Match Notes - Match 11: at Louisiana-Lafayette and Match 12: vs. Georgia State (.pdf)MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team will jump into Sun Belt Conference action this weekend with a pair of matches. USA will open league play on the road at Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Earl K. Long Gym, before returning home this weekend to host Georgia State on Sunday at noon at Jag Gym.
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.
With the non-conference portion of the schedule now complete, the Sun Belt Conference portion now offers a new season for the Jags.
"As we head into the conference season, we are 0-0," South Alabama Amy Hendrichovsky said. "Our team understands that and we plan to take one match at a time through this 20-match conference season. Our preseason schedule challenged us physically and mentally. Outside of our first weekend, our team performed and we focused on improving each week."
The third-year head coach says that one area will be key for the Jags to focus on in order to be successful as they enter conference play.
"It will be important to control the ball on our side of the net," Hendrichovsky said. "When we are able to handle the first contact it allows us to have a balanced offensive attack and apply more pressure on our opponents. It will come down to which team is able to execute at a higher level."
South Alabama (5-5) opens Sun Belt Conference action this week after posting a 3-1 record at the Maroon Classic over the weekend. The Jaguars began the tournament with a straight-set win over Mississippi State – the program's first-ever in the series in Starkville and the first over the Bulldogs since the 1987 season. USA also picked up wins over Northwestern State and Nicholls State before dropping the last match to Memphis.
The win over the Colonels on Saturday was the fifth-straight for the Jaguars. USA began the year with a 0-4 record, but have since won five of its last six entering this week.
South Alabama continues to be led this season offensively by the sophomore all-conference duo of Mechell Daniel and Jessica Lewis. Daniel leads the club and ranks sixth in the league in kills with 3.38 per set, while Lewis is right behind her in seventh with 3.20 per set.
Daniel is also second on the Jag roster with 2.59 digs per set.
Jenna Hassell paces the club from behind the service line as she is tied for fifth in the Sun Belt in serving with 0.37 aces per set.
Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Abby Baker is coming off a strong performance at the Bulldog tournament. On Monday, she was named the Sun Belt's Defensive Player of the Week – the first such honor of her career – after leading USA with 81 digs and 6.23 digs per set average in her four matches. Her best outing of the tourney came versus Northwestern State where she registered 34 digs for an 8.50 dps average. The 34 digs were not only a career-high for Baker, but were the most by a Jag in a four-set match and the most during the Rally Era, eclipsing Hassell's previous mark of 33 against Georgia State during the 2012 season.
The Fayetteville, Ga., native currently ranks sixth in the SBC in digs with 3.80 per set.
Louisiana-Lafayette comes into this week's action with a perfect 10-0 mark on the year. ULL is one of 15 teams in the country that is still undefeated at this point.
"Louisiana-Lafayette has had a great start to their season entering conference with a perfect 10-0 record," Hendrichovsky said. "They depend heavily on their passing and have a senior setter that does a nice job running their offense. I anticipate they will have a great crowd and feed off of the energy in the building."
ULL went 3-0 this past week at the Flo Hyman Collegiate Classic hosted by Houston. All three of their wins at the Cougar tournament were in straight sets and the Ragin' Cajuns have only lost six sets in their 10 matches thus far this season.
The Jaguars and the Cajuns have three common non-conference opponents – Oral Roberts, Nicholls State and Northwestern State. ULL holds the edge over USA in that area having defeated ORU.
Louisiana-Lafayette has been extremely balanced on the offensive side of the net as four players are averaging 2.42 kills per set or better. Chanelle Gardener leads the club in that category, averaging 2.63 per set. Gardner is also eighth in the SBC in hitting with a .332 percentage.
Along with Gardner, Sara Mossakowski (2.53), Stacey Reilly (2.44) and Kaylee Nemeth (2.42) have proved to be solid offensive options for ULL.
Middle blocker Abby Flice has played in 15 few sets this season, but is averaging 2.14 kps and hitting .340 – seventh-best in the Sun Belt.
The Ragin' Cajun offense has been directed by senior setter Andrea Hole, who ranks second in the conference in assists with 10.64 per set. She is also third in the league in serving with 0.42 aces per set.
As a team, ULL ranks third in the SBC in hitting (.250), opponent hitting percentage (.143) and aces (1.67), while also sitting in fourth in blocks (1.99).
Georgia State (2-10, 0-1 SBC) enters play this week having already jumped into Sun Belt Conference action as the Panthers took on Appalachian State this past weekend at the Black and Gold Challenge.
GSU fell in straight sets to the Mountaineers. The Panthers have lost each of their last five matches coming into play this week, including four in three sets.
Georgia State will play at Louisiana-Monroe Friday night before traveling to Mobile to take on the Jags.
"Georgia State returns majority of their lineup from a year ago and has a very athletic team," Hendrichovsky said. "They have a new coaching staff and in the process of learning a new system. With a few athletes putting up great numbers during the preseason we will have to take care of our side in order to help defend them."
Deidra Bohannon paces the Panthers offensively with 3.50 kills per set. She ranks fourth in the Sun Belt in that category. Eliza Zachary is second on the team with 2.81 kps, but ranks sixth in the league in hitting with a .372 clip.
GSU setter Nataiia Neito is tied for eighth in the conference with 0.33 aces per set. Georgia State is fourth in the conference in aces (1.53).
NOTES: The match versus the Ragin' Cajuns on Wednesday will mark the 56th in the all-time series versus the Jags. Louisiana-Lafayette holds a 31-14 advantage in those previous meetings, but South Alabama has won four-straight dating back to the 2011 season. USA is also just 3-15 in matches played on the Cajuns' home court, but the Jaguars have won their last two trips to Lafayette. The match versus ULL will also mark the 23rd Sun Belt opener and Sun Belt road opener. USA holds a 6-16 record in both of those categories. The Jags though have won three of their last four SBC openers. The Sun Belt didn't start regular season league matches until the 1992 season. The match versus the Panthers on Sunday will mark the seventh in the all-time series versus the Jaguars. USA holds a 4-2 advantage in those meetings and has won three-straight. South Alabama won the only meeting in Mobile in the series, picking up a 3-1 win versus the Panthers at Jag Gym last season. The match versus the Panthers will be the 23rd Sun Belt Conference home opener for the Jaguars. USA holds a 5-17 record in those league home openers and has won three of its last four.
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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