Boomerang: Lady Lions Volleyball Team

Southwestern Soars in Sweep

RICHARDSON, Texas  --  The familiar voice of a trusted friend is as recognizable as it is welcome. So was the performance of the Southwestern Assemblies of God University's volleyball team on Monday night.

SAGU rolled to a three-game sweep against Dallas Christian College. The Lady Lions took the match with scores of 25-9, 25-11 and 25-6.

After an uncharacteristic showing in a winless week, Southwestern returned like a boomarang.

They will also come back home to play before their faithful fans on Saturday, September 18. Team Lioness welcomes Bacone College to the Sheaffer Full Life Center for a 5:00pm match. Coach Hansford Moore's squad has played 13 times in opening the 2010 season. Only once have their followers had a chance to see the new cast of freshmen who have joined a group of veterans in purple and gold.

Exemplary Effort: Jordan Briggs

The SAGU tri-captains paved the way while sharing court-time. Junior Tina Brown (Seguin, Tx / Lifegate Christian) blistered three serving aces and senior Brittani Toole (Whitehouse, Tx / Whitehouse HS) hit .476 as she fired 11 kills. But it was the all-around floor-game of senior Libero Jordan Briggs (Maypearl, Tx / Maypearl HS) that signalled the battle cry.

Briggs connected on a season-high six aces from the back line, where she also accounted for 21 serving points. As one of four players who scored a perfect night in passing, Briggs was 7-of-7 in playable bumps to teammates. She added nine defensive digs, which was also a team-high on this night.

Back in action was freshman Setter, Taylor Calverley (Mansfield, Tx / Grace Prep). She missed much of last week with an injury. Her performance was steady and effective, totalling 29 assists in the three games, an average of 9.7 per game. By comparison, the leader in the Red River Athletic Conference (UTB's Paula Barros) averages 9.8.

Caitlyn Hudson (Mansfield, Tx / Legacy HS), who had gotten off to a slow start this year, heated up on Monday. The sophomore swatter had 9 kills on a night in which she hit a season-best .750. Beka Dollar (Weatherford, Tx / Brock HS) had another good showing with six kills and an attack percentage of .455.

Espinosa: Well-Named

Perhaps the most-improved player this fall has been junior Laura Espinoza (Duncanville, Tx / Duncanville HS). After two years of battling for limited playing time behind three All-America players, her off-season workouts are bearing fruit as her time has come.

Espinoza's new jump serve continues to prove itself a hot potato. She added three more aces on Monday. She is second on the team in diggs to Briggs while her 14 aces trails only Briggs (16) and Hudson (15). Her passing game was error-free at 7-for-7.

Her last name, "Espina" in Spanish, translates as thorn or spike. Literally it means, full of thorns or protected by thorns, like a rose. Appropriate for a player whose hustle and heightened play has been a thorn in the side to SAGU opponents.

Coach Praises His Counterpart

Coach Moore was very complimentary of the work being done at Dallas Christian by a young, but very capable Head Coach in Miranda Orr.

The Crusaders are focused on rebuilding under coach Orr. Her leadership in solidifying the DCC foundation is in its early phases. The former 4-year starter at outside hitter for the University of Texas - Permian Basin, Orr earned Offensive MVP honors. Her energy and expectations are meeting a growth opportunity at Dallas Christian.

"It's seldom easy and its not always smooth at the start," Moore said of the challenges facing Orr. "But she has vision and desire to get them there. I applaud what she is doing."

Media Guides Available to Fans on Friday Night

The new 14-page Lady Lions Media Guide will be available for purchase this Friday for $3 at the ticket table. It includes BIO's, active player photographs, a season preview, schedule, and a host of player, team and conference statistics. The NAIA's pre-season Top 25 poll is also inside the full-color Media Guide.

Also featured is a collage page of photos by Buddy Briggs. He has two daughters on the team and regularly shoots at their games. The collage shows the six returning veterans in action.

Pick up a copy while they last. They are a perfect gift for relatives and friends who can't get to see the Lady Lions play.

Game Day programs will also be available for $1.