Southern Miss Heads to SFA Tournament for Three Matches

Nacogdoches, Texas- Southern Miss looks to earn its first wins of the season as the team heads back to Texas for the SFA Tournament on Friday and Saturday.

Despite losing three matches to start the season last week, Head Coach Jenny Hazelwood says that the team gained valuable experience playing against ranked opponents, including No. 13 Houston, No. 18 Rice and USC. Now, the Golden Eagles will face another test on the road against Nicholls, Cal Poly and Stephen F. Austin.

"We learned a lot about ourselves. Our team did not give up and they kept fighting. We really pushed and tested what we think we are and are not capable of, and now, it's just a matter of our players' experience together," Hazelwood said. "We're excited about this weekend because it's going to give us more information and more data to get us closer to where we want to be."

Southern Miss Schedule

Friday- 11 a.m. CT vs. Nicholls (1-2)
Friday- 6 p.m. CT vs. Cal Poly (2-1)
Saturday- 1:30 p.m. CT at Stephen F. Austin (2-1)

Southern Miss Quick Hits

Mia Wesley leads the Sun Belt in points per set (5.00) and third in total kills (50) after the opening week of the season.

Freshmen setters Hayden Riddle and Franky Panunzio made their debuts in the Black & Gold last week, combining for 102 assists and 40 digs. Riddle earned the first three starts of the season and recorded her first career double-double versus Rice with 17 assists and 14 digs.

Grad student transfer Aysu Dalogullari made her Southern Miss debut, recording 19 kills and 31 digs in her three starts.

Looking at the Competition

Nicholls

The Colonels are led by first-year head coach Jonea Rima, who earned her first win with the program against Portland last week.

Southern Miss holds a 23-5 series advantage against Nicholls but lost its last contest against the Colonels in five sets on Sept. 11, 2021.

Cal Poly

Friday marks the Golden Eagles' first match in program history versus Cal Poly.

The Mustangs won matchups against Nevada and Sacramento State last week to open the season.

Cal Poly is led by fourth-year head coach Caroline Walters, who has spent 15 years total with the program.

Three of the Mustangs' returners earned All-Big West honors in 2022, including Tommi Stockham, who was named First Team All-Big West.

Stephen F. Austin

Stephen F. Austin is the returning WAC champion, finishing last season 26-5 (11-3 WAC) and making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Debbie Humphreys enters her 36th season with the Ladyjacks and is currently five wins away from 800 career victories.

Stephen F. Austin won games against Jackson State and Tulane but dropped its matchup versus South Alabama to start the season.

Stephen F. Austin has won all four of its games against Southern Miss, but the Golden Eagles forced the team to five sets last season in Hattiesburg. The Ladyjacks escaped with a 15-13 victory in the deciding set.

Up Next

The Black and Gold will host the Golden Eagle Classic in Hattiesburg on Sept. 8-9 with matches against Nicholls and Mississippi Valley State.

Tickets are still available for the 2023 season this fall. Fans can purchase tickets at SouthernMissTickets.com, by calling 1-800-844-TICK (8425) or visiting the Pat Ferlise Ticket Office on campus weekdays during normal business hours.

For all of the latest Southern Miss volleyball news, follow the official Southern Miss volleyball Twitter account (@SouthernMissVB), Instagram account (@southernmissvb) and Facebook account (Southern Miss Volleyball).

Southern Miss Heads to SFA Tournament for Three Matches

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aysu Dalogullari

Francesca Panunzio

Hayden Riddle

Mia Wesley

Southern Miss Heads to SFA Tournament for Three Matches

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aysu Dalogullari

Francesca Panunzio

Hayden Riddle

Mia Wesley

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