MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team will travel to Texas for a pair of Sun Belt Conference matches this weekend.

South Alabama (14-6, 5-1 Sun Belt) will open the weekend against UT Arlington (11-8, 3-4 Sun Belt) on Fri., Oct. 18, at 6:30 p.m. at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. The Jaguars will cap the weekend with a match against Texas State (14-7, 6-1 Sun Belt) on Sat., Oct. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at Strahan Arena in San Marcos, Texas. 

 Friday's match at UTA will be streamed live through Mavericks All-Access, while Saturday's match at Texas State will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Links for both streams, as well as live stats for each match, can be accessed through the Jaguar volleyball schedule page at USAJaguars.com. 

USA enters the weekend with a four-match win streak, and has won 10 of its last 11 matches, after defeating Louisiana and ULM last weekend at Jag Gym. The Jags have lost just one set during their win streak, which came in during a four-set win over Louisiana last Friday. 

South Alabama ranks second in the Sun Belt in hitting percentage (.244), and third in opponent hitting percentage (.172). In conference contests, the Jags rank second in kills per set (14.00), third in hitting percentage (.246) and fourth in service aces per set (1.35). 

Kelley Hartman leads the league in hitting percentage (.399), and ranks eighth in kills per set (3.21). Rachael DeMarcus ranks fourth in assists per set (9.88), while Hannah Harris is tied for eighth in service aces per set (0.35). Ashlyn Roberts, the reigning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week after averaging over five digs per set in three matches last week, ranks sixth in the conference in digs per set (4.25).

In Sun Belt matches, Hartman ranks fourth in the conference in hitting percentage (.372) and blocks per set (1.09), and sixth in kills per set (3.61). Harris ranks tied for fourth in service aces (0.43) in league matches, DeMarcus ranks fifth in assists per set (10.00) and Roberts ranks fifth in digs per set (4.29). 

UTA enters the weekend in second place in the Sun Belt West Division after going 1-2 in league matches last week. The Mavericks fell in straight sets to Texas State last Tuesday before sweeping Georgia Southern last Friday in Arlington. UTA fell to Georgia State in five sets last Sunday. 

The Mavericks rank third in the Sun Belt in assists per set (11.90) and kills per set (12.96), and rank fourth in blocks per set (1.96). In conference matches, UTA ranks fourth in blocks per set (1.96), digs per set (15.80) and assists per set (12.32). UTA's Bre Walp ranks third in the league in blocks per set (1.06), while Madelyn St. Germain ranks fourth in digs per set (4.39). 

Texas State enters the weekend as the leader in the Sun Belt's West Division standings, and carries a four-match win streak into its Friday match with Troy. The Bobcats have swept their last four opponents, all of which were Sun Belt contests, and last lost on Oct. 4 in five sets at Arkansas State. 

Texas State ranks second in the Sun Belt in opponent hitting percentage (.170), and third in service aces per set (1.64). In Sun Belt matches, the Bobcats lead the league in hitting percentage (.290), opponent hitting percentage (.102) and service aces per set (2.17), and rank third in blocks per set (2.08).

The Bobcats' Cheyenne Huskey ranks second in the conference in service aces per set (0.54), while Tyeranee Scott ranks second in blocks per set (1.07) and fourth in hitting percentage (.324). In Sun Belt matches, Huskey leads the league in service aces per set (0.74) and ranks tied for third in kills per set (3.74), while Janell Fitzgerald ranks tied for second in hitting percentage (.374).

UTA holds a 7-3 all-time lead over USA in a series that dates back to 1995; however, the Jags have won the last two meetings in the series. The Mavericks' last win over USA came in a four-set win in Mobile in 2016. The Jags are 1-4 all-time at UTA.

 Texas State owns an 8-3 all-time lead over South Alabama in a series that began in 2013. The schools have split the last two meetings, with the Bobcats taking a four-set victory last year in Mobile after the Jags won in straight sets in San Marcos in 2017. USA is 1-3 all-time at Texas State.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with USAJaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at Twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Rally Score Club, the volleyball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Rally Score Club go directly to support the South Alabama volleyball program. For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/rallyscoreclub.