and UIW have yet to face each other but do share some common interests. First year Head Coach Gabby Ording is an alum of the LA Tech team.
The Bulldogs went 1-2 on the weekend at the Arkansas State Invitational, closing out their final match against Little Rock with a sweep. Picked to finish last in the Conference USA Preseason Poll, the Bulldogs are on a mission to prove themselves. Preseason conference favorite McKenzie Johnson led the defense with 53 digs on an average of 4.82 a set. Johnson also collected 18 assists for her team, showing her versatility on the court. Sophomore Jailen Hurley seems to be the go-to hitter on the floor. Collecting 31 kills in her season debut, the right-side hitter is shining for the Bulldogs.
UIW (3-0)
The Cardinals are off to their best start since 2009. In hoping to keep that energy flowing in Arlington, Coach Ording's has got a stacked lineup to look at.
Allison Palmi is on a roll after collecting a team- high 38 kills throughout the Texan Classic. In addition to her powerful offense, she's been a key player on the defense side as well. In the same three game, Palmi picked up 11 digs.
A fresh face for UIW has also been a key factor to the Cardinal's early success. Transfer, Anuhea Faitau, showed her stuff on the court this past weekend. Playing in 11 sets, Faitau had 65 assists on a 5.9 assist/ set ratio. Junior Natalie Kimmel also contributed to the early success from the setting squad as she collected 59 assists on a 5.36 assist/ set percentage
FOLLOW ALONG
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--UIW CARDINALS--
