University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
Louisiana Tech
Golden Eagles Open Sun Belt Play at Louisiana Tech
9/24/2026 12:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss (9-2) opens Sun Belt Conference play this weekend, traveling to Ruston, La., to face Louisiana Tech (7-7) at 6 p.m. CT Friday and 1 p.m. CT Saturday at the Thomas Assembly Center.
Match Details
Friday, Sep. 25 – 6 p.m. CT & Saturday, Sep. 26 – 1 p.m. CT
Ruston, La. – Thomas Assembly Center
Stream on ESPN+ – smttt.info/espnVB
Live Stats: Match 1, Sep. 25 – smttt.info/LaTechLS-Fri
Match 2, Sep. 26 – smttt.info/LaTechLS-Sat
The Golden Eagles enter conference play having won nine of their 11 non-conference matches, the most wins and highest winning percentage in the Sun Belt. Southern Miss also leads the league in aces per set (2.03) and digs per set (15.77).
Despite a slow offensive weekend in Memphis, the Golden Eagles still rank in the top three in the Sun Belt in kills per set (13.41). Efficiency has been a struggle at times, however. Southern Miss' .212 hitting percentage is seventh in the league, down from the .355 mark it posted during opening weekend at the Gamecock Classic. The defense has been a bright spot all year, holding opponents to 11.08 kills per set and a .163 hitting percentage, both second lowest in the Sun Belt.
As the Golden Eagles enter SBC play, they will continue to lean on senior leaders Sadie McAda, Sunni Sheppard and Allie Hazelwood. In her fourth year in the black and gold, McAda has been the engine of the offense and currently sits at 990 career kills. Her 4.03 kills per set are second-most in the Sun Belt, and she averages a little over 11 attacks per set. Sheppard, the 2024 Sun Belt Libero of the Year, is in her third year patrolling the back row for Southern Miss, averaging 3.97 digs per set. Transfer setter Hazelwood has made an immediate impact, leading the conference with 10.54 assists per set. She also owns the top single-match total by a Sun Belt player this season, with 57 against Lamar on Sep. 11.
Last Time Out:
Southern Miss closed its non-conference schedule at the Rumble at the Roane in Memphis, Tenn., opening with a 3-0 loss to host Memphis before rebounding with a 3-2 victory over Little Rock. McAda led the Golden Eagles with 31 kills across the two matches. Hazelwood totaled 67 assists and set a career high with 6 kills against the Trojans. Southern Miss also recorded a season-high 12 service aces in the five-set win.
Opponent Scout:
Louisiana Tech enters the weekend at 7-7 after closing non-conference play with a 3-0 win over Prairie View A&M at the Wildcat Classic last Saturday. The Bulldogs hit a season-best .424 in the sweep, recording 41 kills on 85 attempts with just five errors.
Taylor Woods leads the Louisiana Tech offense with 117 kills, followed by Tyra McKinnie (115) and Gabrielle Hairston (99). Setters Sydnee Carter (269 assists) and Emerson Traylor (197 assists) direct the offense, and Carter set a career high with 44 assists in the Bulldogs' four-set loss to Stephen F. Austin last Friday. Riley Steubing leads the team defensively with 233 digs and has a team-high 17 service aces.
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