University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Golden Eagles Set to Host 49ers
10/4/2018 12:19:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Just five days removed from cracking into the NCAA record books, the Southern Miss volleyball team is back home and ready to host Charlotte on Friday night. The 49ers (11-8, 1-2 C-USA) are coming off a win against N.C. Central that snapped their two-game losing skid.
The last time out
Last Sunday against Middle Tennessee, the Golden Eagles stuffed 21 attacks by the Blue Raiders. That number matched the most blocks by a Division I team in the last five years for a three-setter. It was also the most blocks by a Southern Miss team in three sets since at least the 2000 season. Junior Catherine Repsher was at the forefront of that charge, recording a career-high 11 blocks.
Offensively, Kylie Grandy recorded nine kills and Alexis Coombs tacked on eight. Sarah Bell continued to chip away at the all-time assists record by adding 23. The San Antonio native, who is just the third player in Southern Miss history with at least 1,000 digs and 4,000 assists, sits 154 assists from surpassing Crystal Zane for the top spot.
The win moved the Golden Eagles to 2-2 in C-USA play and 8-9 overall.
Scouting Charlotte
The 49ers currently sit at 1-2 in C-USA play after losing to WKU and Florida Atlantic, however their lone win came against Marshall in their first conference game. Charlotte is paced by the trio of Yumi Garcia, Reeanna Richardson and Nya Steele. Garcia has 471 digs, Richardson has 313 kills and Steele, a freshman, has 712 assists. At the net, Jocelyn Stoner has 88 blocks and Tyra Galloway has stuffed 80 attacks.
Just like Southern Miss, Charlotte swept ECU in three sets and fell to WKU in five sets.
What's at stake
Dating back to 2013, the Golden Eagles have won six of the last seven meetings. The last two meetings resulted in three-set sweeps in favor of Southern Miss. If the Golden Eagles can hold off the 49ers, then they will move back to .500.
