Match 31 - vs. No 1 seed Arkansas-Little Rock (Quarterfinals) - 2014 Sun Belt Conference Championship Notes (.pdf)2014 Sun Belt Conference Championship Bracket (.pdf)Tournament CentralMOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team, seeded eighth, will open up play at the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Championships on Thursday when the Jaguars take on the No. 1 seed, Arkansas-Little Rock at noon at Strahan Coliseum on the campus of Texas State University.
"UALR is a great team and we respect them for their accomplishment thus far," Hendrichovsky said. "However, with what's at stake our team will be prepared and ready to compete."
The winner of the opening round match between USA and UALR will take on the winner of No. 4 Texas-Arlington/No. 5 Appalachian State on Friday in the first semifinal match scheduled to start at 4 p.m.
Live stats and web streaming for the match versus the Trojans will be available at www.USAJaguars.com and can be accessed on the Jaguar volleyball schedule page.
South Alabama (12-18, 7-13 SBC) enters the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Championships as the eighth seed in this year's league tournament. USA closed out the season by splitting its final two matches of the regular season, defeating Louisiana-Monroe (3-1) and falling to Troy (3-1).
With the win over the Warhawks on Friday night and Georgia Southern's loss to Texas State on Saturday, the Jaguars earned a berth in the conference tourney.
The appearance marks the program's 18th all-time in the Sun Belt Championships and the first back-to-back appearances for USA since the 2001 and 2000 seasons.
"Knowing it's a process to build a highly successful program, earning a spot in this year's tournament was an understood goal and will continue to be a goal for this program," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. "We have an opportunity to compete another day and earn an NCAA bid. At this point, there are eight teams competing for a championship and the team that plays consistent, confident, and competitive volleyball will represent the Sun Belt. We are excited to have the chance to be that team."
Last season, the Jags fell to eventual tournament runner up Texas-Arlington in the opening round.
South Alabama and UALR have met just one time in the league tournament with that meeting coming at the 2001 championships held in Denver, Colo. The Trojans took that match 3-0.
The Jaguars continue to be led offensively by the sophomore duo of Mechell Daniel and Jessica Lewis.
Daniel has led USA offensively in 19 matches this season, including 12 of the last 14. The Chelmsford, England, native ranks sixth in the Sun Belt Conference with her 3.45 kills per set average. She has recorded double-figure kill matches in 23 of her 29 matches this season and has a team-best 14 double-doubles. Versus the Trojans, Daniel had 10 kills and 16 digs. Nine of her 14 double-doubles have come against Sun Belt foes.
Lewis has led USA offensively on 10 times during the 2014 season and has posted double-digit kill tallies on 20 occasions. Lewis ranks 10th in the latest SBC rankings with her 3.21 kills per set average. The Huntsville, Ala., native posted her fourth double-double of the season in the regular season finale, recording 12 kills and 13 digs.
At the net, middle blockers Nikki Gittens and Symone Stephenson lead the way for the Jaguars. Gittens enters the match versus UALR with 80 total blocks - seven solo and 73 block assists, while Stephenson has 68 blocks on the year.
Arkansas-Little Rock (26-4, 20-0) completed its undefeated Sun Belt season with a sweep of Arkansas State this weekend. The title is the third regular-season Sun Belt Championship for the Trojans. Arkansas-Little Rock has won four Sun Belt Tournament titles in its school history with the most recent coming in 2000.
UALR captured both meetings versus South Alabama this season. The Trojans also enter the postseason riding a 21-match win streak UALR has not lost a match since falling 3-0 to Cal State Northridge back on Sept. 12.
During its current win streak, UALR has only dropped 10 of its 73 sets played and has won 12 of those 21 outings in straight sets.
Offensively, Arkansas-Little Rock is led by the reigning league player of the year Ednia Begic. Begic currently leads the SBC in kills (4.55 kps) – 14th in the NCAA, 10th in hitting (.298) and is second in the conference behind fellow teammate Edina Selimovic in aces with 0.40 aces.
Begic has been selected as the SBC Offensive Player of the Week on eight occasions this season, including the past two weeks.
Selimovic is 12th nationally in serving coming into the week with 0.47 aces per set, while Begic is 27th. As a team, UALR sits just ahead of Louisiana-Monroe for first in the conference in that same category with 1.48 per set – which is 38th-best in the NCAA.
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 (3.53) and ranks second on the team in digs with 3.40 per set.
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 ninth in the NCAA in blocks (3.05). Selimovic leads the SBC in that category and ranks 16th in the NCAA with 1.46 bps, while fellow middle blocker Carolee Dillard is third the SBC with 1.20 blocks per set. Led by the play of Dillard and Selimovic, Arkansas-Little Rock is also holding its opponents to a .142 hitting percentage - tops in the league and eighth nationally.
UALR is also the top hitting club in the conference as its .283 attack percentage is .057 better than the next closest team. The Trojans hitting percentage is 10th in the NCAA. Selimovic is fifth individually in that same category with a .329 percentage.
NOTES: The match versus the Trojans on Sunday will mark the 31st in the all-time series versus the Jaguars. Arkansas-Little Rock holds a 27-3 lead in the series. UALR has won six-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 both meetings in the series this season, defeating the Jags 3-1 in Mobile and 3-0 in Little Rock. USA is 0-1 all-time versus Arkansas-Little Rock in the Sun Belt Conference tournament. That meeting came at the 2001 championships held in Denver, Colo., as the Trojans took that match 3-0. This marks the 18th appearance by South Alabama in the Sun Belt tournament.
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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