Arkansas State and UALR Match Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – After opening with a pair of league wins this past weekend, the University of South Alabama volleyball team will look to build momentum as it begins a four-match road swing this weekend.  USA will open up with Arkansas State on Friday night with first serve set for 7 p.m. at the HPESS Facility.  Sunday’s match versus the Trojans is set to begin at 1 p.m. at the Jack Stephens Center.  The two matches this weekend will be the first of four straight for the Jags away from home.

“With us starting off the conference season 2-0, I hope that our team feels confident in their abilities,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said.  “There were times in both matches (this past weekend) that we didn’t play our best, but we were able to pull it out.  We want our team to understand that it’s a process and that’s what we’ve been trying to focus on. It’s best out of five for a reason, so even if you drop a set, you can easily come back.  As we head into the matches at Arkansas State and UALR, we will definitely have to fine tune some things this week in practice.  We are expecting each of those matches to be a battle.”

Live stats versus ASU will not be available, but fans will be able to access live stats for Sunday’s contest at www.usajaguars.com.

 The Jaguars come into play this week with a 7-7 record and a perfect 2-0 mark in the league.  The 2-0 start to conference play is first for South Alabama since the 2001 season and just the second time in the program’s history.

Over the weekend, USA picked up a pair of 3-1 victories over Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe.  In both matches, the Jags used a balanced offensive attack, placing four players in double figures in kills.  Against the Warhawks on Sunday, South Alabama recorded a .340 attack percentage - the fifth time USA has hit .300 or better in a match this season.  It also marked the first time the Jags have hit over .300 in a league match since doing so on the road versus North Texas on Oct. 24, 2008.

Junior middle blocker Olivia Mohler was a main reason for the Jags’ success this past weekend as she averaged 3.25 kps and recorded just three attack errors in 46 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage.  For the year, Mohler ranks second on the club with 2.63 kps and leads the team with 0.76 blocks per set. 

For most of the season, Samia Salomao has been the main offensive weapon for the Jaguars.  The senior outside hitter has led the team in kills five times and has registered a team-best seven double-doubles, including two this past weekend.  Salomao leads the team with 2.80 kps, which ranks 10th in the SBC. 

One of the strengths this season for the Jags has been in the serving department. As a team, South Alabama ranks third in the SBC and are tied for 44th nationally in service aces.  Three players - Melissa Waelter, Salomao and Katariina Kananen - rank among the league leaders. Waelter and Salomao are tied for third in the Sun Belt in that category with 0.37, while Kananen is tied for sixth with 0.35.

Arkansas State - the preseason favorite to repeat as the Sun Belt’s West Division champ - comes into the week with a 10-6 overall mark and a 1-1 record in the league.  The Red Wolves opened conference play with a 3-2 victory at Middle Tennessee on Friday, but fell in straight sets at Western Kentucky on Saturday.  The win versus the Blue Raiders snapped a 10-match skid in the series for ASU.

Offensively, the Red Wolves have used a balanced attack this season as four starters are averaging 2.25 kills per set or better.  Leading the way in that category is all-conference performer Cayla Fielder.  The senior middle hitter enters play tied for sixth in the SBC in kills with 3.17 per set, while also ranking among the conference leaders in hitting percentage (fourth - .328) and blocks (10th - 0.98).  Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Tipps is right behind Fielder in hitting at .326 - fifth in the Sun Belt.

The defensive backcourt for ASU is led by sophomore libero Megan Baska - the 2010 SBC Defensive Player of the Year.  In her second season, Baska has been just as solid as she ranks third in the league in digs with 4.74 per set. Baska has been selected as the Sun Belt’s Defensive Player of the Week twice this season.

As a team, ASU leads the SBC in aces with 1.71 per set - 18th nationally.  Allison Kearney is second and 17th in the NCAAs in that category with 0.51 per set.

Sunday’s opponent, UALR enters the week with a 5-11 overall record and a 0-2 mark in the Sun Belt after the opening weekend of play.  The Trojans nearly opened up conference action with a road upset over Western Kentucky, before falling in five sets on Friday.  On Sunday, UALR fell 3-0 at Middle Tennessee.

The Trojans will travel to take on Arkansas State on Tuesday night in Jonesboro, Ark., before returning home for a pair of matches over the weekend.

UALR has been led offensively this season by a true freshman.  Edina Begic, a 6-2 outside hitter from Sarajevo, Bosnia, has made an immediate impact in the Trojan lineup as she not only leads the team, but also ranks fourth in the Sun Belt in kills with 3.40 per set.  Begic also ranks ninth in the league in serving, averaging 0.32 aces per set.  In her first two conference matches, Begic averaged 3.62 kps and 3.00 dps.

Junior middle blocker Paige Ganter also ranks in the top 10 in the league in kills for UALR with 2.91 per set - ninth-best in the SBC.

On the defensive side of the net, outside hitter Kristi Block has been solid along the net for the Trojans.  The senior from Dalmeny, Saskatchewan not only leads the club in blocks with 1.07 per set, but also ranks fourth in the SBC in that same category.

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: With a win on Friday night versus Arkansas State, South Alabama will begin league play with a 3-0 record for the first time in program history.  The meeting between Arkansas State and South Alabama this weekend will mark the 25th in the all-time series between the two clubs.  ASU has dominated the series versus the Jags, holding a 21-3 advantage in those previous meetings.  Last season, USA snapped a four-match skid in the series with a 3-2 (25-14, 17-25, 25-17, 23-25, 15-12) in Mobile.  USA is 1-9 in the series in matches played in Jonesboro.  The lone road win in the series for South Alabama came back during the 2001 season.  Sun Belt Conference road openers have not been kind to the Jags throughout the past several years.  Prior to last seasons, 3-0 conference-opening victory at ULM, USA had lost eight-straight conference road openers.  All-time, USA is 4-14 in those matches. The meeting this weekend will mark the 25th between UALR and South Alabama.  The Trojans have held the advantage in the series taking 21 of the previous 23 meetings versus the Jags.  Last season, South Alabama snapped a 17-match losing streak in the series with a 3-2 (25-20, 25-22, 16-25, 20-25, 17-15) win in Mobile.  USA is 0-8 in the series in matches played in Little Rock.


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