MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's volleyball team will close out its three-match Sun Belt Conference homestand Wednesday evening when the Jaguars welcome in-state rival Troy to Jag Gym.
First serve versus Troy is set for 7 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at www.USAJaguars.com. The match versus the Trojans will be the first of three this week for the Jags as they will travel to Arkansas State on Friday and to Louisiana-Monroe on Sunday.
South Alabama (5-7, 0-2 SBC) comes into the midweek match in search of its first conference win after falling 3-1 to Arkansas-Little Rock and 3-0 to Western Kentucky over the weekend.
Freshman outside hitter Mechell Daniel continues to have a stellar first collegiate season as she ranks among the league leaders in several categories. Daniel is currently third in the Sun Belt in kills with 3.60 per set and points with 4.20 per set, and tied with Louisiana-Lafayette's Sara Mossakowski for second in the conference in service aces. Daniel leads the club with 16 aces.
Over the past six matches, Daniel has been outstanding as she is averaging nearly five kills per set (4.91) and hitting .301. During that same time, she has registered 17 kills or more in five of those matches, twice posting 20 kills. In the other match over that stretch, she had 14 put aways versus Western Kentucky.
Nikki Gittens and Mallory Moore have also provided scoring for the Jags this season. Gittens is averaging 2.11 kills per set, while Moore is averaging 2.08. Gittens also ranks among the conference leaders in hitting percentage at .295, which is ninth-best.
In the defensive back court, freshman libero Abby Baker is ninth in the SBC in digs with 3.40 per set. This past weekend, Baker was solid with a 4.14 dps average.
Like the Jags, Troy is also in search of its first league win as the Trojans enter the match with a 5-11 overall record and a 0-2 mark in the SBC. Troy also fell in straight sets to WKU and nearly picked up its first win with a five-set match versus Arkansas State on Sunday. Coming into Wednesday night's contest, the Trojans have dropped five straight and six of their last seven.
"Troy was the second seed heading into last year's conference tournament," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. "They had a very good season last year and return quite a bit from that team. They are kind of trying to find their niche as well. They've lost five in a row, but I still think that it's a good team. They're going to be scrappy and they're a good defensive team. They'll try to force us to make the errors.
"I think you'll see two teams (Wednesday night) that are fighting for the same thing. Both of us opened up 0-2 in conference and this would be a good win for both programs."
Marija Zelenovic – a 6-3 junior transfer from Lee University – leads the club offensive with 202 kills and a 3.21 kills per set average, which ranks fifth in the Sun Belt coming into play this week. Zelenovic is also fourth in the league in points (3.87 per set) and ranks second on the club in blocks with 37 and is third in digs with 2.10 dps.
Sophomore Blair Winston and junior Kayla Pickart have also provided the Trojans with a couple other scoring options. Winston, who earned all-conference honors as a freshman, is second on the squad with 2.58 kps, while Pickart is averaging 2.27 kps.
On the defensive side of the net, the tandem of Kiah Cheatham and Darby Griff pace the club. Cheatham leads the club in total blocks with 55 (0.87 bps), while Griff is right behind her in total blocks with 52, but leads the team with 0.95 per set.
As a team, the Trojans rank fourth in the Sun Belt in digs with 14.78 per set. Senior libero Courtney Cohen ranks seventh in the league in that category with 4.05 per set. Cohen earned second-team all-conference honors back during the 2011 season.
Last season, Troy posted 21-12 overall mark and finished second in the Sun Belt a year ago with 10-5 league record. The 20 wins where the most in a decade and the 10 conference wins were the most for the program.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
NOTES: The meeting between Troy and South Alabama Wednesday night will mark the 61st in the all-time series between the two clubs. USA holds a 37-23 advantage in the all-time series and has won three of the last four meetings, including both last season. The Jags are 21-9 versus the Trojans in matches played in Mobile.
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