Match Notes: Match 13 at Texas State and Match 14 vs. Arkansas State (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – After winning both of its Sun Belt Conference matches this past week, the University of South Alabama volleyball team look to stay hot with a pair of matches this week. USA will travel to take on Texas State on Thursday night for a 6 p.m. match at Strahan Coliseum and then return home on Saturday night to host Arkansas State at 6 p.m. 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.

South Alabama (7-5, 2-0 SBC) comes into Thursday's match versus Texas State as one of the hottest teams in the Sun Belt.  Along with its 2-0 start to SBC play, USA has also won seven of its last eight.  

This past week, the Jaguars handed Louisiana-Lafayette its first loss of the season with a five-set road victory and then returned home for a straight-set win over Georgia State on Sunday.

The 2-0 start to conference play is just the third for the program since the start of regular-season SBC play back during the 1991 season.

South Alabama continues to be led offensively by the all-conference duo of Mechell Daniel and Jessica Lewis.  Daniel ranks fifth in the Sun Belt with 3.33 kills per set, while Lewis is seventh at 3.16 kps.  Daniel has also been solid in the defensive back court as she ranks second on the club with 2.53 dps and has five double-doubles on the season.

Fellow sophomores Mallory Moore and Nikki Gittens have also proven to be reliable offensive options for the Jags as they are each averaging over two kills per set.  Middle blocker Symone Stephenson also has 59 kills this season.

Both Stephenson and Gittens have also been solid at the net.  Stephenson paces the club with 29 total blocks (1 solo, 28 assists), while Gittens is right behind her at 28 total blocks (4 solo, 24 assists).  Stephenson is coming off a season-high six blocks versus Georgia State.

South Alabama's Jenna Hassell has been stellar behind the service line as she has 14 aces this season and is fourth in the SBC in serving with 0.33 aces per set.  Abby Baker has also been strong at the libero position for the Jags as she is seventh in the conference in digs with 3.93 per set.  Since moving into the starting libero role after the opening weekend, Baker has averaged 4.75 dps.  USA has been 7-2 since Baker's move.

Texas State enters play this week with an 8-7 overall record and a perfect 3-0 mark in the Sun Belt.  TSU opened up league play with a home win against Texas-Arlington and road wins at Arkansas State and at Louisiana-Monroe over the weekend.

"Texas State is a very good team," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said.  "They had a great start in conference last week going 3-0 and look to be building momentum.  We had two very competitive matches with them last season and I anticipate this match will be a good battle as well."

The Bobcats made an immediate impact during their first year in the SBC a year ago as they won the conference tournament and earned a trip to the NCAA tournament.

Sophomore outside hitter Shelby Vas Matt leads the club and sits just outside of the conference leaders in kills with 3.03 per set.  She has 188 on the year and is hitting .216., while also ranking second on the Bobcat roster in aces (16) and digs (205 – 3.31 dps).

Lauren Kirch and Kelsey Weynand are each averaging 2.80 kills per set.  Kirch leads the team with 38 total blocks – four solo and 34 assists, while Weynand has been solid in the back court with 2.30 digs per set.

Junior libero Sierra Smith ranks fourth in the Sun Belt in digs with 4.56 per set, while Vas Matt is eighth in the league in that category.  Individually, Smith is 13th in the NCAA in that category.

As a team, TSU is averaging 17.02 digs per set, which is third-best in the SBC and 15th nationally.  The Bobcats also ranks second in the league in kills (13.92) and assists (13.31), which ranks 34th and 20th, respectively, in the NCAA.

Texas State's 862 kills are second-most among any team in the country, while its 1,055 digs are third-most.

Arkansas State (6-5, 1-1 SBC) comes into league action this week after splitting its two matches last week.  ASU began the week with a 3-0 loss to Texas State, but bounced back to pick up its first Sun Belt win of the season on Sunday with a 3-1 victory at Georgia Southern.

"Arkansas State is another solid opponent," Hendrichovsky said.  "They have some new personnel on the floor and are running a quicker offense this season.  We will need to focus on controlling our side of the net once again to counter their system."  

After beginning the season with a 1-4 record, the Red Wolves have won five of their last six, three of which have been in straight sets.  

Sarah Kemp, a 6-0 senior outside hitter has been outstanding this season as she leads the club with 148 kills and ranks third in the conference with 4.00 kps.  Kemp is also third on the ASU roster in digs with 2.46 per set.

True freshman Drew Jones has also been solid for the Red Wolves as she has been selected the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Week four times thus far in 2014.  Jones is averaging 2.84 kills per set.  

Shelby Holmes has also proven to be a reliable offensive weapon as she is just behind Jones with 2.80 kps.

Sophomore libero Markie Schaedig leads the Sun Belt and ranks second in the NCAA in digs with 6.18 digs per set.  Schaedig averaged 6.43 digs per set in ASU's first two conference matches and was named the league's defensive player of the week on Monday.

Arkansas State also leads the SBC in that same category, averaging 18.13 dps, which ranks third in the latest NCAA rankings.

NOTES: The match versus the Bobcats on Thursday night will be just the third in the all-time series versus the Jags.  Last season, the two clubs split their two meetings with each winning in five sets on its home floor.  USA trailed two sets to one in the second meeting in Mobile, but rallied to pick up the final two sets, including a dramatic 20-18 victory in the fifth set.  The match versus the Red Wolves on Saturday night will be the 29th in the all-time series versus the Jags.  Arkansas State holds a 24-4 advantage in the series and dating back to the 2006 season, ASU has won seven of the last nine.  The two clubs split last season's two meetings with each winning on each other's home floor.  The Red Wolves out lasted USA in Jonesboro, and picked up a 3-2 win, while the Jaguars won in straight sets in the second meeting in Mobile.  South Alabama is 3-10 in the series in matches played in Mobile.

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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