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SOUTH ALABAMA VOLLEYBALL TO BEGIN THREE-MATCH HOMESTAND AGAINST ARKANSAS STATE ON THURSDAY

SOUTH ALABAMA VOLLEYBALL TO BEGIN THREE-MATCH HOMESTAND AGAINST ARKANSAS STATE ON THURSDAY

MOBILE, Ala. ? After opening Sun Belt Conference play last weekend on the road, the University of South Alabama volleyball team returns home Thursday evening to open a three-match homestand against Arkansas State.  First serve for the contest between the Jags and the Red Wolves is set for 7 p.m. at Jag Gym.

 

Admission to all Jaguar home matches is free.  As with all home matches, the contest between ASU and USA will be web cast and available via the web at www.usajaguars.com as part of the Jaguar Nation package.  A monthly subscription to Jaguar Nation is just $9.95. 

 

South Alabama enters the three-match Sun Belt Conference homestand with a 6-4 mark on the season and an 0-2 mark in league play.  This past weekend, USA dropped a pair of matches on the road, falling 3-0 at Florida International and a 3-2 heartbreaker at Florida Atlantic.  Against the Owls, USA trailed 2-0 but rallied to win sets three and four and send the match into a deciding fifth set. FAU was able to outlast the Jags and take the match with a 19-17 victory.

 

“I feel like our team learned a hard lesson this past weekend. We can't start out slow. With these upcoming matches, we hope to start out stronger and focus on being in control of the tempo during the first set. At points this past weekend we looked really good but we just have to make sure we do that from the beginning and consistently throughout the entire match.”

 

Coming into play this weekend, the Jags continue to use a balanced attack as four players are averaging over two kills each, led by Hristina Markova’s 2.75 kills per set.  Close behind her are Tereza Bendlova and Juliana Pallamin de Almeida, each with 2.41 kps and true freshman Lindsay Schwartz (2.27 kps).

 

Defensively, freshman libero Samia Salomao leads the way with 4.41 digs per set - fourth in the Sun Belt.  Through 10 matches, Salomao has recorded double-digit dig tallies eight times.

 

Schwartz and Brittany Blackwelder have also provided stellar defensive play for the Jags this season, ranking fourth and seventh, respectively, in blocks per set.  Schwartz comes into the match against ASU, averaging 1.03 per set, while Blackwelder is close behind (1.00 bps).

 

As a team, USA leads the SBC and ranks 35th nationally in service aces per game, recording 1.70 per set.  The Jags have posted the best opponent’s hitting percentage this season, as South Alabama is holding its opponents to .141.

 

Arkansas State has been extremely tough so far in 2008.  Through 16 matches, the Red Wolves have posted an impressive 12-4 record, including a 2-1 mark in SBC action.  The lone conference loss for ASU came in the club’s conference opener against New Orleans. 

 

Konae Purcell, a 5-11 JUCO transfer from North Idaho College, has made an immediate impact in the Red Wolvel line up.  The junior outside hitter leads the team in kills per set at 4.61 - second in the SBC and sixth in the NCAA.  Sophomore Kristen Catalane is second on the team with 3.30 kps.  The ASU duo has been aided this season by one of the top setters in the league.  Laura Bennett ranks second in the conference and 10th nationally in that category, averaging 11.38 per set.

 

The Red Wolves defense has also been solid so far this season.  Fellow juniors Erin Neeley and Heather Bowman have been stellar in the backcourt as each rank in the top 10 of the SBC in digs.  Neeley’s 4.62 digs per set also ranks her 37th nationally in that category.  As a team, ASU leads the Sun Belt in digs (26th - NCAA), averaging 16.20 per set and ranks second in kills (17th - NCAA) at 14.04.

 

The meeting between South Alabama and Arkansas State on Thursday will mark the 22nd in the all-time series between the two clubs.  ASU holds a dominant 19-2 lead in the all-time series.  Last season, Arkansas State picked up a 3-0 (30-21, 30-23, 32-30) victory in Jonesboro. 

 

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

 

-- USA --