HAMMOND - With 12 matches remaining in the 2008 season, the Southeastern Louisiana University women's volleyball team (7-10, 2-5 Southland Conference) will head to Nicholls State (5-12, 2-5 SLC) on Tuesday night looking to gain ground in the league standings. 

The Lady Lions, who have not advanced to the conference tournament in the last five seasons, are currently tied with the Colonels for the seventh seed in the eight-team field, but are just a half game ahead of the current eighth-place squad Northwestern State and just one game ahead of UT-Arlington and Texas A&M Corpus Christi who are tied in ninth.

In order to reach the conference tournament, the Lady Lions will have to survive playing eight of their final ten SLC contests away from home.

A win in Thibodaux on Tuesday night would allow the Lady Lions, who lost to the Colonels in Hammond on Sept. 26, to even the season series against Nicholls State at one match apiece as well as help Southeastern advance up the conference ladder in search of its first SLC Tournament appearance since 2002.  However, head coach Julie Langford knows her team has its work cut out for it.

"We're looking forward to getting out there against Nicholls State," Langford said.  "We're entering the part of the season where you're going to have to win on the road if you want to stay in the conference picture.  I'm pleased with where we're at right now.  Our girls are playing hard and we're seeing progress all the time, but we're going to have to get the job done against Nicholls and a lot of other schools if we want to stay in the conference picture.  We have to capitalize on the opportunities that are presented to us on the road, so we want to come out with a lot of intensity and try to control the match.  Any team is tough on the road, but you can't let that get to you."

First serve for the Lady Lions and Lady Colonels is set for 7 p.m. Following Tuesday's match, Southeastern will return to Hammond for a brief two-match homestand.  The Lady Lions will host UT-Arlington on Friday night and Texas State on Saturday afternoon before hitting the road again for a six-game stretch.  Southeastern will round out the 2008 campaign at home with matches against Stephen F. Austin (Nov. 13) and McNeese State (Nov. 15).

NOTES

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Lady Lions and Lady Colonels will participate in the NCAA's national Dig for the Cure Event, a nationwide breast cancer awareness fundraiser whereby fans can pledge money for every dig their team records on the night.