AUSTIN, Texas – The Concordia Texas volleyball team will make their fourth straight trip to the American Southwest Conference Tournament, squaring off against East Texas Baptist in a quarterfinal matchup on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Belton, Texas.
 
The Tornados will enter the tournament as the two seed out of the ASC West Division after finishing the season 8-2 (8-2 ASC).
 
The Tigers come in as the three seed in the ASC East Division with an 8-9 (7-9 ASC) record on the year. Concordia Texas got the better of ETBU in their last matchup, winning in four sets in a regular season showdown on September 28, 2019.
 
Head Coach Nicole Dalby is elated for her team to compete for a conference championship after an unusual season.

"We are excited to compete for one last weekend," Dably said. "We have had to overcome a lot of obstacles this season to reach our goals.  These women are looking forward to being able to compete at least one last time this spring.  I know we are more than capable of extending our season as long as possible.  This is a very mentally tough group that is full of talent.  I am proud of how they have handled themselves through adversity and although this isn't how we imagined heading into the tournament, we are ready to rise to the occasion."
 
Offensively, the trio of Sarah Ghormley, Kylexus Block, and Georgia Quiroz lead the Tornados.
 
Ghormley was dominant on the attack for CTX, totaling a team-high 124 kills and finishing the regular season atop the ASC with 3.88 kills per set. The sophomore out of Bastrop, Texas also got it done on the defensive side, recording 122 digs.
 
Block transferred to Concordia Texas this year and has made an immediate impact, registering 110 kills and finishing third in the ASC with 3.67 kills per set. The sophomore outside hitter also defended the net, picking up 13 blocks on the season.
 
Quiroz is capping off an illustrious career as a Tornado with an impressive senior campaign thus far, ending the regular season with a conference-high 336 assists to pair with 119 digs. The Georgetown, Texas native recorded six double-doubles on the season and is the current program record holder with 2,660 career assists.
 
Laina DeLeon was another impact player for the Tornados, serving as the squad's libero throughout the season. The sophomore totaled a team-high 136 digs, averaging 4.12 per set.
 
Concordia Texas will take the court for a quarterfinal matchup with East Texas Baptist on Friday at 2:30 p.m. inside the Mayborn Campus Center in Belton, Texas. The winner of this match will move on to the semifinals where they will square off with UT Dallas, the top seed out of the ASC East Division.

Dalby understands what the Tornados will have to do to reach the ASC semis for the fourth straight season.

"We need focus on controlling what we can control," Dalby said. "Due to COVID-19 Protocol, we have not been able to compete for a couple of weeks and have had limited practice.  We know in order to be successful we have to win the serve and pass and limit our mistakes."