HAMMOND – The Southeastern Louisiana volleyball team will continue Southland Conference play this week, heading north for a pair of league matches.

The Lady Lions (5-7, 1-0 SLC) will open the week's action on Thursday, facing Northwestern State (1-10, 0-3 SLC) at 7 p.m. in Natchitoches. Live in-match stats will be available at www.nsudemons.com.

On Saturday, Southeastern heads to Conway, Ark. to face Southland East Division leaders Central Arkansas (14-2, 3-0 SLC) in a 2 p.m. contest. Free live streaming video and live stats for Saturday's match will be available via www.ucasports.com.

Southeastern opened Southland play last Friday with a 3-1 victory at Nicholls that saw the Lady Lions post a .252 hitting percentage and 16 blocks. Freshman Courtney Donald led the way with 11 kills and a .526 hitting percentage in the victory. Senior Jessica Srajer added 12 kills, while freshman Taylor Buckner posted a double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs. Senior Lauren Mayer led the team with 13 digs, while sophomore Arianne Cruckshank posted a team-high 32 assists in the Southeastern triumph.

Mayer leads a balanced Southeastern attack with 2.05 kills per set. Mayer is followed closely by freshman Alexis Braghini (2.00 kps), freshman Kaprice Glover (2.00 kps), Srajer (1.96 kps), Buckner (1.91 kps) and junior Allison Jones (1.91 kps). Cruckshank is 10th in the Southland with a team-high 7.15 assists per set. Junior Alex Greer leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference with 15 service aces, while senior Margaret Pittman has been credited with 12 aces.

Defensively, Greer also ranks in the Southland's top 10 with 3.38 digs per set. Mayer (2.37 dps) and Cruckshank (2.15 dps) are right behind Greer among the team leaders. Four Lady Lions have double-digit blocks. Braghini leads the team with 17, followed by senior Julie Elliott (16), Srajer (13) and Donald (10).

Northwestern State is led by Yelena Elware, who ranks among the league leaders with 3.31 kills per set. Megan Dockery (6.56 aps) is the team's primary setter. Defensively, Zanny Castillo heads into the match with a team-high 3.67 digs per set, while Elware has posted a team-high 22 blocks.

Last season, Southeastern and Northwestern State split the two meetings, with each team winning on its respective home floor.

Central Arkansas, which hosts Nicholls on Thursday, heads into this week's action as the Southland's hottest team, having reeled off 13 consecutive wins. Reigning Southland Conference Player of the Year Chloe Smith leads the conference with 4.73 kills per set, while teammate Robyn Smith is averaging 11.42 assists per set.

Cristin Curl leads UCA defensively with 4.67 digs per set. The tandem of Taylor Hammonds and Evaree Franklin pace the squad with 46 and 45 blocks, respectively.

Southeastern was swept by UCA in 2008, stretching the Bears to four sets in their match in Conway.

Following this week's action, Southeastern will return home for the first time in over a month, hosting McNeese State on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. in the University Center.