Angelo State enters the 2013 volleyball season (its 38th in program history) as the defending Lone Star Conference champions and NCAA Division II South Central finalist.

"The biggest thing I'm looking forward to is the development of our younger players," said ASU head coach Chuck Waddington, who enters his sixth season with a 118-52 record and is the reigning LSC Coach of the Year. "We have a strong mix of returners and new players who are coming in. The talent is there with the mix of players with experience in the program and new players to compete for the Lone Star Conference and regional championship. It's going to be a fun year to see where this group can take us."

The 29-match Angelo State schedule (regular season) is divided between 14 home matches and 15 matches on the road. The Belles will play 16 conference matches, 23 matches in Texas, four matches in Denver, Colo. along with conference matches in Oklahoma and New Mexico. The regional tournament will be hosted by the top regionally ranked South Central team, while all teams enter the season eyeing a trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the NCAA DII Elite Eight.

Below is a breakdown of each opponent on Angelo State's regular-season schedule. Click for dates, times, locations
 
Angelo State vs. Dallas Baptist Patriots
At noon on the sixth day of September, the 2013 season will start for the Belles when they take on Dallas Baptist. The Belles hold a 2-0 all-time advantage over the Patriots with the previous two matches coming in the 2004 and 1998 seasons. ASU owns a 6-1 set-advantage in those matches. The Patriots are coming off a 19-9 season in 2012 which included an 11-3 mark in Heartland Conference play. DBU was 2-1 last season against LSC schools, including wins over the conference-departed Abilene Christian Wildcats and Incarnate Word Cardinals and a three-set loss to West Texas A&M.  ASU is 3-2 in season-openers under Waddington and 21-16 in the program's history of season-openers.
 
Angelo State vs. Colorado State-Pueblo ThunderWolves
The second match of the season comes just six hours after the start of the first as the Belles take on the ThunderWolves at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6 at the Angelo State Invitational. The all-time series is tied 2-2 with the last match between the two schools resulting in a 3-2 win for the ThunderWolves in Waddington's first game as the Belles head coach. CSU-Pueblo finished last season with a 15-15 record and went 6-13 in RMAC play.
 
Angelo State vs. Colorado Mesa Mavericks
Second-day competition at the Angelo State Invitational starts at noon on Saturday, Sept. 7 with the Belles taking on the Colorado Mesa Mavericks on the Stephens Arena court. The all-time series between the two schools is tied at 2-2 with the Mavericks sweeping the last match which was played in 2005. Colorado Mesa is coming off a 17-11 record in 2012 and went 11-8 in RMAC play.
 
Angelo State vs. Arkansas Fort Smith Lions
A match between two teams coming off back-to-back NCAA postseason appearances will conclude the Angelo State Invitational as the Belles take on Arkansas Fort Smith. The Lions are coming off a 28-3 season which was ended at Regis University in the opening round of the NCAA DII South Central tournament with a 3-0 loss to West Texas A&M. UAFS went 14-0 en route to the Heartland Conference championship in 2012. This will be the first meeting between ASU and UAFS on the volleyball court.
 
Angelo State vs. Nebraska-Kearney Lopers
A battle between top-10 teams entering the season will go down in the first match of the Colorado Premiere Challenge at the Auraria Events Center with the Belles taking on No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney. The Belles hold a 2-0 all-time advantage over UNK with the last meeting coming in 1992 and ASU securing a 3-1 win. The Lopers are a consistent national power and are coming off a 35-3 record in 2012. Like the Belles, UNK was one win away from reaching the NCAA DII Elite Eight, but dropped a 3-1 decision to Concordia-St. Paul in the finals of the NCAA DII Central tournament. The MIAA champions, after going 16-1 in conference play, UNK returns 13 players and lost only four. The Lopers have made the NCAA postseason 17 times and the NCAA DII Elite Eight five times. 
 
Angelo State vs. Metro State Roadrunners
The Belles will take on Metro State on the Roadrunners home court (Auraria Events Center) in the second game of the Colorado Premiere Challenge on Friday, Sept. 13. Metro State owns a 3-1 all-time advantage over the Belles with the last match coming in 1992 and the Roadrunners (who were ranked No. 6) sweeping the match. Metro State is coming off an 18-11 record in 2012 and a 13-6 mark in RMAC play. The Roadrunners lost a five-set match to Colorado Christian at the RMAC tournament, but received an at-large bid to the NCAA DII South Central Tournament.
 
Angelo State vs. Wayland Baptist Pioneers
The Belles' only match outside of NCAA play will come on Tuesday, Oct. 10 against Wayland Baptist (NAIA) in a match being played at the Falcon Dome in Odessa. ASU is 7-0 all-time against the Pioneers with the last match coming in 2005. WBU went 19-15 last season, including an 8-4 record in Sooner Athletic Conference play.

Angelo State vs. Texas-Permian Basin Falcons
ASU will follow its match against Wayland Baptist against Texas-Permian Basin. A Heartland Conference member, the Falcons are coming off a 13-16 record and a 6-8 in their conference play. The Belles are 2-6 all-time against UTPB with ASU taking the last match played between the two schools 3-1 in 2011 inside the Junell Center.
 

Angelo State vs. St. Edward's Hilltoppers
The Belles will host St. Edward's in a non-conference match on Wednesday, Oct. 30 in a match in the middle of Lone Star Conference play. ASU owns a 16-9 all-time advantage over the Hilltoppers, including earning a sweep last season at the St. Mary's Invitational in San Antonio. The Belles and Hilltoppers also met in the 2011 NCAA DII South Central tournament in Warrensburg, Mo. with ASU taking a five-set win to advance to the semifinals. St. Edward's is coming off an 18-10 record last season and went 10-4 in Heartland Conference play.
 
Angelo State vs. Incarnate Word Cardinals
Lone Star Conference opponents the last three seasons, the Belles will meet the Incarnate Word Cardinals twice this season as non-conference, non-division opponents after UIW exited to Division I and the Southland Conference. ASU enjoys a 14-5 all-time record over the Cardinals, including earning three sweeps last season including an opening-round win at the LSC Championship at the Junell Center. UIW finished last season with a 10-21 record and a 7-13 mark in the conference. Both matches against UIW will come within LSC conference play and will count towards ASU's overall record.
   
Angelo State vs. Midwestern State Mustangs
The Belles open Lone Star Conference play against Midwestern State on Friday, Sept. 20 at the Junell Center. ASU has won seven consecutive matches against MSU and owns a 25-9 all-time advantage in the series. The Belles won both matches with sweeps last season and have not dropped a set to the Mustangs in the last four matches. MSU is coming off a 7-23 overall record and a 5-15 record in conference play. The Mustangs did not qualify for the conference tournament.  Venera Flores-Stafford is entering her 10th season as the Mustangs head coach. Caitlin Wallace returns for her senior season after taking second-team honors as a middle blocker during her junior season.
Angelo State vs. Cameron Aggies
Angelo State has won the previous seven meetings against Cameron and will look to continue that trend with two regular-season matches in 2013. The Belles possess a 22-11 all-time advantage over the Aggies, including taking both matches last season. Cameron also missed out on the conference tournament after going 4-16 in LSC play and finishing with a 10-22 overall record. Doug Tabbert is entering his third season as the head coach of the Aggies. ASU will host the Aggies in a 2 p.m. match on Sept. 21 before traveling to Oklahoma to play on Friday, Oct. 25.  
 
Angelo State vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas
The Belles have won their last sixth matches over Texas A&M-Kingsville dating back to the 2008 season. The Javelinas advanced to the LSC tournament last season after going 9-11 in conference play and finished their season with a 17-14 overall record. Tanya Allen is entering her third season as the head coach in Kingsville. ASU holds a 51-10 all-time advantage in the historical series. The Javelinas return outside hitter Dedra Brown and right-side hitter Kelsey Washington who were both tabbed as second-team all-conference in 2012.
 
Angelo State vs. Eastern New Mexico Zias
Angelo State's longest winning streak over a conference opponent is nine matches against ENMU, a string of victories which extends back to a five-set loss on Oct. 8, 2005. The Belles swept both matches against the Zias last season, including the final regular season home match. ENMU finished last season in the conference cellar with a 1-19 record and with a 6-24 overall mark. Sia Poyer takes over the Zia program after eight years as the head coach at Valdosta State. ASU owns a 39-19 all-time advantage over ENMU entering the 2013 season.
 
Angelo State vs. West Texas A&M Lady Buffs
No matchup on the volleyball court evokes more intensity and emotion than when the Belles take on West Texas A&M. The Belles went 1-3 against the Lady Buffs last season, snapping a losing streak that dated back to 2004. The win on the Stephens Arena court in the regular season brought tears of pride to the Belles who were led by 41 digs from Shelby Wilt. But the Lady Buffs responded by knocking off ASU in the LSC Championship final and then ending their season with a four-set victory in the NCAA DII South Central final. Career highs were established for Maddie Huth with 24 kills, Haley Bianco had 24 digs and Arielle Bond had six blocks last year in the conference tournament against the Lady Buffs. WT finished last season with a 33-5 overall record and a 17-3 conference record. The Lady Buffs advanced to the NCAA DII Elite Eight with their win over the Belles in Denver and currently have a 52-16 all-time advantage over ASU. The rivalry will continue in 2013 with home-and-away meetings in the regular season with postseason meetings seeming inevitable. Jason Skoch, a two-time LSC Coach of the Year, returns for his fifth season in Canyon.
 
Angelo State vs. Texas Woman's Pioneers
One of the most exciting matches in the Belles' 2012 season was against Texas Woman's in the semifinals of the LSC Championship. ASU pulled out the match in five-sets to end the Pioneers' season and reach the title match. Leah McWilliams had 14 kills in the win to establish her career high at Angelo State. TWU handed the Belles one of two losses in the regular season, taking a 3-1 win over ASU in Denton in the regular-season finale. ASU possesses a 29-12 all-time advantage over the Pioneers. Shelly Barberee is entering her 11th season as the head coach at TWU and is the longest serving coach in the conference. LSC first-team selection Chloe' Tate returns for her senior season for the Pioneers, while middle blocker Marcela Alves is also back after earning second-team honors as a junior.
 
Angelo State vs. Texas A&M-Commerce Lions
ASU possesses a seven-match winning streak and a 37-19 all-time record over A&M-Commerce entering the 2013 season. The Belles swept the Lions at home last season before taking a four-set match in Commerce. Katie MacLeay established her career high in the match at Commerce with 22 digs, while Kaelen Valdez had 25 kills. The Lions finished last season with an 11-9 record in conference play and a 20-11 overall record. Craig Case is entering his fourth season as the head coach in Commerce and has a 45-43 record in his first three seasons. Setter Jordan Neal gives the Lions experience, returning for her senior season after being named to the LSC second-team as a junior.
 
Angelo State vs. Tarleton State TexAnns
The Belles only five-set match in the regular season last year came in grueling five-set win over Tarleton State in Stephenville. ASU pulled out the win and carry a nine-match winning streak into the 2013 season over the TexAnns who were the fourth seed in the LSC tournament last season. Tarleton State went 15-5 last season in LSC play and finished with an overall record of 23-9. Mary Schindler returns to the TSU sidelines for her ninth season with a 141-112 record. Stacy Murrah, a right-side hitter, returns for her senior season following earning first-team all-conference recognition as a junior. Katie Covell, a second-team selection, also returns after a strong sophomore campaign as an outside hitter for the TexAnns.
 
Angelo State at the Lone Star Conference Championships (Nov. 21-23)
The conference tournament will once again be hosted by the regular-season champion. Angelo State has been the tournament's runner-up the past three seasons and will look to win their first tournament championship since 1993. ASU is 32-11 in tournament play has won six titles and reached the finals 10 times.  The Belles hosted the championship in 2012 for the first time since 1992.
 
Angelo State at the NCAA Division II South Central Championship
The Belles have advanced to the NCAA DII postseason the past two seasons and are 3-2 in those matches. ASU earned sweeps of Adams State and Regis University last year in Denver, Colo. before falling in four sets to West Texas A&M. The Belles have reached the NCAA DII postseason six times in program history.