No. 21 Angelo State Hosts 16th Annual Kathleen Brasfield Invitational this Weekend

SAN ANGELO, TX — No. 21-ranked Angelo State opens the 2026 volleyball season this weekend by hosting the 16th annual Kathleen Brasfield Invitational at the Junell Center-Stephens Arena, where the Belles begin their defense of back-to-back Lone Star Conference championships.

ASU will play four matches during the two-day tournament, facing East Central, Fort Lewis, Minnesota State Moorhead and Colorado State Pueblo.

The Belles are coming off a 26-8 season last year. ASU captured both the LSC regular-season and tournament championships before advancing to the NCAA Division II South Central Regional final for the second consecutive season.

The Belles were also picked to repeat as LSC champions in the league's preseason poll, receiving 951 points and 41 of 54 first-place votes. West Texas A&M, Lubbock Christian, UT Tyler, St. Mary's and Texas Woman's rounded out the top six.

Senior outside hitter Madi Parrish was named the LSC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. The AVCA First-Team All-American led the conference with 435 kills last year and became the first Belle to earn the league's preseason Offensive Player of the Year honor in back-to-back seasons.

ASU returns the majority of its production from last season, including 66.1% of its kills, 89.8% of its blocks and 65.9% of its digs. Twelve letterwinners return, including Parrish and All-LSC selections Sydney Thornton and Julia Hopkins.

The Belles have enjoyed consistent success at the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational, posting a 53-6 record over the tournament's previous 15 editions. This year's six-team field also includes UT Permian Basin.

The 2026 season marks the 51st in program history. ASU owns an all-time record of 1,118-638-3 and has won 12 LSC tournament championships while making 17 NCAA Tournament appearances.

The Belles have also been one of Division II's strongest home teams under head coach Chuck Waddington. ASU is 216-34 at the Junell Center-Stephens Arena during Waddington's tenure and has gone 41-2 at home over the past three seasons.

The program has also consistently ranked among the national leaders in attendance. In 2024, ASU set a program and LSC record when 3,315 fans attended its season-opening match at the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational. During the 2024 NCAA South Central Regional, a total of 4,237 fans watched the Belles win three matches to advance to the Elite Eight.