Southern Miss Invitational Match Notes

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – After three weeks of preseason practice, the University of South Alabama volleyball team will open the 2010 season this weekend when the Jags compete at the Southern Miss Invitational.  USA will open the tournament on Friday at Noon when it takes on the host Golden Eagles at Reed Green Coliseum.  On Saturday, South Alabama will return to the court for a pair of matches, facing Kennesaw State at Noon and Nicholls State at 2:30 p.m.

“This will be a good tournament because of the teams in the tournament field,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said.  “I’m ready to see our team compete against someone other than ourselves.  We have some areas that we still need to work on leading up to this weekend, but I think we need to make that step and start competing so we can see where we are at.”

Live stats for all three of the Jags’ matches will be available at www.usajaguars.com.

Highlighting the list of returnees for USA is senior outside hitter Juliana Almeida (San Jose Dos Campos, Brazil).  As a junior, Almeida led USA in both kills (312) and kills per set (3.03).  Almeida also had a team-best 11 double-doubles and recorded 18 double-figure kill matches.

Also expected to help the offense will be a pair of players who are making the transition to a new position - Olivia Mohler (Vancleave, Miss.) and Samia Salomao (San Jose Dos Campos, Brazil).  Mohler started 25 matches for the Jags at the middle blocker position a season ago and recorded 119 kills, while Salomao led the team in digs with 2.48 per set.

On defense, USA will look to senior libero Kari Frazier (Mobile, Ala.) to anchor the backcourt.  Frazier ranked third on the club in 2009 in digs with 2.32.

The Jags also welcome six newcomers to the roster this season - Torlandria Jones (Alexander City, Ala.), Jessica Lewis (Cummings, Ga.), Valerie Podczasy (Macungie, Pa.), Chelsea Noles (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Jenna Hassell (Niceville, Fla.) and Johanna Calhoun (Mobile, Ala.).

The Golden Eagles – USA’s first round opponent – return 10 letterwinners and five starters from last year’s team which captured the program’s first regular season conference title.  Southern Miss was 27-5 overall in 2009 and posted a 14-2 mark in CUSA. 

“Our matches with Southern Miss are always competitive,” Keshock said of the rivalry.  “We see them both in the fall and in the spring and it has always been a great match.  They are a great team for us to play because they are scrappy and have some great hitters.  Our players are looking forward to taking on the challenge of facing Southern Miss.”

USM is led by a pair of juniors - 6-3 outside hitter Ashley Mell and 5-8 setter Kelsea Seymour.  Both Mell and Seymour earned first-team all-conference honors as well as ACA All-American honorable mention accolades a season ago.  The duo also earned preseason all-conference honors earlier this month.  Mell led the club in kills with 3.37 per set - 10th in C-USA.  Seymour directed the Southern Miss attack, averaging 10.49 assists per set en route to being named the league’s Co-Setter of the Year.

First-year head coach Abbey Sutherland takes over the reins for Ricci Luyties, who left USM to take over the head coaching duties at UC-San Diego.  Sutherland served as the top assistant the previous four seasons under Luyties.

Kennesaw State is coming off one of its best seasons after finishing 17-12 and fifth in the A-Sun in 2009.  However, the Owl roster will have a new look to it this season as they return just five players and three starters. 

“Kennesaw State is a much improved team from the last time we saw them back during the 2007 season,” Keshock noted of the Jags’ day-two opponent.  “I know they are extremely athletic.  I think their athleticism will be the caliber of Middle Tennessee from our league.  They have some great jumpers and I am looking forward to see how we match up there against them.”  

Leading the way offensively should be Sabrita Gulley.  As a junior, the 5-10 outside hitter ranked second on the team with 3.19 kps.  Kennesaw also returns junior setter/defensive specialist Rachael Albright.  Albright averaged 2.12 digs a season ago and split time with Ginny Fredericks at the setter position. 

KSU, under the direction of second-year head coach Karen Weatherington, will also welcome 10 newcomers this season.  

The Colonels return 10 letterwinners - including three starters - from last season’s club that finished with a 13-19 record.  Over the summer, TeAna Tramel became the seventh head coach at Nicholls.  Tramel, who finished her playing career at former Sun Belt Conference member New Mexico State, came to NSU after serving on the staff at Washington State, which earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

“Nicholls State is another team that we have seen a lot of recently,” Keshock said.  “In the past we have held the advantage in those meetings, but we will still have to come ready to play against them.”

Offensively, the Colonels return two of their top three offensive weapons from 2009 in junior Rachel Yezak and sophomore Jennifer Brandt.  Brandt was second on the team with 296 kills and 2.69 kills per set, while Yezak was close behind her with 2.20 kps.  Junior libero Danielle Daigle also returns for Nicholls State, along with her 4.22 digs per set - fourth-best in the Southland.    

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).

NOTES: Under head coach Nicole Keshock, USA is 4-3 in season-opening matches and has won four of its last five openers…South Alabama and Southern Miss have met 43 previous times in the all-time series between the two clubs, with the Golden Eagles holding a 26-17 advantage…Dating back to the 1996 season though, USM has won 10 of the previous 11 meetings, including a 3-1 (25-17, 26-28, 25-10, 25-13) win in Mobile last year…USA holds a 49-85 all-time record against current Conference USA members…South Alabama and Kennesaw State have met just twice with both meetings coming back during the 2007 season - a pair of 3-0 wins by the Jags…Those two meetings were also the last time USA has faced an opponent from the A-Sun…The Jags are also scheduled to face East Tennessee State later this fall.  USA holds a 20-24-1 all-time record against current Atlantic Sun members…South Alabama and Nicholls State have met 28 times in the all-time series between the two programs, with the Jags holding a 17-11 advantage in the series…The meeting will be the first of two this season between the two teams... USA won both meetings last season against the Colonels and has taken five of the last six meetings in the series…Against current members of the Southland Conference, South Alabama holds an all-time record of 51-49.