Concordia's Magic Number at Three to Win GSAC Regular Season

NAIA Match of the Week
No. 1 Texas at Bronwsville (22-0) at No. 2 Concordia (Calif.) (26-1)
Oct. 29, Irvine, Calif., 7:30 p.m. PDT, CU Arena
• For the second time this season, the NAIA's top-two teams will go head-to-head. No. 1 Texas at Brownsville took down then-No. 2 Lee (Tenn.) in straight-sets on Sept. 9. The Scorpions will also play No. 14 Biola (Calif.) on Thursday and No. 8 Fresno Pacific (Calif.) on Friday in a tour of Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) schools.
• Texas at Brownsville will carry a 24-0 overall mark into Saturday's play if it can first get by two other top-15 GSAC squads on this week's schedule. The Scorpions, led by head coach Todd Lowery, have won 23-consecutive sets and have dropped only a single set in eight conference matches. Texas at Brownsville's .315 hitting percentage ranks fourth in the NAIA. Senior setter Amber Brooks is No. 1 in the NAIA with .79 service aces per set and 14th with 10.64 assists per set.
• Saturday's match with Texas at Brownsville will be the second top-10 tilt of the day for Concordia. The Eagles and first-year head coach Dan Fisher begin with a key 1 p.m. battle with No. 8 Fresno Pacific before they turn their focus to the top-ranked Scorpions. Concordia enters Saturday's big doubleheader with a 25-match winning streak, the second-longest active streak in the NAIA. The Eagles are led by junior opposite hitter Brooke Marino, the NAIA National Volleyball Player of the Week. Marino ranks 17th in the NAIA with 3.91 kills per set.
• Texas at Brownsville is 7-0 vs. ranked opponents. Concordia is 10-1 in such contests. The Eagles are 12-0 at home. The Scorpions are 7-0 in true road matches.