Match Notes - at Texas-Arlington and at Texas State (.pdf)
MOBILE, Ala. – Riding a two-match win streak, the University of South Alabama women's volleyball team will head to Texas for a pair of Sun Belt Conference road matches this weekend.
USA will open up the trip on Friday when the Jaguars take on Texas-Arlington at the College Park Center at 6:30 p.m. and then face Texas State at Strahan Coliseum at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
"Both teams are teams that I feel are going to be competing for the spots at the top of the conference," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. "Last weekend, the two Arkansas schools went in there and fought and were able to pick up two wins, so I have a feeling that this week both Texas-Arlington and Texas State are going to work really hard and try and rebound. We're going to be facing opponents that are looking for some revenge. I've talked to our team about the fact that even though we won two matches this past weekend, we still need to put in the hard work, because I know both our opponents will."
Live stats and video will be available for both matches at www.USAJaguars.com.
The Jaguars come into this weekend's two matches with a 7-10 overall mark and a 2-5 record in the Sun Belt Conference. Last weekend, South Alabama picked up its first two league wins defeating Louisiana-Lafayette, 3-1, on the road on Friday and then Georgia State, also in four-sets on Saturday night.
The win versus the Ragin' Cajuns snapped a five-match skid for the Jags.
Freshman outside hitter Mechell Daniel continued to pace the club over the weekend as she had a pair of double-doubles. Daniel is currently riding a string of four-straight double-doubles and has five total this season. The Chelmsford, England, native leads team and ranks third in both kills (3.75) and points (4.36) and is fifth in the conference in serving with 0.31 aces per set. Daniels also ranks third on the team in digs with 2.23 per set.
Fellow freshman Jessica Lewis' return to the starting lineup had an immediate impact for USA. Last weekend, Lewis posted 26 kills for a 3.25 kills per set average and hit .317 en route to earning her second SBC Freshman of the Week honors this season. She also averaged 3.44 points per set and had two blocks and seven. Coming into play this week, Lewis is averaging 3.00 kills per set, which would rank eight in the Sun Belt right now had she not missed time due to her injury earlier this season.
One stat area that has improved tremendously as of late is in the blocking department. Over the last five matches, South Alabama has posted 108 blocks - 11 solo and 97 assists - for an average of 3.10 blocks per set. Prior to the five match stretch, USA had registered just 121 blocks in its first 12 matches of the season for a 1.47 bps average. USA has ranked near the bottom of the Sun Belt in that category for much of the season, but entering action versus UTA, the Jaguars fifth in the conference, averaging 2.00 blocks per set.
Junior middle blocker Amber Wyatt has been spectacular as of late. Over her last four matches, Wyatt has recorded 32 total blocks – three solo and 29 assists. This past weekend, the Clanton, Ala., native recorded 14 total blocks – two solo and 12 assists for a 1.75 blocks per set average. She currently ranks third in the league in that category with 1.18 bps.
Texas-Arlington (11-9, 4-3 SBC) comes into Friday night's match after dropping three of its last four matches, including losses to Arkansas-Little Rock (3-1) and Arkansas State (3-2) at home last weekend.
The two losses were the first home conference losses for the Mavericks this season as they had won their three previous home SBC matches.
UTA is led offensively by senior outside hitter Shelby Dickson. Dickson has 217 kills entering play this week and is averaging 2.82 kps. Dickson has nine double-doubles this season, including a 19-kill, 10-dig performance in her last match versus the Red Wolves. In her seven conference matches, Dickson is averaging 3.22 kills and 3.33 digs per set.
Charmaine Whitmore and Taylor Gross are averaging just below two kills per set as both are at 1.91.
Whitmore is sixth in the conference in hitting (.298) and leads the league in blocks (1.64). Whitmore is also second nationally in blocks entering play this week. The senior middle blocker posted 13 block assists on Saturday versus Arkansas State and over her last three matches, she has had 29 total blocks - one solo and 28 assists.
Gross is also tied for fourth in the conference in blocks with Texas State's Molly Aherns, averaging 1.10 blocks per set.
As a team, Texas-Arlington leads Sun Belt in blocks with 2.71 and is second in the conference in opponent hitting percentage, holding the opposition to a .152 hitting percentage.
Sophomore libero Caitlyn Cooney is fifth in the SBC in digs with 4.14 per set.
Texas State (13-9, 3-4 SBC) enters this week's league action after falling last weekend at home to both Arkansas State and Arkansas-Little Rock. The loss to the Trojans on Sunday was the Bobcats' third-straight - all in five sets - and their fourth in the program's last five matches. TSU will play Troy on Friday night before facing the Jags.
The Bobcats has used a balanced offensive attack this season as four players are averaging 2.22 kills per set or better. Leading the way for TSU is senior Amari Deardorff who ranks sixth in the Sun Belt with 3.09 kps. Deardorff - a preseason all-conference selection - was named the SBC's Offensive Player of the Week after the opening weekend of the season.
Ashlee Hilbun (2.52), Alexandra Smith (2.42) and Shelby Vas Matt (2.22) are the other three players for Texas State averaging over two kills per set.
Hilbun and Deardorff also rank among the conference leaders in hitting percentage. Hilbun's .326 percentage is fourth-best in the league, while Deardorff is eighth at .293.
Like USA's Lewis and Daniel, Vas Matt has twice been selected as the Sun Belt's Freshman of the Week this fall.
As a team, Texas State leads the SBC in opponent hitting percentage, limiting its opposition to just a .150 attack percentage. The Bobcats are also second in the league in aces (1.25) and digs (14.96) and third in kills (12.94), assists (11.72) and blocks (2.21).
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 Texas-Arlington and South Alabama this weekend will mark the second in the all-time series between the two clubs. The only other meeting in the series was back during the 1995 season where UTA won 3-1 in Arlington. USA and UTA will also face each other on Nov. 8 when the Mavericks travel to Mobile. The meeting between Texas State and South Alabama this weekend will mark the first-ever between the two clubs. After not having ever faced each other, USA and TSU will see each other in back-to-back matches as the Bobcats travel to Mobile on Oct. 25.
—USA—
