DBU (0-0,0-0) at WEST TEXAS A&M INVITE
September 4-5 | 1pm | Canyon, TX | WTAMU Fieldhouse

MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
Video: WTAMU Video  
Live Stats: WTAMU Live Stats
First game vs. West Texas A&M @ 1pm.

THE LEAD
The Dallas Baptist Volleyball Team looks to bounce back from a 2014 season that saw the Lady Patriots unable to claim a post season berth, after advancing to the NCAA Regional Tournament in 2013. Dallas Baptist will be without imapact players and leaders Krystal Wunderlich, Erika Papadeas, and All-Heartland Conference Offensive Player of the Year and First Team selection Tiara Gipson, who were all lost to graduation. The Lady Patriots were selected to finish fourth in The Heartland Conference, as voted on by the head coaches and sports information directors in the conference.

KOKEL CLOSE TO 200 WINS
With 180 total wins DBU Head Coach Cathy Kokel is 20 wins shy from eclipsing the 200 win mark. In Kokel's 13 season at the helm, the Lady Patriots have made multiple appearances in NCAA and NCCAA tournaments, going as far as the National Champion runner-up at the NCCAA National Tournament in 2009.

MERGENER MAKES IT HAPPEN
Returning for DBU is senior Tadam Mergener, who was a complete stat stuffer for the Lady Patriots in 2014. Along with being a two time Heartland Conference Player of the Week selection, Mergener ended 2014 ranked 10th nationally in the NCAA with 6.00 digs per set and finished the year ranked in the top 50 with 564 total digs.

ASSISTS SOARING WITH BIRD
In 2014, senior Kaycie Bird amassed 1,006 assists on the season, raking 31st overall in the NCAA in assists per set with 10.70. Bird is the current active leader in assists for Dallas Baptist with 2,204.  

THE LAST TIME OUT
Of the four teams DBU will be facing this weekend, the Adams State Grizzlies are the only opponents who they'll be competing against for the first time. The host squad, the West Texas A&M Lady Buffs last faced the Lady Patriots in October of 2014 where the Lady Buffs prevailed 3-1. DBU will also face the Eastern New Mexico Zias, to whom they also fell to in 2014 by a score of 3-1. The last encounter with, the Colorado State-Pueblo ThunderWolves occurred in September of 2013, where Dallas Baptist won 3-1.

SCOUTING THE WEST TEXAS A&M INVITE
 The WTAMU Lady Buffs open the season ranked #22 overall in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Coaches Poll and is coming off a season where they claimed their 19th Lone Star Conference Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The ASU Grizzlies finished 2014 with a .500 record of 14-14, while the ENMU Zias ended their season with a record of 13-18. The CSU-Pueblo ThunderWolves ended their 2014 campaign with a record of 17-12. All teams reached their respective conference tournaments.

SERIES HISTORY
Dallas Baptist has yet to defeat WTAMU, who hold an 8-0 advantage. DBU has the edge over both ENMU and CSU-Pueblo, with records of 3-1 and 2-1, respectively.