At some point, I'd expect the record to stop skipping, but another week is done in Western Athletic Conference volleyball action and another 2-0 week for UT Arlington. The opponents are likely the toughest the conference will have to offer and the Mavericks aced the test.
The Mavs are now in the driver's seat for their first conference regular season title in 22 years. Weird to say, but the team sport with the best history, most conference titles and NCAA tournament appearances and wins has had a drought so long that students on campus were not alive for the last titles.
The conference season is half complete and UTA is up on second-place Grand Canyon by two matches, three games up on third-place Utah Valley and three-and-a-half up on fourth-place Utah Tech and Southern Utah. UTA in now 2-0 against Grand Canyon, while they are 1-0 versus UT and SUU.
They got to two of those three records this past week with two dominant performances, both sweeps. First up was the 'lopes in Arlington. After a 3-1 win in Phoenix, including a 25-8 shellacking in the first set. I firmly expected a tough, hard-fought match.
Instead, the Mavs got a consistent effort throughout. After another crushing first set, UTA cruised to a 25-11, 25-21, 25-22 sweep. The Mavs dominated every statistical category, save aces. I keep referencing the adjective dominant, but how else to describe a 48 to 27 advantage in kills, 47 to 25 disparity in assists, 46 to 30 edge in digs and a double up of eight to four in blocks?
While there's no direct stat on the conference website, I wondered if Graduate Senior Outside Hitter Cansu Gunaydin's arm was about to fall off. In that first set, UTA had an 11-0 run where Gunaydin served 11 straight times. At the end of the match, she had five straight. She added six in the second set and added another six in the third. All 28 serves resulted in one error and one ace. Just incredible
Graduate Student Brianna Ford, the outstanding Outside Hitter logged an incredible 19 kills in the three-set win. GCU was led by Junior Outside Hitter Tatum Parrott with 11. Ford added five digs, a number that is unusually low, while Parrott had four.
I normally don't bring the opposition into these blog posts. However on this occasion, it is important because Parrott was the preseason Player of the Year in the WAC. It was an honor she earned based on last year's performance.
This is just my opinion, as I normally don't track who hit the ball to who or what defensive rotation the teams do in response to each other, but there seemed to be a trend where Ford hit the ball at Parrott over and over again. With 19 kills, she was successful. It seemed like a statement to me. The conference leader in kills, kills per set, points and points per set is outpacing Parrott, who is second in the per set categories. Her early season injury likely suppressed her totals, though I have zero doubt Ford would still be at the top.
Graduate Senior Setter Mollie Blank was on fire as well against GCU, notching an impressive 39 assists in three sets. Graduate Student Middle Blocker Paige Reagor recorded six blocks. Her per set block total is one and a third for the season going into the GCU match.
From watching the match to scanning the box score, it was a complete and total victory. I've referenced the age and experience of this team many times and it is just incredible the determination and perseverance I have seen this year. All of it was encapsulated in this match.
The intensity did not lessen a bit on Saturday. Utah Tech, coming in at third in the standings to start the week, was next up for UTA. The straight sets sweep was about as convincing as there is, 25-14, 25-16, 25-21.
Ford led again in kills with 16, as well as digs with 17 and blocks at six, Blank in assists with 36 and Reagor tied with Ford in blocks.
The crowds came out as well. The 1.089 attendance mark on Thursday was the twelfth largest College Park Center crowd and 18th overall. On Saturday, 1,978 came out to see the Mavs play, the second largest CPC crowd and fourth overall.
The two wins upped UTA's RPI ranking approximately 20 spots to 62. I have no memory of an RPI that high for this UTA team since I started following them as a student. Men's basketball finished 2017 at 40th, best I can recall for any team in the Athletic Department.
Up next is the WAC northwest road swing. UTA, having swept Seattle a few weeks ago, hosts the Mavericks at the Redhawk Center on Thursday. Seattle beat Abilene Christian and Southern Utah at their place last week. Both teams were ahead of the Redhawks in the standings. First serve is scheduled for 8 pm.
The team then heads south to Orem, Utah for the first match of the year against Utah Valley. The Wolverines are 5-3 in WAC play, having won four in a row and five of the last six. It will be a stern test as I pegged UVU to be in third place when non-conference concluded. First serve on Saturday is slated for 2 pm.
It's been a good journey to this point. UTA returns home for three matches after that and I hope the crowds continue to come out. This team plays well, consistently and the players feed off each other.
Then the conference tournament begins at CPC at the conclusion of the regular season. It is certainly shaping up to be a memorable season and has the building blocks to be the best in a generation.
The record may stop skipping and they drop a match, but no one can be upset over a month of 2-0 weeks.
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