FORT SMITH — University of Arkansas-Fort Smith volleyball team returns five starters and added three transfers, but still doesn’t have a single senior on the roster.
However, the NCAA Division II Lady Lions were picked to finish fifth in the 18-team Lone Star Conference in a recent preseason poll of head coaches, sports information directors and media representatives.
“I just feel like it’s motivation,” UAFS coach Jane Sargent said. “We’re still pretty young. We’ll prove them wrong or I hope we do anyway.”
Arkansas-Fort Smith finished 11-3 a year ago and won the league’s north division, but lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
The Lady Lions’ roster has some local flavor led by sophomore middle Hannah Holland.
Holland, a 6-1 All-Lone Star Conference selection who prepped at Fort Smith Southside, ranked third in the league with a .329 hitting percentage and second averaging 1.17 blocks per set last season. Setter Chloe Price, a Siloam Springs high school graduate, transferred to UAFS from Hutchinson Community College, while 5-10 outside Abby Cagle from Greenwood transferred from Ouachita Baptist.
In addition, Paola Fragalle, a 5-9 outside hitter from Sao Paolo, Brazil, comes to UAFS after playing two seasons at Chicago State. Sargent said all those newcomers could contribute this season.
“Right now, Chloe’s our starting setter,” said Sargent, who has been the only coach in the UAFS program history. “We’ve been watching her. She super steady, a real calming presence out there.”
UAFS played much of last year with Courtney Crown-over, a sophomore from Waxahachie, Texas, as the starting setter. Crownover started on the right side in 2019, but switched positions after Coryn Chaffin of Conway suffered a season-ending injury in the opener.
“She did a phenomenal job,” Sargent said. “She hadn’t set since eighth grade.”
Sargent wants to keep the same aggressive serving approach but said the team needs to make improvements in several areas.
“We need to work on eliminating our hitting errors and get better in serve receive,” Sargent said. “We need to be a little more unpredictable offensively. I feel like last year we were very predictable, but part of that was not having an experienced setter.”
UAFS opens the season with four matches this weekend at the Lady Buff Volleyball Classic in Canyon, Texas hosted by West Texas A&M. The Lady Lions take on Fort Lewis College at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, but won’t play at home until Sept. 24 when they host Dallas Baptist in a conference match.
At a glance
2021 ARKANSAS-FORT SMITH VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT TIME
Sept. 3 vs. Fort Lewis College+ 11:30 a.m.
Sept. 3 vs. SW Oklahoma State+ 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 4 vs. Adams State+ 9 a.m.
Sept. 4 at West Texas A&M+ 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 10 vs. Albany State# 8 a.m.
Sept. 10 at Valdosta State# 4 p.m.
Sept. 11 vs. Saint Leo# 8 a.m.
Sept. 11 vs. Eckerd College# noon
Sept. 17 at Lubbock Christian* 6 p.m.
Sept. 18 at Angelo State* 2 p.m.
Sept. 24 vs. Dallas Baptist* 6 p.m.
Sept. 25 vs. Texas Woman’s University* 1 p.m.
Oct. 1 at Texas A&M-Commerce* 6 p.m.
Oct. 2 at Texas-Tyler* 6 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Oklahoma Baptist* 6 p.m.
Oct. 8 vs. Western New Mexico* 6 p.m.
DATE OPPONENT TIME
Oct. 9 vs. Texas-Permian Basin* 1 p.m.
Oct. 15 at Eastern New Mexico* 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 at West Texas A&M* 1 p.m.
Oct. 22 vs. St. Mary’s* 6 p.m.
Oct. 23 vs. St. Edward’s* 1 p.m.
Oct. 26 vs. Arkansas-Monticello^ 4 p.m.
Oct. 26 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff 6 p.m.
Oct. 30 at Oklahoma Christian* 2 p.m.
Nov. 5 at Cameron* 5:30 p.m.
Nov. 6 at Midwestern State* 2 p.m.
Nov. 12 vs. Texas A&M International* 6 p.m.
Nov. 13 vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville* 1 p.m.
Nov. 16-20 Lone Star Tournament TBD
+at Lady Buff Classic, Canyon, Texas
#at Valdosta State Fall Tournament, Valdosta, Ga.
^at Pine Bluff