Match Notes: Matches 27-28 - vs. Appalachian State and at Arkansas-Little Rock (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team will host Appalachian State on Friday at 4 p.m. at Jag Gym and then travel to Arkansas-Little Rock on Sunday to take on the Trojans at noon at the Jack Stephens Center.

Live stats and web streaming for both matches will be available at www.USAJaguars.com and can be accessed on the Jaguar volleyball schedule page.  

South Alabama (10-16, 5-11 SBC) enters the match versus the Mountaineers after dropping both its matches this past weekend.  USA fell in five sets at home to Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday night and then dropped a four-set decision at Texas-Arlington.  The loss to the Mavericks on Sunday was the fifth-straight for the Jaguars and the eighth in the last nine for the program.

USA currently sits in the ninth spot in the latest Sun Belt standings.

Senior libero Jenna Hassell became the program's career digs leader versus the Mavericks as she passed former Jag Keturah Carter.  Hassell tied Carter with her 12th dig of the match in the third set and then a couple of points later moved into first with her 13th dig.  Hassell now has 1,519 for her career.

Offensively, South Alabama continues to be led by the sophomore duo of Mechell Daniel and Jessica Lewis.  

Mechell Daniel has led USA offensively in 17 matches this season, including 10 of the last 11.  The Chelmsford, England, native ranks sixth in the Sun Belt Conference with her 3.49 kills per set average. She has recorded double-figure kill matches in 19 of her 25 matches this season and has a team-best 11 double-doubles.  Daniel carded her 11th double-double of Friday night with a 22-kill, 14-dig performance versus ULL.

Lewis has led USA offensively on eight occasions during the 2014 season and has posted double-digit kill tallies on 17 occasions.  Lewis ranks ninth in the latest SBC rankings with her 3.24 kills per set average.  Lewis carded her third double-double of the season with 20 kills and a career-high 16 digs versus Louisiana-Lafayette.  Lewis did not play versus UTA due to an illness.

The Jaguars are led at the net by middle blockers Symone Stephenson and Nikki Gittens.  Stephenson leads the club with 60 total blocks and Gittens is close behind with 59.  
Appalachian State (19-7, 9-7 SBC) enter play this week after splitting its two matches last weekend.  The Mountaineers defeated Georgia Southern in straight sets on Friday and then fell 3-1 to Arkansas State on Saturday.

App State began the season with 13-straight wins and had non-conference wins over Tennessee, Cincinnati, Louisville and Maryland.

"Appalachian State is a very good team," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said.  "They handle the first contact and have a setter that is consistently able to locate the second contact.  They are a well trained and well coached team."  

Along with the strong start to the season, the Mountaineers have also ranked among the league leaders in several categories all season long.  Appalachian State currently leads the Sun Belt in kills (13.81) and assists (13.27) and ranks fourth in hitting percentage (.221).  ASU is also fourth in the conference in digs (16.18).  ASU ranks 15th in the NCAA in assists and 38th in kills per set.

Junior outside hitter Emily Corrigan has made an immediate impact in her first year in the SBC.  Corrigan was selected as the league's offensive player of the week each of the first three weeks of the season and leads the conference with 4.58 kills per set.  Corrigan also ranks 14th nationally in that same category and her 426 kills are 23rd-most in the NCAA.

Jess Keller has also been an offensive weapon in conference action as she is averaging 3.12 per set.  Lauren Gray sits just outside three kills per set as she is averaging 2.96 and also ranks sixth in the conference in hitting (.318).

The ASU offense is directed by junior setter Paige Brown.  Brown leads the SBC and ranks third in the NCAA in assists with 11.76 per set.  She has been selected as the conference's setter of the week six times in 2014.  

The Mountaineers have also been strong defensively.  Junior libero Meghan Mahoney (4.28 dps) is fifth in the conference in digs.  Gray leads the team at the net with 71 total blocks, while Hailey Kerr has 63 blocks and Keller has 52 total blocks.

Arkansas-Little Rock (23-4, 17-0 SBC) come into action Sunday having already captured the Sun Belt Conference title.  The Trojans also enter play riding an 18-match win streak   UALR has not lost a match since falling 3-0 to Cal State Northridge back on Sept. 12.

"UALR has captured the regular season championship for the Sun Belt and has multiple offensive weapons that teams are struggling to defend," Hendrichovsky said.  "They are a mature team and handle each match very businesslike."

During its current win streak, UALR has only dropped eight sets and won 10 of those 18 outings in straight sets.

UALR is a perfect 8-0 this season at the Jack Stephens Center, all of which have come against SBC foes.

Offensively, Arkansas-Little Rock is led by the reigning league player of the year Ednia Begic.  Begic currently ranks second in kills (4.49 kps) - 17th in the NCAA, 10th in hitting (.295) and is tied for first with fellow teammate Edina Selimovic for the league lead with 0.42 aces.  She is 30th in the NCAA in aces with 38.  Selimovic is 25th nationally in serving coming into the week.  As a team, UALR is tied with Louisiana-Monroe for first in the conference in that same category with 1.46 per set.

Begic has been selected as the SBC Offensive Player of the Week on six occasions this season, including the past two weeks.

Fellow outside hitter Sonja Milanovic has also been outstanding on the offensive side of the net for the Trojans during the 2014 season.  Milanovic is fifth in kills (3.51) and ranks second on the team in digs with 3.42 per set.  In the first meeting with the Jags, Milanovic recorded 17 kills and 15 digs.

The Trojans are one of the top defensive clubs in the Sun Belt and the nation at the net.  Entering play this week, UALR leads the conference and ranks eighth in the NCAA in blocks (3.04).  Selimovic leads the SBC in that category and ranks 19th in the NCAA with 1.41 bps, while fellow middle blocker Carolee Dillard is third the SBC with 1.23 blocks per set.  Led by the play of Dillard and Selimovic, Arkansas-Little Rock is also holding its opponents to a .140 hitting percentage - tops in the league.

UALR is also the top hitting club in the conference as its .284 attack percentage is .056 better than the next closest team.  The Trojans hitting percentage is ninth in the NCAA.  Selimovic is fifth individually in that same category with a .330 percentage.

NOTES: The match versus the Mountaineers on Friday night will be just the second-ever versus South Alabama.  Appalachian State won the first meeting earlier this season, defeating the Jags 3-1 in Boone, N.C.  The match versus the Trojans on Sunday will mark the 30th in the all-time series versus the Jaguars.  Arkansas-Little Rock holds a 26-3 lead in the series.  UALR has won five-straight in the series with USA's last win over the Trojans coming back during the 2010 season when the Jags won 3-2 in Mobile.  UALR took the first meeting this season, defeating the Jags 3-1 in Mobile.  USA is 0-11 all-time in the series on the Trojan's home court.

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).

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