MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team is set to open the 2012 campaign this weekend when the Jaguars head to Hattiesburg, Miss., to compete in the Southern Miss Invitational.  USA will open the three-match two-day tournament with a pair of matches on Friday – vs. Central Arkansas at 11 a.m. and vs. the host Golden Eagles at 7 p.m. – and one match on Saturday – vs. Louisiana Tech  at 3 p.m.

Live stats can be accessed for all three of South Alabama’s matches at www.USAJaguars.com.  Streaming video will also be available for USA’s match versus Southern Miss.

The Jaguars come into the opening weekend under the direction of first-year head coach Amy Hendrichovsky.  The new Jaguar coach believes that success for teams early on in the non-conference season is directly linked to one thing.

“First-and-foremost, I would say that it’s going to be about minimizing unforced errors.  Leading into the first weekend any year, it’s about the team that’s making the least amount of errors that’s going to win the match.”  

Along with minimizing the unforced errors, Hendrichovsky is looking for one other aspect of the game that the Jaguars have worked on to come through.

“Something we’ve also been focusing on during the spring and the summer is just about competing for each point,” Hendrichovsky said.  “I think our team’s excited and ready to go and start this year’s new journey.”   

USA returns eight letterwinners and three starters plus its libero from last seasons’s squad that went 11-17.  Among the list of returnees is setter Katariina Kananen, who ranked third in the Sun Belt in assists per match with 9.85.  The Pihtipudas, Finland native also ranked second behind the serving line with 24 aces.

Sophomore outside hitter Melissa Waelter and junior libero Jenna Hassell also return for the Jags.  Waelter was USA’s top offensive threat as she posted 244 kills and averaged 2.57 per set.  Hassell was the anchor in the back court for South Alabama in 2011, averaging 3.57 digs per set - which ranked seventh-best in the league.

Highlighting the list of additions to the roster are Torlandria Jones and Lindsay Schwartz.  Jones - a redshirt sophomore - missed all of last season due to a knee injury, but is healthy once again.  Jones led USA at the net as a freshman with 74 total blocks (0.72).  Schwartz returns to the squad after stepping away from the game the previous two seasons to focus on track where she won All-American honors and several SBC championships in multiple events.  Coming into the season, Schwartz ranks among South Alabama’s career leaders in both block assists and blocks per set.  Along with Jones and Schwartz, USA also welcomes eight freshmen to the squad.

Central Arkansas returns four starters and its starting libero from last season’s squad which finished with a 17-4 overall record and captured its fourth-straight Southland Conference division title.  Last week, the Sugar Bears were picked to again defend their title in the league’s preseason poll.

UCA also had four players earn preseason all-conference accolades.  Junior setter Marissa Collins and junior right side Jessica Nagy were first-team selections, while senior middle blocker Taylor Hammonds and senior outside hitter Jessica Hays were on the second team.

Collins, who was the Southland’s 2010 Freshman of the Year and a second-team all-SLC selection in 2011, finished second in the league in assists (1,048) and averaged 11.64 assists in conference play a year ago. Nagy had a team-high 295 kills last season and was third in the conference in services aces per set.  Hammonds ranked second on the club with 266 kills and finished seventh in the league in hitting percentage (.285). Hays missed most of the 2011 season with a knee injury, but was the 2008 SLC Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-SLC selection in 2010.

Southern Miss returns eight letterwinners from last year’s team finished with a 17-15 overall record and 11-9 in Conference USA play, while also welcoming nine newcomers to this year’s squad.

USM will have to replace its leading offensive producer from a year ago in Ashley Mill, who had 389 kills and averaged 3.69 per set last season.    Sophomore outside hitter is the top returning offensive player for Southern Miss, as she ranked third on the club with 268 kills and averaged 2.31 per set.  She also hit an outstanding .319, which ranked seventh-best in CUSA.  USM will also be looking for a new floor general to direct to offense as the Golden Eagles lost starting setter Kelsea Seymour who had nearly 1,300 assists and averaged 11.32 per set a year ago.

The defensive back court for the Golden Eagles also took a hit from graduation as Southern Miss is looking to replace its top three players who combined for over 1,300 digs.  Senior utility player Elizabeth Rinaudo returns as the club’s leader in that category.  She had 319 digs in 2011.

Louisiana Tech comes into the 2012 campaign under the direction of first-year head coach Adriano de Souza who comes to Ruston after serving as an assistant at Illinois State.  De Souza replaces Matt Sonnichsen who resigned after going 10-22 and 0-14 in the Western Athletic Conference a year ago.  Earlier this month, the Lady Techsters were picked 10th in the preseason WAC poll.

Tech does return junior outside hitter Clara Vido, who ranked second on the team with 213 kills, but led the club with a 2.57 kills per set average.  Vido was also solid in the back court as she averaged 3.04 digs per set – seventh in the WAC.  She also led the club with nine double-doubles in 2011.

Senior libero Stephany Salas continues to anchor the defensive back court as she returns for her final collegiate season.  Last season, Salas led the league with 4.62 digs per set.

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: The match Friday morning versus Central Arkansas will be the first as a head coach for USA’s Amy Hendrichovsky… South Alabama will open the 2012 campaign at the Southern Miss Invitational for the second time in the last three seasons…USA opened the 2010 season at the Golden Eagle tournament and went 0-3…The meeting this weekend between South Alabama and Central Arkansas will mark the first between the two programs.  Against current members of the Southland Conference, USA holds an all-time record of 55-52…USA will also face fellow SLC member Nicholls State (Sept. 4) in Mobile… The match with Southern Miss will mark the 45th meeting between the two schools and the 138th time USA has faced a current Conference USA opponent…The Jaguars hold a 26-18 advantage in the all-time series, but the Golden Eagles have captured 11 of the last 12 meetings, dating back to 1996…The Jags hold a 49-88 all-time mark versus C-USA…The match with Louisiana Tech will mark 16th between the two schools and the 29th for the Jags against a Western Athletic Conference opponent…LTU holds the series advantage with a 14-1 record versus the Jags…The Lady Techsters won the last meeting in the series, defeating the Jaguars 3-1 last season at the Jaguar Classic in Mobile…USA’s lone victory in the series came back during the 2000 season, a 3-1 win in Ruston…South Alabama holds a 1-26 all-time mark versus WAC opponents.

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