Match 26: at Texas State Match Notes (.pdf)Match 27: at UT Arlington Match Notes (.pdf)MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team will close out the regular season this weekend with a pair of matches in Texas. The Jaguars take on Texas State on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. at Strahan Coliseum and then travel to UT Arlington to take on the Mavericks on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the College Park Center.
Live stats and web streaming for both matches can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com. Fans can also keep up with in-match updates by following action on the program's twitter account @USA_Jags_VB.
South Alabama (13-12, 7-7 SBC) comes into play this week looking to snap a three-match losing streak after falling 3-0 in its home finale against Little Rock last Friday. The loss also ended a six-match home win streak for the Jaguars.
"Up until these last three matches, we knew our team would fight and play tough in every match and when they did they were competitive," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. "We haven't been playing our style of volleyball the last three matches, but we have identified that as a program and will work very hard this week to return back to our level of play. Part of growing as a team is learning how to face adversity and strive to become a stronger team.
"To improve from the last few matches, we need to be more aggressive on our side of the net offensively, while still minimizing our unforced errors. We've also brought more focus to our defensive game as this has always helped us win big matches."
Over the last three matches, USA is hitting .146, while allowing its opponents to hit .256. South Alabama's opponents have led the Jaguars in assists, aces, digs and blocks during that same stretch.
South Alabama currently holds a half-match advantage over Troy for the sixth seed and sits a half-match back of Little Rock who is in fifth. The Jaguars could move as high as the fourth seed this weekend with a pair of wins and a loss by the Trojans.
Mechell Daniel continues to lead South Alabama offensively as she ranks third in the conference offensively with 363 kills and a 3.63 kills per set average. Daniel leads the team with 11 double-doubles this season with eight of those coming in conference play. Over the last 14 matches, the junior opposite side hitter has averaged 3.86 kills and 3.11 digs per set.
Middle blocker Nikki Gittens is second on the club offensively, averaging 2.19 kills per set leads the team with a .266 hitting percentage.
Gittens and fellow middle blocker Sarah Richardson have been outstanding at the net defensively for the Jaguars this season. Richardson and Gittens have combined for 199 total blocks. Gittens holds a slim lead with 100 total blocks. She is averaging 1.00 blocks per set, which is currently in a three-way tie for sixth in the SBC. Richardson has 99 total blocks - 10 solo - and is averaging 0.99 blocks per set.
Senior defensive specialist Emily Hundt has been instrumental in leading the Jaguar defense in the back row this season. The setter turned libero is averaging 4.08, which ranks eighth in the conference. In Sun Belt play, Hundt is averaging 4.84 per set. As a team, USA is averaging 16.53 dps in league action.
As a team, South Alabama ranks fourth in digs (15.61) and blocks (2.21). Over the last 14 matches, the Jaguars are even better in those two categories, averaging 16.60 dps and 2.47 bps.
Texas State comes into play this week with a 17-11 overall record and a 12-3 SBC mark having already clinched the third seed in this year's Sun Belt Conference Championships. The Bobcats improved their current win streak to five over the weekend with a pair of 3-0 victories on the road at UL Monroe on Thursday and at UL Lafayette on Saturday.
Texas State has won each of its last four matches in straight sets. The Bobcat's last loss came on Oct. 24 in a five-set decision against South Alabama.
Sophomore opposite side hitter Jordan Kohl continues to lead the club with a 2.78 kills per set average. She is hitting .240 this season and is third on the club with 51 total blocks. Shelby Vas Matt and Kelsey Weynand are averaging 2.36 and 2.35 kills per set, respectively.
Madison Daigle has been solid as of late for the Bobcats as she has been named the league's freshman of the week each of the last two weeks. Daigle is averaging just under two kills per set and hitting a team-best .312, while also ranking second on the team in 60 blocks (0.81). Daigle is fifth in the SBC in hitting percentage.
Junior middle blocker Morgan Lewis leads the club defensively at the net with 96 blocks and a 1.00 bps average.
In the back court, Sierra Smith's 4.26 digs per set are seventh-best in the league.
Bobcat setter Erin Hoppe leads the Sun Belt in serving with 35 aces and a 0.38 aces per set average. As a team, Texas State is second in the conference from behind the service line with 1.44 aces per set. The Bobcats are also third in the league in both kills (11.51) and assists (10.74) and fourth in hitting (.210).
UT Arlington enters play this week currently sitting in fourth-place in the latest Sun Belt standings with an 18-9 overall record and a 9-6 league mark. The Mavericks are coming off a pair of 3-0 wins on the road last weekend, defeating both UL Lafayette and UL Monroe. UTA has now won five if its last six matches.
UT Arlington is led offensively by a pair of 300-kill players – Qiante Cante (329) and Stacey Koch (321). Cante, the reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year from last season, ranks fifth in the conference in kills with 3.23 per set, while Koch is ninth with 3.15 per set. Koch is also hitting .300 this season.
Redshirt freshman middle blocker Zhanelle Geathers has twice been selected as the Sun Belt's Freshman of the Week this season and her .351 hitting percentage is second-best among all players in the league.
Junior setter Cassidy Wheeler has also been solid this season for the Mavericks as she is third in the SBC in assists with 977 this season and a 9.58 assists per set average. Wheeler is also tied for eighth in serving (32 - 0.31).
The Mavericks have once again been strong at the net defensively as they rank second in that category with 2.40 blocks per set, trailing Little Rock. As a team, UTA is 37th in the latest NCAA rankings in total blocks with 245.
UT Arlington's Marisah Ingram is fourth in the Sun Belt with 107 total blocks and a 1.09 blocks per set average, while Geathers is in a three-way tie for sixth with 102 total blocks and a 1.00 bps average.
UTA is third in the conference in both hitting percentage (.214) and opponent's hitting percentage (.172).
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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