Date: 8/15
Position: Outside and Opposite Side Hitters

Returning Letterwinners (Key stats): Mechell Daniel, So. (3.81 kps – 423 kills, 2.55 dps – 283 digs), Jessica Lewis, So. (3.42 kps – 260 kills, 17 service aces, 126 digs), Savannah Stewart, (RS) So. (2.59 kps – 300 kills, 2.63 dps – 305 digs, 31 service aces)*, Mallory Moore, So. (2.31 kps – 245 kills, 76 total blocks – two solo and 74 assists), Deanna Canfield, Jr. (59 kills, 139 digs, 14 total blocks – two solo and 12 assists)

* Stats from 2012 season

Letterwinners lost (Key stats): None.

Newcomers (Yr., Previous school): Sarah Richardson (So., Rutgers University), Kolby Meeks (Fr. Norcross (Ga.) High School)

Miscellaneous Notes
- All nine of South Alabama's league best Freshman of the Week honors a year ago came from this position.
- Mechell Daniel and Jessica Lewis ranked as one of the top offensive duos in the Sun Belt Conference last season just behind Arkansas-Little Rock's tandem of Edina Begic and Sonja Milanovic.
- Daniel – who was the league's freshman of the year and a first-team all-conference selection – ranked third in the conference in kills (423 – 3.81 per set) and points (4.33 per set), while Lewis – a second-team all-conference selection – ranked fifth in the SBC in kills (260 – 3.42 per set) and points (3.80 per set).
- Daniel's 423 kills were the most ever by a Jag freshman and the most in a season by a USA player since Tonia Hatfield's 445 back during the 1995 season.
- Daniel and Lewis were the first South Alabama duo since 2007 – Hristina Markova (3.20) and Juliana Almeida (3.16) – to each over three kills a set in the same season.

Head coach Amy Hendrichovsky
- On what will be the key to success for this group this season: "At this level, the outside hitter position is a key to any team's success.  Having the ability to terminate in good and bad situations is always a goal for this group.  With Deanna (Canfield), Savannah (Stewart), Jessica (Lewis) and Mechell (Daniel) filling the role of outside/right side attacker and primary passer, their job will get easier when we handle our first contact and allow our setters to have four to five viable options.  If we can have multiple people that can terminate and not rely on two we will be more successful."
- On what she thinks Mechell Daniel and Jessica Lewis can do to have an even greater impact for the club this season: "They've set a pretty high bar for this team and given our team something new to strive for."
- On which players in this group she has seen improve the most since last fall: "The entire group, as a whole, has improved since last fall.  One thing I will say is this team works very hard as a unit and has improved on pushing each other to get better each day."
- On what it will mean to add Savannah Stewart back to the lineup: "Having her back on the court adds another person that has knowledge of the game, but she gives us depth and the ability to give us different looks with the offense.  As a freshman, she was our second-leading point scorer and has the experience to do good things for this team this season."


Sophomore Outside/Opposite Side Hitter – Mechell Daniel
- On what she has worked on during the off season to improve her game even more: "During the offseason, I worked on my four-step approach, because when I first came here I was using some steps and movements that I didn't need to do.  I've just tried to slow it down and keep it simple and not use unnecessary movements.  I've also working on improving my jumping by getting in the weight room.  I think that this will help improve my range."
- On what it is like for her to be looked at as one of the offensive leaders for the club heading into the season: "Obviously it's a privilege to be seen in that view point.  We have many players coming back from last season, so I feel that there is less pressure on me.  I think we will have a more balanced attack this season, rather than most of the pressure being on me.  We also have Jessica (Lewis) back healthy, so we should be faster on the outside."
- On her expectations for the team this season: "My expectations for us this year are to get off to a better start than we did last year.  Last season, we didn't really start that strong.  This season, I hope that we are able to start strong and maintain that throughout the whole season, rather than just the second half.  I also want us to finish at the top of the conference."

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