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MACON, Ga. ? The University of South Alabama volleyball team will open the 2007 campaign Saturday afternoon when the Jags travel to take on Mercer University at 1 p.m. (Central) at the University Center. The match will be the season-opener for both clubs.
“Our team is excited to get the season underway and play against someone other than themselves,” said fifth-year head coach Nicole Keshock. “I feel we are prepared with both our offensive and defensive strategies. Mercer is an improved team from a season ago and they will give us a good test. It will be interesting to see how both teams come out since it is each team’s first match of the season.”
South Alabama returns six letterwinners from last year’s squad, while also welcoming eight newcomers. Heading the list of returnees are a trio of seniors; Shannon VanAntwerp, Lauren Robbins and Jenna Swilley. VanAntwerp was the defensive leader and paced the team for the second-straight season with 338 digs in 2006. Entering her senior season, she ranks seventh on USA’s all-time career digs chart with 852. Robbins (2.88) and Swilley (2.82) were the two main offensive threats for the Jags last season, ranking first and second on the team in kills per game. Also back for South Alabama this season is junior middle blocker Brittany Blackwelder. Last season, Blackwelder led the team in block solos (7), block assists (90) and total blocks (97), while also ranking second in blocks per game (0.95).
Mercer enters the match coming off an 11-21 record a season ago. The Bears return five starters, including sophomore middle blocker Jen Darty, who was the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year in 2006. Last season, Darty’s sister Julie paced the club offensively with 3.18 in kills per game. The Bear offense will once again be led by setter Kelly Jansen, who ended the season ranked sixth in the A-Sun in assists per game with 10.60. The biggest position that Mercer will look to fill is the libero after four-year letterwinner Liz Kane graduated. Kane ended her career holding every dig record in the Mercer record books.
Mercer also welcomes five freshmen and earlier this month the Bears were picked to finish seventh in the Atlantic Sun preseason poll.
USA and Mercer have met three times in the series with the Jags holding a 2-1 advantage. The most recent meeting came last season when South Alabama defeated the Bears, 3-1 in Macon. Mercer opened the match with at 30-19 victory in game one, but USA battled back and took the final three games 34-32, 30-19 and 30-21. Jenna Swilley and Brittany Blackwelder each recorded 19 kills on the day to lead the way for USA.
The Jags are 18-22-1 all-time versus current opponents from the A-Sun and will take on fellow league members Kennesaw State and Lipscomb later this season.
Following the match versus the Bears, USA will take on cross-town foe Mobile on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on the Rams home floor.
