SBC Championship Central
Notes

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team will compete in the 2020 Sun Belt Conference Championship Nov. 18-22 at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex in Foley, Ala.

The first three days of the tournament will feature pool play with each team playing two games. The winner from each pool will advance to the semifinals on Sat., Nov. 21, which is single elimination. 

USA (7-13, 7-9 SBC) will play as the No. 4 seed out of the SBC East Division, and is grouped in Pool C with No. 6W ULM (1-20, 0-16 SBC) and No. 1W Texas State (20-2, 15-1 SBC), which captured the SBC East Division title this year. South Alabama will open play against ULM on Thu., Nov. 19, at 2:30 p.m., and will square off with Texas State on Fri., Nov. 20, at 2:30 p.m. ULM and Texas State will play on Wed., Nov. 18, at 2:30 p.m.

Every match of the SBC Championship will be broadcast live through ESPN+, and can be accessed through the WatchESPN app, WatchESPN.com and through the SBC Championship Central page at SunBeltSports.org. Live stats for every match will also be provided.

The Jaguars enter the tournament on a five-match losing skid after dropping all three matches at Georgia State Nov. 5-6 in Atlanta to close the regular season. South Alabama ranks fourth in the conference in service aces per set (1.37).

Freshman Rebecca Walk leads the Sun Belt in hitting percentage (.381) entering the tournament. Libero Rachel Hickey ranks tied for seventh in the SBC in digs per set (4.43).  Setter Maddie Soboleski ranks eighth in the league in assists per set (7.94), and tied for eighth in service aces per set (0.33). 

USA is averaging 1.98 blocks per set and 13.76 digs per set against SBC opponents this season, with Walk leading the team with 0.85 blocks per set in league contests, followed by Hannah Johnson with 0.78 bps. Hickey leads the team with 4.16 dps in conference matches.

South Alabama is 13-7 all-time against ULM in a series that began on Sept. 22, 1984, in Columbus, Mississippi. USA has won three straight matches against the Warhawks dating back to the 2017 season. The Jags are 3-9 all-time against Texas State in a series that dates back to Oct. 20, 2013. The Bobcats have won the last two meetings between the schools. USA's last win over Texas State came in straight sets in San Marcos, Texas, in 2017. 

South Alabama is 10-37 all-time in the SBC Tournament. The Jags have never faced ULM in the tournament, and are 0-2 all-time against Texas State in the SBC Championship. USA is 1-0 all-time against ULM and 0-1 against Texas State under head coach Alexis Meeks-Rydell. The Jaguars did not play either team during the regular season this year. 

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.