LSC Roundup 10-26

Getting defensive - Ben Johnson, Tahlequah Daily Press
Looking for a way to label Northeastern State’s defense? Exam the phrase, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

You would be hard-pressed to come up with another alternative for describing the mash unit.

The RiverHawks lack a true standout player at any position, but at 5-3 overall and 4-0 in the Lone Star Conference North, the gang in green and white is getting it done.

“It’s truly a no-name defense,” NSU head coach Kenny Evans said. “There’s no one, big star. But together, they all play well together.”

The biggest misrepresentation of the NSU defense could be in the conference’s defensive statistical categories. The RiverHawks rank seventh in scoring defense, sixth in total defense and 12th in rushing defense.

The only category that is befitting of the RiverHawks is passing defense where they are ranked fourth behind three LSC South teams — Texas A&M-Kingsville, Abilene Christian and West Texas A&M — that are all ranked in the nation’s top 25.

Tigers top Southeastern! - Ada Evening News
East Central University’s defense picked off four passes and returned two for touchdowns as the Tigers stunned archrival Southeastern 20-19 Saturday in a rain-soaked Lone Star Conference North football clash at Paul Laird Field.

The game started two hours later than the originally scheduled kickoff time of 2 p.m. and featured a couple of lightning delays.

Freshman Markell Walker returned an interception for a school-record 100 yards and the TD and Dontae Smith pilfered a Savage Storm aerial and returned it 37 yards for a score with 13:17 to go in the game, which proved to be the difference.

It was the Tigers’ second straight victory of the season and was the first for ECU over SOSU since the 2003 season. That year, the Tigers beat Southeastern 28-14 at Norris Field in a game under similar weather conditions.

ECU improved to 3-5 overall and 3-1 in the LSC North, while the Savage Storm dipped to 3-5 and 2-3.

Winning season still possible for Hounds - Dave Wagner, Clovis News Journal
It was soon apparent in Saturday’s Lone Star Conference crossover game against fourth-ranked Abilene Christian that the Eastern New Mexico University football team was in a bit over its head.

The Wildcats, with designs on a possible national championship, elected to take a brisk west wind blowing an estimated 35-40 mph in the first quarter. Their kicking game kept ENMU backed up, and the Greyhounds fell behind 27-0 en route to a 53-14 setback.

Not that they probably needed it, but the Wildcats (8-0) took full advantage of the conditions. Kicker Spencer Covey booted six kickoffs out of the end zone in the opening stanza — the last one came after ACU scored with one second left.

“We just couldn’t get out of the first quarter,” ENMU coach Mark Ribaudo quipped.

ENMU picked up two first downs on its first three plays from scrimmage, then stalled and followed that with four consecutive three-and-outs.

“I think our guys just settled in,” ACU coach Chris Thomsen said of his defense. “You’ve got to get used to Eastern’s (fast) tempo. You can’t recreate that in practice.”



MSU golf roundup (Oct. 26) - Times Record News
ACU's Carpenter two shots off lead going into tourney's final day - Abilene Reporter News


LSC VOLLEYBALL WEEKLY RELEASE - LSC Office
Only two weeks with four games for each team remain in the 2010 Lone Star Conference volleyball season. Three teams - Abilene Christian, West Texas A&M and Angelo State - have clinched a berth in the LSC Volleyball Championship. The No. 1 seed and site of the championship plus the other five teams are yet to be determined.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Megan Olivarez, Cameron University, FR, Corpus Christi, Texas, Carroll
Olivarez had a career and match-high 24 kills at Texas Woman’s ... Also had a team-best 18 digs at TWU ... Against Texas A&M-Commerce knocked down 17 kills ... Fourth double-double of the season came against TWU ... Hit a season-high .373 at TWU as well.

Shelbi Stewart, Midwestern State University, SO, Pflugerville, Texas, Pflugerville HS
Stewart continued her hot play with a pair of 13-kill efforts to lead Midwestern State to a pair of Lone Star Conference wins last week at Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas Woman’s University. The sophomore from Pflugerville rode a career-best .600 attack percentage to a 13 kills while committing just one effort in a four-set win Thursday night over the Lions. She then notched her third double-double of the season with 13 kills and 10 digs to help MSU upend TWU Saturday in Denton. Stewart averaged 3.25 kills and 1.62 digs per set with a .489 attack percentage.

DEFENSIVE
Monica Hamel, Tarleton State University, JR, Mesquite, Texas, San Jacinto JC
Hamel anchored a stout TexAnn defense that held opponents to just a .167 attacking percentage. Hamel recorded 13 blocks (1.86 per set) for Tarleton, including a pair of solo blocks. Along with her defense, Hamel added 16 kills in the pair of TexAnn victories, while hitting a .265 mark.

Amber Durand, Eastern New Mexico University, SO, Onalaska, Wash., Onalaska HS/Columbia Basin College
Durand turned in a strong week for the Zias, registering a .968 reception percentage in 31 opportunities along with 5.14 digs per set, which is over two digs more than her average for the year (3.01). In Eastern’s win over Texas A&M-Kingsville, she recorded a perfect reception percentage in 16 chances, 21 digs, three blocks and 12 kills. Durand added 15 digs and six kills in a loss to Incarnate Word. For the week, she also averaged 2.57 kills per set.

SETTER
Taryn Westerman, Midwestern State University, JR, Liberal, Kan., Liberal HS
Westerman’s all-around performance keyed Midwestern State to a pair of Lone Star Conference victories last week over Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas Woman’s University. The junior setter from Liberal, Kan. notched her third double-double in a four-set win over the Lions Thursday night while directing the MSU offense to a .203 attack percentage with 34 set assists and 11 digs. Westerman followed the effort with her best performance of the season in another four-set victory on Saturday. She piloted the Mustangs to a .236 team attack percentage with 43 assists and added 10 digs, eight total blocks and five kills. Westerman posted all-around averages of 9.62 set assists, 1.62 digs and 1.25 blocks per set.

Erika Dupree, West Texas A&M University, JR, Mesquite, Texas, Poteet
Dupree recorded her seventh triple-double of the season in the Lady Buffs’ win over LCU last Tuesday as she recorded 10 kills and 17 digs while also tying a career-high with 31 assists. The Mesquite, Texas, native dished out a total of 82 assists for the week and was the primary setter that led the Lady Buffs to hit a new season-high of .364 percent in the TAMUK match and hitting a combined .235 percent for the week. The week ended with her posting 25 kills with a .273 hitting percentage, while also registering three service aces, five total blocks and adding 32 digs.