HAMMOND, La. ? The University of South Alabama women’s volleyball team will open the 2008 campaign this weekend when it travels to take on Southeastern Louisiana Saturday afternoon at Noon. First serve is scheduled for Noon at the University Center on the Lady Lion campus.
Live stats for the match will be available at either www.lionsports.com or www.usajaguars.com.
USA had also originally scheduled to take on Alcorn State in Hammond, but the Braves had to back out of the tri-match earlier this week.
South Alabama comes into the season with 10 returning letterwinners from last year’s squad that finished with an 11-17 record and a 4-12 mark in the SBC, while also welcoming eight newcomers. The 11 wins a year ago were the most for the club in 12 years and the Jags’ four Sun Belt Conference victories were also the most for the program since 2001.
Highlighting the list of returnees for USA are sophomores Hristina Markova, Juliana Pallamin de Almeida and senior Brittany Blackwelder. Markova led the club with 3.21 kills per game, while Almeida (3.19) and Blackwelder (2.95) were right behind her. Blackwelder also enters her final collegiate season ranked fourth on South Alabama’s career block assists charts with 230. The Jags will also look for leadership from sophomore setter Maria Kashavelova, who posted 1,230 assists, the second most in a single season in the program’s history.
One void USA will be looking to fill is at the libero position due to the graduation of Shannon VanAntwerp, who averaged 3.98 digs per set in 2007. Looking to step in and replace VanAntwerp will be senior Colleen Downey sophomore Kari Frazier.
“After doing nothing but practicing for the past three weeks, I feel our players are looking forward to the opportunity to play against somebody other than themselves,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said. “We seem to have really been gelling lately. We have a good rotation of about eight to nine players that are working well together on the court. Our last two practices have been great and I can’t wait to see how we carry that over to a match this weekend.”
Earlier this month, South Alabama was picked to finish fifth in the Sun Belt Conference East Division by the 13 league coaches.
Southeastern Louisiana enters the 2008 campaign coming off a 10-18 record a season ago. The Lady Lions return 10 letterwinners and three starters plus their libero from last year. SELU also welcomes four newcomers to the 2008 squad.
Junior right side hitter Lauren Mayer, who ranked second on the club in both kill (198) and kills per game (2.30) returns as the team’s leading offensive weapon. The Lions are hoping that Mayer is ready to take over for graduated senior Melissa Jones who led SELU in both categories in 2007. Another possible fill in for Southeastern on the offensive side of the net will be senior Emily Jordan, who recorded 189 kills and 2.15 kpg.
In her first season of collegiate action, SELU libero Alex Greer was the defensive leader with 3.00 digs per game. In SLC action, Greer was even better, recording 3.70 dpg.
The meeting between South Alabama and Southeastern Louisiana will be the 38th in the all-time series between the two programs. SELU holds a slight lead in the series with a 19-18 mark. The last time the two clubs met was back during the 2006 season, when USA defeated Southeastern 3-1 (30-23, 30-25, 24-30, 30-24) in Mobile at the Jaguar Classic.
South Alabama is 8-10 all-time against the Lions in Mobile, but hold a 7-6 advantage in matches played in Hammond, La. The two teams have met on a neutral court on six occasions with each team holding three wins apiece. USA head coach Nicole Keshock is 1-0 against SELU while with the Jags. South Alabama and SELU will meet later in the season, when the Lions travel to Mobile on Sept. 19 to compete in the Jaguar Classic.
USA is 48-58 all-time against current Southland Conference members (Lamar (0-10), McNeese State (9-9), Nicholls State (15-11), Northwestern State (4-3), Sam Houston State (1-4),
Southeastern Louisiana (18-19), Stephen F. Austin (1-1), Texas-Arlington (0-1).
The meeting with the Lady Lions will be the first of three this season for USA against a Southland opponent. The Jags will host both Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State Sept. 19-20 at the Jaguar Classic in Mobile.
The Jags have never Southland Conference members Central Arkansas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas-San Antonio or Texas State in its history.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
