RV Taylor Ready for Matchup Against No. 18 Lewis-Clark State in NAIA Opening Round
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UPLAND, Ind. – RV Taylor (20-11) is set to host Lewis-Clark State (15-9) in the NAIA Opening Round on Saturday, November 22nd at 7:00 pm inside Odle Arena.
TU has made eight national tournament appearances, posting a record of 13-19 with their last appearance coming in 2022. The Trojans have matched up against LC State twice in the postseason, going 1-1 with a victory in 1997.
Taylor has already secured nine more wins than last season and a much-improved offense led by Ellie Frey is the main factor. The Trojans average 12.96 kills per set and are hitting .199, both top-three marks in the Crossroads League. Frey leads the CL and is top-five in the NAIA in both kills and kills per set, earning herself a spot on the All-Crossroads League First Team.
The defense has continued to improve throughout the season with a dynamic block putting up 2.22 blocks per set, which ranks 23rd in the NAIA. Ruth Anderson has come on strong at the end of the season, registering back-to-back ten block performance to earn the final NAIA Defensive Player of the Week award. Anderson was named to the Crossroads League All-Freshman Team, showcasing her ability after being inserted into the starting lineup late in the season. Daya Vestal has broken out as a sophomore middle, hitting a team-high .339 and firing 2.08 kills per set second best on the Trojans. Vestal was named Second-Team All-Crossroads League after stepping into a key role this year.
The back row is led by McKaylah Flagle, who surpassed 2,000 career digs this season and averages 4.6 digs per set. The senior libero paced a defensive effort which saw Taylor collect 100 or more digs twice in matches this season. Flagle earned Honorable Mention All-Crossroads League honors.
Head Coach Erin Luthy installed a two-setter system this season, with Lindsay Springer and Margo Hernandez teaming up for a combined 10.36 assists per set and each were named Honorable Mention All-Crossroads League.
Lewis-Clark State is making its 13th trip to the NAIA National Tournament after finishing fifth in the Cascade Conference, which had seven teams qualify for the NAIA Opening Round, and earning an at-large bid. Over half of the Warriors matches were against teams in the field of 48, and 16 came against teams ranked or receiving votes.
The Warriors are led on offense by Julia Fogach-Aguliar, who averages 4.22 kills per set, good for eighth in the NAIA. At the setter spot, Teagan Scott is the engine, producing 8.65 assists per contest.
Karissa Lindner leads a dynamic block for the Warriors, averaging 1.3 blocks per set, as the team has a mark of 2.1, which ranks 31st in the NAIA.
At the service line both squads average just 1.6 aces per set but have been two of the most efficient service teams in the NAIA as each have had more aces than errors throughout the season.
The winner of the match will advance to pool play, along with the 24 other winners from across the country, in Sioux City, Iowa, playing a pair of matches between December 3rd and 5th.
General admission tickets are available for purchase online at taylortrojans.com/tickets for $10 apiece. Seniors (65+) and students (6-18) can purchase tickets for $5 apiece, while Taylor students and child 5 and under can get in for free.
For those unable to gather inside Odle Arena, there will also be a free, live broadcast of the match as well as live stats with which you can follow the action from home. Live coverage links can be found at taylortrojans.com.