Florida Atlantic and Florida International Match Notes (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team returns home this weekend to welcome Sun Belt Conference foes Florida Atlantic and Florida International.  First serve between the Jaguars and the Owls is set for Friday at 7 p.m. at Jag Gym.  USA and the Panthers will then square off on Sunday at 1 p.m.  Live stats for both matches can be accessed at www.usajaguars.com.  

“This past weekend, Florida Atlantic gave Arkansas State and UALR two very tough matches,” South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said.  “Although they came up a little short in those matches, they are showing that they fighting and competing more than they did last year.  Florida International was able to pull out a very nice victory against Arkansas State and lost a close match to UALR in five, so I think both clubs are going to come in here ready to compete with us and we will have to do the same.  We have eight conference matches at home this season and six on the road, so with the unbalanced schedule, a big focus for us is being able to win at home as we try to get into the conference tournament.”

The match home Sun Belt opener versus FAU on Friday will mark just the second home match this season for the Jags.

The Jaguars enter the second weekend of Sun Belt Conference play with an 8-8 overall mark and a 1-1 record in the league.  USA split its first weekend of SBC action, picking up the program’s first-ever win over Middle Tennessee (3-2) on Friday, but falling in straight sets to No. 24 Western Kentucky.

South Alabama continues to be paced by the offensive duo of Savannah Stewart and Melissa Waelter.  Stewart leads the club with 2.85 kills per set, while Waelter is close behind her with 2.82 per frame.  

Stewart has also carded a team-high six double-doubles, including five in her last nine matches.  She has led the team in kills in nine matches.  Waelter is coming off a career-best 19 kills and nine digs in the five-set victory over Middle Tennessee.  Waelter and Stewart also rank in the top 10 in the Sun Belt in serving, tied for fourth and 10th respectively.

On the defensive side of the net, junior libero Jenna Hassell has been solid throughout the 2012 season.  The Niceville, Fla., native leads the club and ranks fifth in the conference in digs with 4.42 per set.  

As a team, the Jaguars rank third in the Sun Belt in both aces and digs.  USA is averaging 1.4 aces per set, while also registering 15.25 digs per frame.  

Florida Atlantic comes into the match versus the Jaguars with a 3-8 overall mark and a 0-2 record in the Sun Belt.  Entering the match, the Owls have dropped five of their last six, including their first two league matches - vs. Arkansas State (3-1) and vs. UALR (3-2). FAU is under the direction of first-year head coach Fernanda Nelson and will host Bethune Cookman on Tuesday before making the trip to Mobile.

Owl sophomore Alessia Pizzocheri leads the club with 159 kills on the season.  Her 3.31 kills-per-set average also ranks eighth in the latest Sun Belt rankings.  Against UALR, Pizzocheri set a new career high in kills and digs with 22 of each.

Freshman setter Jelena Jovanovic also ranks among the conference leaders in a couple of categories, ranking second in aces with 0.42 per set and fifth in assists (9.17).

Senior libero Christina Nightengale is sixth in serving and 10th in digs with 3.50 per set.  As a team, FAU ranks second in the league in aces.

Florida International (4-10, 1-1 SBC) enters Sun Belt play this week after splitting its two matches during the opening weekend of league play.  On Friday, the Panthers dropped a 3-2 decision to UALR, but bounced back with a 3-0 victory over Arkansas State on Sunday.  FIU will travel to Troy on Friday before heading to Mobile.

The Panthers are led offensively by Marija Prsa.  Prsa currently ranks fourth in the Sun Belt with 3.55 kills per set.  She also leads the club in digs with 3.12 per set.  

Freshman opposite side hitter Lucia Castro (2.88) and junior middle blocker Kimberly Smith (2.43) are also averaging above two kills per set coming into the weekend.  

The duo of Brittany Spencer and Smith has been tough at the net for FIU.    Spencer leads the club with 1.05 blocks per set, while Smith is second with just under a block per set (0.96).  As a team, the Panthers are averaging 2.18 per set - fourth-best in the conference.

Like FAU, Florida International is under first-year head coach Trevor Theroulde.  Theroulde served as FIU’s top assistant for the previous four seasons.

The Panthers have been without p all-conference player Jovana Bjelica who broke her hand in warm ups prior to FIU’s season-opener versus Florida. Her status for the remainder of the weekend and the season is unknown.

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:  All-time, USA is 4-17 in league home-openers, but the Jags have won the previous two, including a 3-1 decision over Louisiana-Lafayette last season.  The meeting between Florida Atlantic and South Alabama this weekend will mark the 14th in the all-time series between the two clubs. FAU holds a slim 7-6 advantage in the series, but USA has won the last three meetings, including a 3-1 victory over the Owls to close the season last year.  South Alabama is 2-3 in the series in matches played in Mobile.  The meeting between Florida International and South Alabama on Sunday will mark the 28th in the all-time series between the two clubs. FIU holds a dominant 21-5-1 advantage in the series but in the second meeting last year, USA snapped a streak of 13-straight losses to the Panthers with a 3-1 victory in Mobile.  The Jags are also 2-8 versus Florida International in matches played in Mobile.  FAU’s Alessia Pizzocheri leads the club with 159 kills and her 3.31 kills-per-set average ranks eighth in the Sun Belt.  The Owls rank second in the SBC in serving with 1.4 aces per set.  FIU’s Marija Prsa currently ranks fourth in the Sun Belt with 3.55 kills per set.  Both FAU and FIU are under the direction of first-year head coaches – Fernanda Nelson (FAU) and Trevor Theroulde (FIU).

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