University of South Alabama Athletics

SOUTH ALABAMA    
2016 (Redshirt Junior):  Appeared in 16 matches with seven starts ... Recorded 32 kills, 21 digs, two assists, two service aces and 28 total blocks for a 0.74 blocks-per-set average ... Set season highs in kills (7) and hitting percentage (.357) in four sets against Texas-Arlington (Sept. 23) ... Posted a career-high six digs in five sets against Southeastern Louisiana (Sept. 2), while also recording a season-high five total blocks.

2015 (Junior):  Missed the entire season due to injury and received a medical redshirt.

2014 (Sophomore):  Played in 30 of South Alabama’s 31 matches, making 29 starts … Competed in 109 sets … Registered 165 kills and averaged 1.53 kills per set … Was second on the team in block assists (67), total blocks (69) and blocks per set (0.64) … Had a .205 hitting percentage … Hit .300 or better in eight matches and had five over .400 … Led USA in blocks in 14 matches … Had five or more kills in 20 matches, 15 of which came in Sun Belt play … Recorded a season-best nine kills on three different occasions – at Troy (10/8), vs. Texas-Arlington (10/10) and at UTA (11/9) … Had eight kills and four block assists at Mississippi State (9/11) … Finished with eight kills and a .438 hitting percentage vs. Northwestern State (9/12) … Recorded five block assists at Texas Arlington and hit .471 (9-1-17) … Posted a season-high six blocks (1 solo and 6 assists) vs. Georgia State (9/21) … Hit .438 (9-2-16) at Troy … Had matches of two or fewer attack errors 14 times.

2013 (Freshman):  Was the only Jaguar to play in all 111 sets for the program and start all 29 matches … Ranked second on the team in total blocks (94), block assists (87) and was tied for second in solo blocks, ending the year with seven … Led the club in blocks a team-best 13 matches … Averaged 0.85 blocks per set … Had four or more blocks in 10 matches … Carded a career-high nine block assists in the regular-season finale at Georgia State (11/17) … Also had 196 kills for a 1.77 kps average, while also hitting .251 … Hit .300 or better 14 times throughout the season, including twice hitting over .500 … Had nine kills on 16 attacks and no errors for a .562 percentage against Southern Utah (8/31) and five kills on nine attacks and no errors for a .556 percentage versus Samford (8/6) … Posted five kills or better in 28 of her 29 matches played, including 21 of six kills or better … Recorded her first double-digit kill match at Little Rock where she had 10 and hit .368 … Only Jag to be selected to multiple all-tournament teams as she was named to both the Jaguar Invitational and Lipscomb Invitational all-tournament squads … Named to Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List.

PLANO EAST SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL    
Lettered at Plano East Senior High School in Plano, Texas, under head coach Steven Jones … Played in 60 sets and recorded 76 kills as a senior, while posting a .319 attack percentage (76-119-15) … Registered 70 total blocks – 11 solo and 49 assists – and 13 digs in her first season as a member of the varsity squad … Earned Honorable Mention 10-5A all-district honors and was awarded the Panthers’ Most Improved Player during her final prep season … Also excelled in the classroom with a 3.8 cumulative GPA … Was a member of the National Honor Society and took Honors classes in English, History and Human Geography … Ranked in the top 20 percentile of her graduating class … Originally a two-sport athlete, she decided to give up basketball after her sophomore season to concentrate fully on volleyball … Has a 10’0” approach jump according to NCSASports.org … Also played for a pair of club teams – the Dallas Summit Volleyball Club (2011-13) and Texas Fury Elite Basketball Club (2009-10) … During the summer of 2013, she was a member of the Summit 18 Asics Mike volleyball club team which  finished 19th out of 48 team field at the 34th Annual USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships held in her home town … Club earned the bid to the national tournament by capturing the North Texas Regional Championship … In 2012, she was a starter for Dallas Summit 17 – Blue team and led the team in kills and blocks … Was also recruited by fellow Sun Belt members Troy and Texas State, along with Southern, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Southern Illinois-Carbondale. 

PERSONAL    
Symone Christian Stephenson … Born in Dallas, Texas … Daughter of Louie Stephenson and Shasta (Smothers) Foy … Is the second of four children in her family … Has one older sister and a younger twin brother and sister … Comes from an athletic background as both her parents played collegiately – mother, Shasta played basketball for Southern Methodist University and left as the program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder following the 1986-87 season, while her father, Louie, was a running back at Vanderbilt University (1982-86) … Mother also played professionally overseas following the conclusion of her collegiate career … Has two cousins that also played collegiately – Melvin Stephenson (football at UTEP) and Morgan Mayse (women’s basketball at Rice) … Her maternal grandfather, Benjamin Smothers coached a semi-pro basketball team – the Baby Globetrotters (1964-66) … Favorite movie is “Pitch Perfect” … Favorite book is “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie … Favorite professional sports team is the Dallas Mavericks … Favorite athletes are Candace Parker, Michael Jordan and Dwayne Wade … Favorite foods are seafood, macaroni and cheese and sushi … Majoring in civil engineering.