MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team will open the 2016 season at the Marriott Invitational this weekend in Birmingham, Ala.
The Jaguars will play a pair of matches to open the tournament – hosted by Samford at the Pete Hanna Center – on Fri., Aug. 26. USA will square off with Indiana State at 10 a.m., followed by a 4:30 p.m. contest with Nicholls State later that afternoon. South Alabama will face Samford at 7 p.m. Sat., Aug. 27, to close the tournament.
Live stats for each match will be available at SamfordSports.com, while the Jaguars' match with Samford will also be streamed live on the Samford University Athletics YouTube channel.
Friday's contest with Indiana State will mark the first meeting between the Jaguars and Sycamores. South Alabama holds an 18-14 all-time series lead over Nicholls State, and owns a three-game winning streak in the series dating back to 2012. USA is 11-10 all-time against Samford after winning last year's match in Mobile, and 3-5 all-time against the Bulldogs in Birmingham.
South Alabama returns 11 letterwinners and five starters from last year's squad, which made the program's third consecutive SBC Tournament appearance, and welcomes six newcomers to the roster in addition to returning redshirt freshman Avery Cooper.
Jaguar senior outside hitter Mechell Daniel was named preseason all-Sun Belt Conference on Monday. She ranked fourth in the league in kills per set (3.58) last season, and was third in kills per set (3.81) in conference contests. Daniel ranks third on USA's career kills per set list (3.59), fifth in kills (1,198) and 10th in career digs per set (2.54). She has 40 career double-doubles, which ranks second in program history and is just two shy of tying the top mark.
Redshirt junior Abby Baker – who missed the 2015 season due to injury – ranks first in career digs per set (3.57) at USA entering the 2016 season. Baker is also 56 digs shy of moving into the top 10 on USA's career digs list. Senior middle blocker Nikki Gittens enters the season ranked seventh in career block assists (204) and hitting percentage (.260) at South Alabama, and is 11th in career blocks per set (0.75) at USA.
Senior middle blocker Sarah Richardson ranks sixth in career blocks per set (0.94) entering the season, while junior setter Emma Anderson ranks eighth in career assists per set (7.21).
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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