Matches 4-6: Bruiser Showcase Tournament Notes (.pdf)MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team will continue on the road this weekend as the Jaguars head to Nashville, Tenn., to compete at the Bruiser Showcase. The two-day tournament gets underway at the Curb Event Center on Friday. USA will open up play against tourney host Belmont at 12:30 p.m. and then face Memphis later that same day at 3:30 p.m. The Jags will close out with a single match on Saturday against UTEP slated to begin at 11 a.m.
Heading into South Alabama's second weekend of action, Jaguar head coach Amy Hendrichovsky the club will need to focus on a couple of areas in order to improve from a week ago.
"To improve from this past weekend, we will be focusing on our serve and pass game as well as blocking," the fourth-year head coach stated. "We played really well at times in these categories during our first tournament, but need to build on our consistency. Each of our student-athletes knows how they can improve at doing their job at the highest level every single play; now it is a matter of doing it more consistently. Once we have more student-athletes consistently doing their job, we will be an even more exciting team to watch.
"All three teams that we are facing this weekend will pose different threats and challenges for us. At this time of the season, it is ultimately about controlling the ball on your side of the net. When we are in system and applying pressure to our opponents, the game becomes simple. ."
Live stats for all three of the Jaguars' matches this weekend can be accessed on the volleyball schedule page at www.USAJaguars.com. Friday's match versus Belmont will also be available at the same location and can be viewed for free. Fans can also keep up with in-match updates by following action on the program's twitter account @USA_Jags_VB.
South Alabama comes into its second weekend of action after recording a 1-2 record at the Boston College Invitational. The Jaguars rallied back on Saturday to defeat Sacred Heart in five and dropped a pair of 3-1 decisions to Boston College and Providence. Nikki Gittens was selected to the all-tournament team, her third all-tournament team of her career.
After trailing 2-0 in the match versus the Pioneers, the Jaguars rallied back to pick up the final three sets. The come-from-behind victory marked the first time that USA had won a match after dropping the first two sets since Sept. 8, 2012 at Georgia State.
Junior outside hitter Mechell Daniel led the club offensively in USA's three matches, recording 45 kills and averaging 3.46 per set. Daniel recorded her first double-double of the season and the 29th of her career with a 14-kill, 10-dig outing versus Sacred Heart.
Junior middle blocker Sarah Richardson got off to a strong start defensively at the net. Richardson leads the club with 11 total blocks. She has four solo blocks and seven block assists. Richardson's three solo blocks versus Boston College were the most in a match by a Jag since Summer Pilgrim's three solo blocks vs. Middle Tennessee (10/24/04).
Redshirt junior Savannah Stewart had five service aces for the Jaguars and is averaging 0.42 aces per set, which currently ranks in the top 10 of the Sun Belt.
As a team, South Alabama ranks second in the SBC from behind the service line. The Jaguars have 22 aces and are averaging 1.69 per set.
Belmont enters its home tourney after dropping its first three matches of the season this past weekend at the Ball State Challenge in Muncie, Ind. BU opened the 2015 season with a straight-set loss to New Mexico and then fell in five to both Ball State and Albany.
The Bruins were predicted to finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll after advancing to the championship match a year ago.
Sophomore outside hitter Arianna Person was chosen as a preseason all-OVC selection after the outside hitter finished last season ranked sixth in the conference with 361 kills to go along with 33 aces, 328 digs and 51 blocks. In eight sets of action during the first weekend of play, Person posted 28 kills (3.50) and 36 digs (4.50).
Brie Lewis leads the Bruins with 29 kills (2.23), while Jessica Vestal had 28 kills (2.55) of her own.
On the defensive side of the net, sophomore libero Ellie Ivancich paces the club with 42 digs (3.23). Middle blocker Jocelyn Youngdahl and setter Emma Price lead the club with nine total blocks.
As a team, Belmont hit just .128 in its three matches during the first week of play.
Memphis posted a 2-1 record during the opening weekend of play and advanced to the championship match of the Benson Hospitality Invitational hosted by Georgia. The Tigers began the tourney with a pair of 3-0 wins over High Point and Wofford, before falling in straight sets to the host Bulldogs.
MU used a balanced attack in its three matches as three players are averaging 2.67 kps or better. Sophomore outside hitter Oluchi Agomuo leads the club in that category with 3.22 kills per set, while Catlin Lilly (2.89) and McKenzie Hayes (2.67) are right behind her.
Freshman libero Mady Ruhlman had a solid start to her collegiate career as she had 36 digs in her first three matches for a 4.00 digs per set average. As a team, Memphis averaged 13.56 kills per set and hit .217, but opponents held a 20-9 advantage at the net in blocks. MU is also averaging 15.67 digs per set.
Tiger senior setter Veronica Zimmerman entered the 2015 season fourth on the school's all-time assists list as she now has 3,304 assists.
The Tigers finished with a 23-11 overall record and 13 American Athletic Conference wins last season.
UTEP enters the Belmont tournament after opening up the 2015 campaign with a 1-2 showing at Crosstown Classic hosted by TCU. The Miners defeated Abilene Christian, but dropped a pair of matches to SMU (3-1) and to the host Horned Frogs (3-0).
Coline Coessens is averaging just under three kills per set entering the weekend. In her three matches at TCU's tournament, Coessens recorded 32 kills (2.91) and 26 digs (2.36) to go along with her 10 blocks.
Coessens was named to the 2014 Conference USA all-freshman team a year ago after leading the Miners in points (325), kills (279) and service aces (19). The Belgium native also tallied a team-high nine double-double performances and chipped in 224 digs and 43 total blocks
Also averaging over two kills per set for the Miners are senior outside hitter Talia Jones and sophomore outside hitter Dalainee Perry. Jones had 25 kills and averaged 2.50 kps over the weekend, while Dalainee had 22 kills for a 2.44 kps average.
Through its first three matches, UTEP has been outstanding in the dig department. The Miners are currently averaging 18.09 digs per set. Two players have stood out in that area so far. Junior setter Lindsey Larson paces the club with 4.55 dps, while senior defensive specialist is second on the Miner roster with 4.18 dps.
UTEP returns four starters and eight letter winners while adding six freshmen and a transfer.
NOTES: This weekend's meeting marks just the second between South Alabama and Belmont. The only other meeting between the two programs came back during the 2011 season where the Bruins picked up a straight-set win over the Jaguars at the Kathy Tosclair Memorial Tournament in New Orleans, La. South Alabama holds an all-time record of 10-8 (.556) versus current members from the Ohio Valley Conference. USA went 2-1 during the 2013 season versus the OVC, picking up 3-1 wins over Tennessee State and Tennessee-Martin, while falling in four sets to Jacksonville State. Since the 2011 meeting versus Belmont, those three meetings during the 2013 season are the only other matches for the Jaguars versus current OVC members. This weekend's meeting marks the 11th meeting between South Alabama and Memphis. The Jaguars fell in straight sets to the Tigers last season and have dropped the last nine meetings in the series. USA's lone win in the series versus Memphis came during the 1982 season where the Jaguars won 2-0 at LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge, La. South Alabama holds an all-time record of 12-61 (.164) versus current members from the American Athletic Conference. A majority (53) of USA's previous meetings versus the AAC have come against Tulane (31) and former Sun Belt member South Florida (22). The Jaguars have not defeated a current AAC member since the 1982 season when they picked up wins over Memphis, South Florida and Tulane that season. This weekend's meeting marks the fourth between South Alabama and UTEP and the first between the two clubs since the 1998 season. The Miners have taken all three of the previous meetings versus the Jags. South Alabama holds an all-time record of 81-169-1 (.323) versus current members from Conference USA. The Jaguars' record versus CUSA opponents includes eight former Sun Belt Conference members – Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, UAB and Western Kentucky.
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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