Golden Eagle Volleyball Travels to Tulane, UTEP
10/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 18, 2011
HATTIESBSURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss volleyball team heads to Tulane and UTEP this week for two league contests. The Golden Eagles and Green Wave face off on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 7:00 p.m. CT in Fogelman Arena, before heading to El Paso, Texas, to take on the Miners on Friday, Oct. 21 at 8:00 p.m. CT.
Southern Miss enters the week with a 9-11 overall record and 3-5, after a pair of 3-0 victories last weekend. Senior libero Lisa Knecht earned the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week for her performance against East Carolina and Marshall. For the season, junior outside hitter Halie Ecker leads the team with 3.18 kills per set while senior outside hitter Ashley Mell adds 2.88 kills per set. Senior setter Kelsea Seymour is averaging 10.57 assists per set as senior middle blocker Lauren Sears is leading the team with 68 total blocks as SJ Bowden ranks second with 52. Knecht continues to pace the Eagles defensively, averaging 4.99 digs per set. As a team, Southern Miss is hitting .177 with 13.08 kills per set with 0.81 service aces per set, 18.08 digs per set and 2.09 blocks per set.
Scouting Tulane
The Green Wave enters the weekend with a 7-12 record overall and 2-6 in league play. Tulane uses a balanced offensive attack led by sophomore middle Cori Martone, freshman middle Anna Wruck and junior right-side hitter Izabela Grot with 2.84, 1.77 and 2.22 kills per set, respectively. Setters Mel Mandelbaum and Lilly Wolfe direct the offense with a combined 10.05 assists per set. Senior libero Nikki Osuna tops the team with 4.63 digs per set. Wruck heads the blocking charts with 72 total blocks. As a team, Tulane is hitting .175 with 12.22 kills per set, 1.16 service aces per set, 13.99 digs per set and 1.86 blocks per set.
The Series
Southern Miss vs. Tulane
Tulane leads Southern Miss, 46-8, in a series that began in 1981. The last meeting was a three-set Tulane win (25-16, 25-17, 25-16) on Nov. 27, 2010 in New Orleans.
Scouting UTEP
The Miners enter the weekend with a 15-7 record overall and 5-4 in C-USA play. Three Miners have recorded over 230 kills led by sophomore middle Xitlali Herrera with 3.16 kills per set followed closely by Bridget Logan at 3.19 kills per set and Jeane Horton at 2.93 kills per set. Sophomore Malia Patterson directs the offense with 9.99 assists per set. Senior Stephanie Figueroa tops the squad with 4.73 digs per set as Herrera provides 2.47 digs per set and 1.31 blocks per set. As a team, UTEP is hitting .226 with 12.98 kills per set, 1.33 service aces per set, 15.20 digs per set and 2.46 blocks per set.
The Series: Southern Miss vs. UTEP
Southern Miss leads UTEP, 6-3, in a series that began in 1995. The Golden Eagles won last year's meeting 3-0.
Next Up
The Golden Eagles return home to host UCF on Sunday in a 1 p.m. match in Green Coliseum.