Match 14: at Southern Mississippi Match Notes (.pdf)MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team will play its final non-conference match of the regular season Tuesday night as the Jaguars head to Hattiesburg, Miss., to take on regional rival Southern Mississippi. First serve versus the Golden Eagles set for 6 p.m.
"At this point of the season, we have asked our team to improve each time we step on the floor for practice and matches," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. "If we can do that each week, we will be a tough team to beat by the end of season. With this match being a non-conference match, we have an opportunity to compete against a good team and battle. I would like to see our team consistently compete and play our style of volleyball.
"Southern Miss is a team we play every spring and each time we play it is always a competitive match. They have had some nice wins this preseason and are playing well to start this season. Watching them on film, they play well as a team and are aggressive offensively and disciplined defensively."
Live stats and web streaming for the match 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 (7-6, 1-2 SBC) enters play this week capturing a pair of four-set victories last week. USA defeated Alabama State in Mobile last Tuesday and then earned its first Sun Belt victory of the season at Georgia Southern on Saturday.
USA was led offensively in the two victories by outside hitter Mechell Daniel. In her two matches, Daniel led the club offensively with 35 kills and a 4.38 kills per set average and also hit .325 (35-8-83), while registering 22 digs (2.75) and six block assists. She posted her fourth double-double of the season against Alabama State and then nearly recorded another against the Eagles with 20 kills and nine digs. Daniel now ranks second in the SBC in kills with 3.49 per set. She is hitting .267 and has 98 digs.
Redshirt junior middle blocker Nikki Gittens is also an offensive threat for the Jags as she is averaging 2.25 kps and hitting .286.
Fellow middle blocker Sarah Richardson ranks third in the Sun Belt in hitting percentage, entering play at a .386 clip. Richardson led the league in that category a week ago and has hit .500 or better in seven matches this season and five of USA's seven wins.
Richardson and Gittens have been solid at the net as they have 47 and 44 total blocks through the first 13 matches of the season. Richardson leads the club with eight solo blocks to go along with her 39 block assists, while Gittens has two solo blocks and a team-high 42 block assists.
Sophomore setter Emma Anderson was selected as the Sun Belt's Setter Student-Athlete of the Week on Monday after averaging 12.00 digs per set in USA's two matches. She began the week by posting a season-best 52 digs against Alabama State and led the Jag offense to a season-best .336 hitting percentage. She nearly recorded a double-double against the Hornets as she had nine digs. On Saturday, Anderson posted her fourth double-double of the season with a 44-assists, 11-dig outing. Anderson had 13 assists in both the first and fourth sets against the Eagles. Entering play this week, Anderson ranks sixth in the Sun Belt in assists with 9.37 per set.
Freshman defensive specialist Arissa Chappell continues to be solid behind the serving line as she is third in serving with 0.39 aces per set. South Alabama is fourth as a team in the league in serving with 1.31 aces per set.
Southern Mississippi enters play this week with a 13-5 overall record and a 1-1 mark early on in Conference USA action. USM's 13 wins are the second-most of any club in the league.
USM is coming off a 3-1 loss at home to Florida Atlantic this past Friday. The loss to the Owls over the weekend was the first home loss of the season for the Golden Eagles. They are now 5-1 on their home floor this season.
Junior outside hitter Stephany Purdue leads the club and ranks fifth in Conference USA in kills with 271 and a 4.04 kills per set average. Purdue is also averaging 2.43 digs per set, which is second-best on the team.
Kylie Grandy is second on the team offensively for the Golden Eagles as she is averaging 2.37 kills per set. Entering play this week, Grandy is in a three-way tie for third in serving with 0.39 aces per set. She has 27 aces.
Senior middle blocker Rachel Johnson's .316 hitting percentage is 10th in CUSA.
Fellow senior middle blocker Elise Ames ranks third in CUSA defensively at the net with 1.19 per set. Ames has 20 solo blocks and 54 block assists so far and 74 total blocks.
In the back court, Mary Pursell enters the match as one of the top liberos in the league. Her 4.40 digs per set average is third-best in CUSA.
Defensively as a team, Southern Miss is third in opponents' hitting percentage, holding the opposition to a .161 percentage.
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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