(MATCH NOTES - PDF)
(LCU TOURNAMENT CENTRAL)

OPENING SERVE: Dixie State (1-3/0-0 RMAC) will open the road portion of its 2019 schedule this weekend as the Trailblazers head to the "Lone Star State" to play in the Lubbock Christian-hosted Chaps Invitational. DSU will kick off the round-robin tourney on Thursday vs. Texas-Permian Basin (4-0) at 4 p.m. (MT), followed by a pair of matches on Friday vs. Southwestern Oklahoma State (2-2) at 10 a.m. (MT), and Pittsburg State (4-0) at 4 p.m. (MT).
    The Trailblazers will wrap up play on Saturday against the host Lady Chaps (2-2) at 10 a.m. (MT). All matches will be played at the Rip Griffin Center on the LCU campus in Lubbock. Live stats and video for all four Blazer matches can be found HERE.

DIXIE STATE VS. THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS: Prior to this weekend, Dixie State has only faced one of its four weekend opponents, that being UT-PB, which the Trailblazers lost to in five sets in their only meeting with the Falcons in the 2007 season opener played in Alamosa, Colo. DSU's matches vs. SWOSU, PSU and host LCU will be the first-ever games against those opponents on the volleyball court.

COACHING STAFF: 2018 RMAC Co-Head Coach of the Year Robyn Felder (Eastern Washington, 2002; 118-79 overall record) is in her eighth season at the helm of the Dixie State women's volleyball program. Last season, Felder led the Trailblazers to a NCAA era school-record tying 22 wins (22-6) and to a share of the RMAC regular season title (16-2) in the program's debut season in the league.
    A two-time Pacific West Conference Coach of the Year (2013/2015) honoree, Felder led the Trailblazers to their first-ever Pacific West Conference title and the program's third-straight NCAA West Regional appearance in 2015. The season before that, she led DSU to its most successful season in the program's Division II era as the Trailblazers played to a 22-9 overall record, which marked the first time Dixie State had reached the 20-win plateau in the program's NCAA-era. That season also saw her squad reach the 2014 NCAA West Regional final (Sweet 16).
    Felder is joined on the DSU sideline by third-year assistant coaches David Richards (BYU, 1983) and former DSU standout Makenzi Murphey (Dixie State, 2018). In addition, Whitnee Tupe (fifth season, Dixie State, 2007) returns to Felder's staff after a three-year stint as an assistant at Snow College, and Camilla Hafoka (Oregon State, 2010) is in her first season on the Trailblazers' staff.

TWO MILESTONES WITHIN REACH THIS WEEKEND: Dixie State enters this weekend's tournament with a pair of program milestones within reach. Friday night's match vs. Pittsburg State will be Head Coach Robyn Felder's 200th match on the Trailblazer sideline.
    In addition, should DSU win all four matches this weekend, the program will reach the 200-win plateau as an NCAA member. Dixie State begins the week 196-155 all-time in its four-year era (13-plus seasons).

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED THIRD IN THE RMAC IN 2019: Dixie State was voted to finish third by the RMAC coaches in the annual preseason poll released by the league on August 14.
    Fellow RMAC co-champion Colorado School of Mines topped the 16-team poll as the Orediggers received nine first place votes and 214 total points, while Colorado Mesa picked up four first place nods and 209 points to claim the second spot. The Trailblazers collected the final three first place votes and 204 points to finish third in the voting, followed by Regis (184 pts) in fourth and 2018 RMAC tourney champion MSU Denver (173 pts) in fifth.

LAST SEASON IN THE RMAC: After joining the RMAC in 2018, the 2019 season will mark the second and final season the Trailblazers will be a competing member of the conference. In 2020, Dixie State will begin its transition to NCAA Division I status and will become a new member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

WEEK IN REVIEW: Dixie State's 2019 season got off on a sour note after the Trailblazers dropped three of four as hosts of the DSU/Desert Garden Inn by Wyndham Classic last weekend inside the Burns Arena. All three DSU losses came on 3-0 sweeps vs. St. Cloud State (9/5), Simon Fraser (9/6) and Northwest Nazarene (9/7), though the Blazers did post a 3-1 triumph over Stanislaus State last Friday night.

TEAM NOTES: RS/S Megan Treanor picked up right where she left off from last season as she either led or co-led the team in kills in three of four matches over the weekend ... Treanor posted two double-doubles in the four matches, highlighted by a 15-kill/16-assist performance in the four-set win over Stanislaus State (9/6) ... the junior All-American has now recorded 14 double-doubles in 30 career games in a DSU uniform.
    RS/MB Lauren Gammell also enjoyed a solid start to the season as she averaged nearly a block a set and finished with 11 total blocks in four starts, including a season-high six block assists (with five kills) in the win over Stanislaus State (9/6) ... the senior All-American, who is already DSU's career blocks (299) and block assists (263) leader, led the Blazers in blocks in three of four matches last week and enters play this weekend needing just one more block to reach the 300-block plateau.
    Junior setter Jordyn Nelson (1,207) recorded her 1,200th career assist in the second set vs. Northwest Nazarene (9/7) to become just the fourth player in the program's NCAA-era to dish out 1,200 or more dimes.
    Freshman OH Chayse Daugherty enjoyed a breakout performance in the four-set win vs. Stanislaus State (9/6), against which she posted her first collegiate double-double with career-highs of 11 kills and 10 digs ... she also co-led the team with eight kills vs. NNU (9/7).
    Freshman libero Mykenna Nelson led the Trailblazer defense in digs in all four matches, including a career-best 22 digs in the SSU win (9/6), and she collected five assists against the Warriors ... after missing the last two seasons, sophomore DS Rebekah Farris returned to action last weekend and responded with a career-high tying nine digs against both St. Cloud State (9/5) and Simon Fraser (9/6) ... sophomore RS Hailee Oviatt-Devillier collected a career-best six total blocks and tied career highs with nine kills and two digs in the Stanislaus win (9/6) ... junior OH Sydney Johnson led DSU with nine kills in the season opener vs. St. Cloud State (9/5) ... junior OH Sai Collins threw down five kills in her Trailblazer debut vs. St. Cloud State (9/5), while fellow junior newcomer Lizzy Clark tallied six kills and six blocks against Stanislaus (9/6).  
    As a team DSU is hitting .181, while Trailblazer opponents are hitting at a .232 clip through four matches this season ... DSU is averaging 11.69 kills, 16.00 digs and 1.92 blocks per set.

UP NEXT: Dixie State will open its final season of RMAC play next weekend inside the DSU SAC as the Trailblazers welcome in Black Hills State (Friday, Sept. 20) and South Dakota Mines (Saturday, Sept. 21). Both matches will start at 6 p.m.