End of streak should not cost TexAnns LSC title

17VBatTWU___Mary1 — Tarleton State head coach Mary Schindler will be smiling again whenever Tarleton State sews away its Lone Star Conference championship the still appears imminent despite the end of the school-record streak of 15 consecutive wins Saturday. || Courtesy NATE BURAL/Tarleton Athletics

Flash Staff Report
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STEPHENVILLE (October 30, 2017) — It’s record win streak reached its end Saturdya, but Tarleton State remains head and shoulders above all others in the Lone Star Conference volleyball standings with only two weeks remaining in the regular season,

The TexAnns remain 2.5 matches ahead of second-place Texas A&M-Commerce with four matches remaining on Tarleton’s schedule and five still ahead for the Lions. Tarleton may have a chance to wrap up at least a share of the title when they visit Midwestern State Friday. The earliest they could possibly secure the title outright would be Saturday at Cameron.

Tarleton won a school-record 15 consecutive matches before a four-set loss to West Texas A&M at The Box Saturday in Canyon. There were 41 days between losses, a span that included wins over every LSC rival and two South Central Region opponents from the Heartland Conference

The only teams that still have some mathetmatical chance at catching the TexAnns are TAMUC (11-4 in LSC), WTAMU (10-6) and Texas A&M-Kignsville (9-6). WTAMU ane TAMUK face especially big odds as they would have to have Tareton lose all its remaining four matches and would also have to beat out TAMUC.

The chances aren’t much better for the Lions, their best bet being to go undefeated with Tarleton winning two and losing two. That would result in a tie at the top.

The bottom line is, it would take a true collapse by Tarleton to avoid a second conference title in three years. That, at 22-5 overall, seems most unlikely.

If the TexAnns indeed finish off their outright championship run, they will host the LSC Championship tournament at Wisdom Volleyball Gym. The eight-team tournament is scheduled for Thursday, November 16 through Saturday, November 18.