UALR and Arkansas State Match Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – After being on the road each of the past three weeks, the University of South Alabama volleyball team will return home this weekend to begin a four-match homestand at Jag Gym.  USA will host Sun Belt Conference rivals UALR on Friday at 7 p.m. and Arkansas State on Sunday at 1 p.m.

“Our team is really excited to come back home after playing these past three weeks on the road,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said.  “We were on the road so much during our non-conference schedule.  During the month of October though we will be at home a lot and I think that is important for us.  We will be able to take advantage of our home court crowd and our players will be glad to play in front of them.  I think it is really good timing for us.  We played pretty well on the road, but there is such a different feeling and energy when you are in front of your home crowd.”

During the month of October USA will play six of its nine matches at Jag Gym.

The Jags (6-11, 1-1 SBC) began the conference portion of their schedule this past weekend by splitting their two matches.  USA picked up a 3-0 victory at Louisiana-Monroe on Friday, but fell 3-1 at Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday. 

Senior outside hitter Juliana Almeida returned to the starting lineup against ULL and recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 12 digs.  Almeida leads the club with 3.06 kills per set - eighth in the SBC - and is also averaging 2.71 dps.

Close behind her is fellow outside hitter Samia Salomao.  Salomao is second on the team with 2.58 kps and leads the club with 3.68 dps.  The Jag junior also has a team-best eight double-doubles this season.

Since moving into the starting libero role, true freshman Jenna Hassell has been solid in the back court for USA.  The Niceville, Fla., native is close behind Salomao with 3.25 digs per set.  Since moving into the starting libero role five matches ago, Hassell has posted even better numbers, averaging 4.21 digs per set.  As a team, South Alabama continues to rank second in the conference with 16.52 dps.  Hassell is also tied for sixth in the league in service aces.

The Trojans, Friday’s opponent, enter conference action this weekend versus the Jags with a 2-10 overall mark and a 0-2 record in league play.  This past weekend, UALR dropped a pair of straight-set decisions, falling at home to Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky. 

Paige Ganter ranks second in the Sun Belt and paces the club on the offensive end of the court as the Trojan middle blocker is averaging 3.83 kills per set.  Eva Xie is second on the team with 2.60 kps.

Sophomore libero Emily Pepperman has been solid in the back court as she is averaging 3.52 dps.

UALR has controlled the series between the two teams as the Trojans hold a 21-2 advantage.  UALR has also won each of the last 17 meetings in the series.  South Alabama’s last victory against the Trojans came back during the 1995 campaign.

Arkansas State comes into action this weekend with a 6-8 overall record and like UALR, dropped its first two conference matches in straight-sets to MTSU and WKU.

Three players are averaging over two kills per set for the Red Wolves, led by Cayla Fielder’s 3.66 - fourth in the SBC.  The junior middle blocker is also hitting .276 for ASU.  Sophomore outside hitter Jasmine Terry (2.17 kps) and freshman middle blocker Ashley Tipps (2.01 kps) have also been key to the Arkansas State offense.

ASU freshman libero Megan Baska ranks among the league leaders in digs at 5.05 per set.  The Overland Park, Kan., native began her collegiate career by earning SBC Defensive Player of the Week honors after the first weekend of the season.

Arkansas State holds a dominant 21-2 advantage in the all-time series and has won four-straight.  USA’s last win versus the Red Wolves came back during the 2005 season when the Jags picked up a 3-2 victory in Mobile.

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:  Sun Belt Conference home openers have not been kind to the Jags throughout the past several years.  In its previous 19 home league openers, South Alabama is just 2-17 and have not won a SBC home opener since the 1995 season when USA defeated Louisiana-Lafayette 3-1…Almeida is also just four kills shy of moving into sixth-place and seven shy of eclipsing 1,000 for her career in that category as she stands a 993…Salomao is also moving up USA’s career dig list entering play...Over the weekend, Salomao moved past former Jag Jennifer Autry and into a tie for eighth-place with Kim Courchesne…Coming into the weekend, the junior outside hitter is just 24 digs shy of moving past Marie Lirette for seventh on the all-time list.