Volleyball Team Begins Four-Match Homestand
10/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 15, 2009
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss volleyball team embarks on a crucial four-match stretch in its Conference USA schedule beginning this weekend when the Golden Eagles host Houston on Friday at 6 p.m., and Rice on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Golden Eagles, looking to maintain their lead in the C-USA standings, head into the weekend with an 18-3 overall record and 6-1 in league play. As a team, Southern Miss is averaging 13.05 kills per set while out hitting its opponents .229 to .141.
Ashley Mell leads the Eagles with 3.23 kills per set, while fellow sophomore Lauren Sears is tops on the club with a .283 attack percentage. Mell's 236 kills leads the team. In addition to those two, two other Eagles hitters are recording at least 2.00 kills per set. Sophomore Caitlin Clark has 210 kills and averages 2.84 kills per set, while Angela Hlavaty has 112 kills is good for 2.29 per set. Kelsea Seymour guides the offense, recording 781 assists.
Maia Ivanova continues to lead the team's defensive efforts with a team-high 328 digs. Seymour is second with 225 digs (2.86 dps). Sarah Jane Bowden's 79 total blocks leads the Eagles at the net.
Houston brings a 6-16 record overall and 3-4 in C-USA play into this weekend's action. Houston dropped a pair of league matches last weekend to SMU and Tulsa.
Offensively, Houston hits just .170 as a team, while its opponents hit .217. Kinsey Cave is the squad's kill leader with 309 kills and 3.81 kills per set. Erin Rice leads the team with a .287 attack percentage. Jasmine Terry rounds out the top three hitters with 120 kills. Tara Roenicke has handed out 783 assists.
Amanda Carson leads the team with 335 digs (4.19 dps), while five others with 100 or more digs.
Rice owns a 13-5 overall record and 5-2 in league play, just one match behind Southern Miss. Ashleigh McCord and Natalie Bogan lead the Owls with 219 and 218 kills, respectively, with Bogan sporting a .373 attack percentage and 1.03 blocks per set.
Tracey Lam has 351 total digs for 5.40 digs per set to lead C-USA. She also leads the team with 20 aces.
Following the Rice match, Southern Miss remains at home to host Marshall (Oct. 22) and East Carolina (Oct. 25).