MGVB hosts metroplex foe UT Arlington

DENTON -- The Mean Green volleyball team will wrap up their three-game homestand on Thursday when they host UT Arlington at 6 p.m. at the North Texas Volleyball Center.

About the Mean Green: The Mean Green (1-4) head into Thursday night looking to halt a four-game skid. North Texas will play its fifth game in eight days when they take on the Mavericks at the North Texas Volleyball Center.

So far this season, junior Rhett Robinson and Barbara Martin have emerged as the primary targets for the Mean Green offensive attack. In five matches, Robinson ranks fourth in Conference USA with 75 kills (3.75 per set).

Martin, the senior from Celina, Texas, rebounded from a slow start to record 13 kills in each of the Mean Green's matches against UAB. She also recorded a team-high .271 hitting percentage against the Blazers. Martin and Robinson have both recorded double-digit kills in four of the five matches this season.

The Mean Green will also look to get back on track at the North Texas Volleyball Center, where they have been dominant since head coach Andrew Palileo's arrival in 2013. In the past seven-plus seasons, UNT is 76-31 on its home floor, which the third-highest home record in all of Conference USA during that span.

Mean Green leaders: Kaliegh Skopal leads the Mean Green with 155 assists in 2020-21. In last Sunday's match against UAB, Skopal surpassed 1,000 career kills in her time at North Texas – 1,409 overall (spent 2017 at Loyola-Chicago).

Alysha Johnson has continued her torrid pace on the front row to start the 2020-21 season. In addition 25 kills on 50 total attacks, Johnson is third in C-USA with a .460 hitting percentage (min. 50 attacks).

Through five matches in 2020-21, North Texas has tallied 21 service aces, which is seven more than they recorded through five matches in 2019.

Scouting the Mavericks: UT Arlington (13-9, 10-6 Sun Belt) is led by fourth-year head coach J.T. Wenger. The Mavericks have played four matches in the calendar year of 2021, due to the Sun Belt Conference holding its season in the fall. In its four recent matches, the Mavericks split a two-game series with both Abilene Christian and Tarleton State.

In fall 2020, UTA finished Sun Belt play 10-6 and knocked off then-No.11 Texas State on the road toward the end of the regular season. However, the Mavericks still finished third in the Sun Belt West Division and were eliminated in pool play of the 2020 Sun Belt Conference Championship.

Series history: North Texas has played UT Arlington 58 times, the most meetings with any team in program history. The Mavericks lead the series 49-9 and are 15-6 in Denton. Although UTA leads the all-time series, the Mean Green's success against the Mavericks have come of late. Since 2010, North Texas holds a 4-2 record against UT Arlington, including a 3-0 record at home.

The first match in North Texas volleyball history was against UT Arlington in 1976, which resulted in a Mean Green victory. Although UTA leads the all-time series, the Mean Green's success against the Mavericks have come of late. Since 2010, North Texas holds a 4-2 record against UT Arlington, including a 3-0 record at home.

Milestones to look for: With 96 career blocks, sophomore Alysha Johnson needs just four total blocks to reach 100 career blocks. She has only played 34 matches with North Texas in her second season.

Where to Watch: The match at 6 p.m. on Thursday can be streamed on C-USA TV (https://conferenceusa.com/watch/default.aspx?Live=13755 ).

Up Next: North Texas will jump back into C-USA play over the weekend, as they travel to UTSA for a two-game series against the Roadrunners. The matches are slated for a 1 p.m. start time on both Sunday, Feb. 14 and Monday, Feb. 15.

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Players Mentioned

Alysha Johnson

Barbara Martin

Rhett Robinson

Kaliegh Skopal

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