The UT Dallas volleyball team was expected to be in rebuilding mode after losing three seniors from last year’s squad, including the program’s first-ever first-team All-American. But that doesn’t seem to be the case as the Comets find themselves atop the American Southwest Conference (ASC) East Division standings with three weeks left in the regular season.
“Our team has been very resilient this season,” said head coach Marci Sanders.
UT Dallas is riding a 13-match winning streak after sweeping both ASC Crossover Challenge events in early October and has a 16-3 record overall. The senior-less Comets boast a perfect 6-0 record in five-set matches, including wins over McMurry and Hardin-Simmons over this past weekend.
“Our team has been very resilient this season,” said head coach Marci Sanders. “We have gotten more consistent in controlling our unforced errors and are beginning to make great decisions during play. We have grown up on the court.”
A case in point was this past Saturday when the Comets were trailing 13-6 in the fifth and deciding set against Hardin-Simmons University. The Comets rallied for seven straight points to tie the game and went on for an 18-16 win to knock off the ASC West Division leader.
Dana Hilzendager leads UT Dallas with 2.77 kills per set and adds 3.61 digs and 0.54 blocks per game midway through the ASC East slate. Hillary Baugh is second on the squad, with 2.42 kills per set. The Comets lead the ASC in blocks (2.47 per set), with Tabitha Terrell (1.14) and Halea Williams (1.11) ranking third and fourth in the league individually in the category.
The Comets return to ASC play this weekend with a pair of road matches at East Texas Baptist and LeTourneau universities before returning home for a key contest against the ASC East’s second-place team, Mary Hardin Baylor. UMHB is the only conference opponent to upend the Comets this season, downing UT Dallas 3-1 on Sept. 13. That was the last loss by the Comets.
“We are in the drivers’ seat and in control of our own destiny,” said Sanders. “That is a nice place to be.”
The ASC Tournament will be hosted this year by the East Division winner. If the Comets can hold on to the division’s top spot, they will host the event Nov. 3-5.