Springhill Suites Invitational Tournament Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team head north this weekend and compete at the Springhill Suites Invitational – its fourth and final tournament of the non-conference schedule.  USA will open up play on Thursday with tournament host Georgia Southern.  First serve versus the Eagles is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Hanner Fieldhouse.  The Jaguars will also take on Jacksonville on Friday at 4 p.m. (CT) and then return for a pair of matches on Saturday  - vs. Savannah State (11 a.m. CT) and versus Wisconsin (4 p.m. (CT).

“With this being our last preseason tournament, I'm looking for our team to continue to improve on the elements of the game we are working on,” South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said.  “Four weeks ago, we set goals as a team for preseason and this weekend we have a few things we have set to accomplish moving forward into conference.”

Live stats for all three of the Jaguars’ matches can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.  

The Jaguars enter tournament action this weekend with a 5-5 record.  USA is coming off a 2-1 performance last weekend at the Georgia State Invitational - picking up a 3-1 win over Mercer and a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the host Panthers.  The Jaguars trailed 2-0 in the mach, but rallied back to pick up the victory.

Freshman outside hitter Savannah Stewart has elevated her play as of late for the Jaguars and currently leads the club offensively with 108 kills (2.84 kps).  Her 13 aces (0.34) not only lead the team as well, but rank fourth in the SBC.  She has been valuable on the defensive side of the net as well, as she ranks third on the squad with 2.50 dps.  Last weekend, Stewart earned all-tournament honors after posting three-straight double-doubles.  She has four on the season and has led USA offensively in each of the last seven matches.

As a team, South Alabama ranks second in the Sun Belt and 37th in the NCAAs in digs with 16.82 per set.  Leading the way is junior libero Jenna Hassell who has been the anchor in the defensive back court.  Her 4.97 dps average is fourth-best in the league, while it also ranks 48th in the nation.  She has twice been named to an all-tournament squad and on Tuesday she became the first Jaguar to ever be named the Sun Belt’s Defensive Player of the Week.  The Niceville, Fla., native was stellar this past weekend at the Panther tournament averaging 5.50 dps.  She also set a new career-best with 33 digs against GSU.

Georgia Southern enters Thursday night’s match versus the Jags with a 6-4 record.  The Eagles are looking to bounce back after a 1-2 showing at the Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M. - falling 3-2 to both New Mexico and UC-Santa Barbara, but picking up a 3-1 win over Portland.

The Eagles and the Jaguars have a pair of common opponents.  Both clubs have faced Georgia State and Mercer, with each winning those two meetings.  GSU is also 1-0 against the Sun Belt this season, defeating Troy 3-1 during the opening weekend.  

Offensively, Georgia Southern has been led by senior outside hitter Meredith Paskert.  Paskert is fifth in the Southern Conference in kills with 3.30 per set.  Enjolli Johnson comes in as one of the top hitters in the league as she ranks third with a .321 percentage.  

Freshman libero has made an immediate impact in the backcourt for the Eagles.  She currently ranks fourth with 4.60 digs per set.

As a team, GSU leads the SoCon in kills (13.8) and digs (18.2), while ranking second in hitting percentage (.209), opponent’s hitting percentage (.175) and assists (12.7).

Jacksonville enters the Springhill Suites Invitational fresh off its first victory of the season.  After dropping its first eight matches, the Dolphins rallied back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Sun Belt Conference member Louisiana-Lafayette Saturday at the Active Ankle Challenge hosted by Florida.  JU lost its first two matches of the tournament, falling in straight sets to the 15th-ranked Gators and Georgia Tech.  

Freshman outside hitter Sam Strausbaugh has been solid offensively for JU so far this season.  She leads the club in both kills ( 3.15) - which is 10th-best in the Atlantic Sun - and ranks second in digs (2.48).  

Allison Loeppky is the top hitter on the Dolphin roster.  The senior middle blocker is hitting .264 for the season - which ranks eighth in the conference.  Loeppky also leads JU at the net with 21 blocks (0.64).

Savannah State comes into this weekend’s tournament riding a 40-match losing streak, which dates back to the end of the 2010 season.  

Last year, SSU went 0-27 and this season, the Tigers are 0-12 and have not won a set.  This past weekend, Savannah State dropped all three of its matches at the Morehead State Challenge, falling to Morehead, Valparaiso and Missouri.

SSU has struggled on both sides of the net as the Tigers are hitting a -.049, while surrendering a .347 to their opponents.  

Junior outside hitter Bryana Gadis leads the club with 46 kills (1.35 kps), while freshman middle blocker Jasmine Waite is close behind her with 42 (1.17 kps).  Waite also ranks second on the Tiger squad with 11 total blocks.

Wisconsin comes into action this week riding a six-match win streak.  Of those six matches, four have been in straight-sets, including all three this past weekend - vs. Drake, vs. North Dakota State, vs. Milwaukee - at the InnTowner Invitational.

The Badgers have used a very balanced attack offensively as four players are averaging 2.67 kps or better.  Ellen Chapman - a 6-4 outside hitter - leads the way with 3.12 per set.  Julie Mekaelsen (2.90), Alexis Mitchell (2.87) and Railey Reshell (2.67) are also offensive threats for WU.  Mitchell and Mekaelsen have also been extremely efficient in their attacks.  Mitchell ranks eighth in the Big 10 with a .383 percentage, while Miaelsen is hitting .317.  Junior libero Annemarie Hicky has been outstanding in the backcourt.  She currently leads the lead in digs with 5.17 per set.

WU has been extremely tough on the defensive side of the net in 2012.  As a team, the Badgers lead the Big 10 in blocks (2.98) and rank second in both digs (16.9) and opponent’s hitting percentage (.144).

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: This weekend will mark the second time in the last three seasons that the Jaguars have competed at the Georgia Southern tournament.  USA has won three of its last four matches coming into play.  Jenna Hassell enters play this weekend just 39 digs shy of eclipsing the 1.000-dig mark for her career.  She will become just the sixth South Alabama player to ever accomplish that feat.  Senior opposite side hitter Lindsay Schwartz comes into action this weekend just four block assists from moving into ninth place on the career list.  The match with Georgia Southern will mark the second meeting between the two schools and the 35th time USA has faced a current Southern Conference opponent.  The Jaguars hold a 0-1 record in the all-time series with the only other meeting in the series, a 3-2 loss at the 2010 Springhill Suites Invitational.  USA fell 3-1 fellow Southern Conference member Samford last weekend at the Georgia State Invitational in Atlanta.  The Jags hold a 17-17 all-time mark versus the SoCon. The meeting this weekend between South Alabama and Jacksonville will mark the 28th meeting between the two programs with JU holding a slim 14-12-1 advantage in the all-time series.  The Jaguars and the Dolphins last met during the 1997 season where Jacksonville picked up a 3-1 win in Jacksonville, Fla., when JU was still a member of the Sun Belt Conference.  Against current members of the Atlantic Sun, USA holds an all-time record of 21-28-1.  The Jaguars defeated fellow league member Mercer, 3-1, last weekend at the Georgia State Invitational in Atlanta, Ga.  The match with Savannah State and South Alabama will mark first between the two schools.  The match will also be the 13th for the Jags against a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponent.  South Alabama holds a 13-0 all-time mark versus the league.  This weekend’s meeting between SSU and USA will be the first against a MEAC opponent since the 2002 season when the Jags defeated Bethune-Cookman 3-1 in Troy, Ala.  The match with Wisconsin and South Alabama will mark first between the two schools and just the fourth versus a Big 10 opponent.  USA faced Michigan State last season at the Courtyard by Marriott/UCF Classic in Orlando, Fla.

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