I wanted to touch on a number of sports for this week, so instead of doing half a dozen separate blog entries of varying lengths, I'm going to wrap all of them into this is one single entry. I don't normally do that, but I suspect that will prevent a post overload that I feel would have happened with six in a short period of time. I'll go in chronological order to avoid confusion.
-THE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL season ended a week ago. Prior to the start of the Western Athletic Conference tournament, the All-WAC teams and postseason accolades were given. Even though there were two Maverick players leading the conference in their respective stat categories, I wasn't expecting a player of the year honor for the team, given its fifth of seven finish in conference. Junior setter Mira Ledermueller was first in the WAC in assists with 896 and assists per set at 9.05 to conclude the regular season. Second place had 860 and 7.89 respectively. Junior libero Samantha Glenn had 422 total digs in the regular season, good for second in the conference and had 4.18 digs a set, good for first.
What irked me is neither made an all-conference team. Senior outside hitter Jalie Tritt was a second-team member. There were two freshmen on the All-Freshman team: middle blocker Sophia Krichev and middle blocker Camryn McMinn.
I don't have the pre-WAC Tournament numbers, but the Setter of Year was fourth in the WAC in assists per set at 6.78. That is embarrassingly low for a starting setter. Setter of the years typically get in the double digits. What's worse was no other teammate of hers was in the top ten, meaning she wasn't sharing time and giving her stats to others. Plain and simple, and you will never see this anywhere else in the Maverick Rambler, that was an undeserved accolade. She got it because her team was the champs. The second team setter was at least in second place in the conference with 7.79 assists per, but more than an assist and a quarter less per set behind Ledermueller.
The Libero of the Year was third in total digs and fourth in digs per set. The second teamer was fifth in both categories. Glenn was at least receiving votes for the all-conference team. Ledermueller was completely excluded. It appeared the coaches looked at the standings and voted accordingly. I've never seen such poor postseason accolade voting in my life.
I had hoped that sleight would light a little fire under the Mavs heading into their first-round matchup with the host Abilene Christian Wildcats. There was some fight, but ultimately, like much of the year, they came up just short. Set scores were 19-25, 27-25, 18-25, 25-20 and 11-15. They fought hard, but were blitzed early in the fifth and had too much of a deficit to make up in a short set.
The Mavericks finished with a record of 11-14. Concerningly, they were 0-5 in in five-match set against WAC foes. Their five-set record for the year was 5-8. Get that number to .500 and UTA has a winning season. They were 5-2 in four-set affairs.
With her first year in the books Head Coach Tania Schatow heads into her first full offseason. We'll see what effects the portal has as UTA closed its final year in a conference with the WAC banner. It will be another unknown year as UTA's conference exchanges United for Western in the name and six new teams come in to UTA's home.
-THE MEN'S BASKETBALL team has performed very well to this point in the season. When I last checked in with them, they were 3-1 with a date against Evansville. The Mavs won that one 84-76. Senior forward Raysean Seamster and sophomore guard Tyran Mason, a transfer from North Texas, scored 19 each. It was a seesaw game until UTA used a great spurt to put the game out of reach late. The Mavs shot 20-24 from the free throw line, making the first 18 and not missing one until three minutes were left in the game. Turnovers still plague UTA as they gave the Purple Aces possession 21 times. Still, scoring 84 while giving the ball up so often is a good sign.
UTA went to the Multi-Team Event, known as the Junction City Jam for two games, the first against Campbell, the second against Weber State.
Versus the Camels, Seamster scored 16, sophomore forward/center Cam Jackson scored a career-high 15 and senior guard Marcell McCreary added 14, but a very late run by Campbell sealed a 71-67 loss for UTA. Three-point shooting was a little cold, four makes on 13 attempts. The free throws were not quite as good either, 13 of 20. With just over five minutes left, the Mavs were on top 63-55. In that stretch, UTA would make two shots in eight attempts and miss both attempted free throws, while committing six fouls and two turnovers. Campbell played a little more aggressively and UTA couldn't answer. I bet UTA wants that one back.
The host beat Campbell and were looking for the tourney title to close out the MTE. There was drama late in the 74-73 UTA win. Thankfully for UTA, there was no cold streak like the previous night. At roughly the same point in the game, it was a one-point affair. Prior to the five-minute mark, the Mavs were down one and as they crossed that point of the game clock, Freshman guard Jordan Lowery made a layup for the one-point lead. After that, it was two boxers going toe-to-toe with each matching the others effort. UTA's lead went to three on three different occasions, but the Wildcats answered, even briefly getting a one-point lead just after the two-minute mark.
Free throws again proved key as McCreary made two with five seconds remaining for a three-point lead. Weber State's junior guard Tijan Saine Jr. raced down the court and made a leaning shot with under a second left. He just crossed the three-point line with his left toes. UTA inbounded easily and the Mavs escaped with a one-point win. Free throws were important, the Mavs made ten of 12. But they are proving they can score inside, outside and at the line. With the teams poor free throw shooting last year, the 2024/25 Mavs would have lost this game if all else is equal, plain and simple. Turnovers were limited to a manageable, if not great, 12. UTA can win night in and out keeping the turnovers down and the free throw percentage up.
UTA is now 5-2, 3-2 against Division I competition. That is the best record since former Head Coach Scott Cross' final year, 2017/18. That year they started 7-1 on their way to a 21-13 finish.
Up next for this Mavs team is probably their biggest indicator of what kind of team UTA has for this non-conference stretch. In the final home game of the non-conference season, twice-conference and long-time rival Stephen F. Austin comes to College Park Center.
The Lumberjacks are 5-1 on the year with some good wins against Arkansas State in Nacogdoches, 90-65, Rice in Houston, 81-69, fellow-WAC member Abilene Christian in East Texas, 76-66 and Pepperdine in Malibu 63-60. Their lone loss was to Fresno State, 80-78 in Fresno. I won't say SFA is back to the mid-2010's dominant selves, but they are competitive for sure and will be a force in the Southland Conference. This game will be a good test for UTA and a good judge of what kind of noise the Mavericks can make. I'm glad it is in Arlington. Tip-off is set for 2 pm this Saturday.
-THE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL program recorded another big win in their history books as they played in the North Shore Classic this week. I talked about the loss to Colorado, a competitive game where UTA never was out of it.
Two days later, they squared up against Texas A&M and it was one heck of a game. I couldn't watch it live, but I followed along on social media and the stat tracker and UTA, to keep the boxer analogy going, took its share of punches before giving a few of their own.
UTA never led in the first quarter, trailing as much as seven before clawing back to one. An Aggie layup gave the opponents a 19-16 lead after the first quarter. The lead again reached as high as seven in the second quarter before the Mavericks trimmed the halftime score to three, trailing 27-30.
The second half stayed as tight as UTA claimed its first lead of the game and even pushed that lead as high as five on three different occasions. The Aggies used a late push to end the third frame even at 50.
But that fourth quarter was something to be remembered. The Aggies claimed the lead to open the final frame, but UTA again kept pace. I can't stress how important that is. So many times in the past, Maverick teams across the Athletic Department, and there are many examples with women's basketball, where they give up a lead and it snowballs from there. It is a great sign that it never happened in this game.
Timely layups by senior guard Nya Threatt, three-pointers from senior guards Kali Haizlip and Alexsyah Goudeau plus an all-around great performance from freshman forward Kira Reynolds again resulted in a tie game with four-minutes remaining. Credit to the Aggies too as they never let the pesky UTA pressure rattle them as they regained the lead and held it until end.
Both teams went cold as they scored a combined seven points in the final four minutes. The Aggies made a layup with 3:58 left in the game to secure a 59-57 lead. Reynolds fouled an Aggie on a fast break and Texas A&M was able to convert one of the free throws for a 60-57 lead. That occurred at the 3:26 mark. UTA held TAMU scoreless the rest of the way.
Unfortunately, UTA was unable to figure out the Aggie defense for much of that time too. Four missed shots and a turnover were unable to move the Mav score forward. I'm not sure what the Aggies were doing, I didn't see a highlight here, but a foul sent Threatt to the charity stripe and she made both for a 60-59 deficit with 19 seconds left. A huge steal by junior guard Jadyn Atchison, a transfer from Colorado, gave UTA a chance, but she missed the layup. A&M got the rebound with 13 seconds left.
Again, I can't tell you what happened here, but the box score immediately lists two fouls for Texas A&M and one for Reynolds of UTA. UTA's penalty comes with the same 13 seconds left. A&M has theirs at five and two seconds. I'm guessing there was an offensive foul to give UTA possession, then three seconds later another foul to send Threatt to the line. She misses both but Reynolds is there for the offensive board and putback and ultimately to 61-60 win.
It is the 58th win against a current Power Four Conference team all-time for UTA, the fourth against Texas A&M, but first versus the Aggies since 1976 when the NCAA didn't even sponsor women's sports. It was the second year in a row for a P4 win, as UTA got Houston in Arlington last year. It was a huge win and one very few expected.
Reynolds had an amazing 22 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, two steals, two assists and was aggressive but not costly with four fouls. Threatt chipped in 17 as the two were the only ones in double figures.
The following day saw the Mavs square off against the Virginia Commonwealth Rams. In what could have been a let down game, UTA's defense was suffocating in a 61-39 win. Outside of the first two free throws and a jump shot, UTA never trailed.
In the first all-time win versus the Atlantic 10's Rams, the scoring output was a little more even as junior forward Miraya Perkins led all scorers with 11 off the bench and Haizlip added 10.
Up next after a well-deserved break, UTA travels to Arkansas for a December 2nd game against former Sun Belt and future United Athletic Conference rival Little Rock. The Trojans are 1-3 against a difficult schedule and play today and tomorrow before their home game against UTA. Tipoff is 7 pm at the Jack Stephens Center.
-THE SOFTBALL SQUAD put out their schedule this past week and there will be 26 home games with three non-conference tournaments. In the Dream City Invitational, UTA will play Wisconsin, Tulsa (x2) and Iowa State (x2). In the Boerner Invitational, Wichita State, Creighton (x2) and South Dakota come to Allan Saxe Field. In the third UTA tourney, the Maverick Invitational, UTA sees Columbia and South Dakota State twice in their friendly confines.
UTA plays UT El Paso and New Mexico State in their shared tournament. The Mavericks head south for the UTSA Tournament against UT San Antonio and yet unmentioned teams.
Mid-week games in Arlington include Southeastern Louisiana, Arizona and Baylor. Mid-week road affairs take place at Stephen F. Austin, Prairie View A&M, Baylor and a doubleheader against East Texas A&M.
In WAC games, UTA plays Abilene Christian, Utah Valley and Utah Tech at their place while Tarleton State, California Baptist and Southern Utah come to Arlington.
-THE BASEBALL TEAM also released its schedule. In full non-conference series', they travel to Northwestern State, host Lamar, play at Arkansas, entertain Louisiana-Monroe, trek down I-35 to play UT San Antonio and see Saint John's and Villanova in back-to-back weeks at Clay Gould Ballpark.
For mid-week games, the Mavericks will play TCU at Globe Life Field, hit the road against Oklahoma, Sam Houston, Dallas Baptist, Stephen F. Austin, Baylor and TCU while Clay Gould Ballpark will see Dallas Baptist, Air Force, Stephen F. Austin and Baylor.
As for the WAC series', UTA plays California Baptist, Abilene Christian and Utah Valley in their ballparks as Tarleton State, Sacramento State and Utah Tech make their way to Arlington.
All in all it is a pretty standard schedule. I'm happy with it, but don't see one team that will move the attendance meter too terribly north. It should be a good one for the Mavs and the conference race looks wide open.
-THE FLAG FOOTBALL TEAM may by making progress towards a new head coach. The new program posted a tweet to X that there was a huge announcement coming in December. It was a panned shot from the southwest side of the home stands of Maverick Stadium up to the field. Superimposed text at midfield read "New Maverick Coming Soon."
That's obviously my assumption, though it could be a sponsorship deal or perhaps their first athlete who may be on the 2028 Olympic team, though hard for me to imagine an athlete comes before the coach does. Either way, I'm glad to see the school putting out teasers and moving the ball forward, so to speak.
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