CONWAY, Ark. – The Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team squares off against host, and top-seeded, Central Arkansas Friday at 6:30 p.m. in the final match of the 2012 Southland Conference Tournament's first round.

Fans can watch all seven matches of the tournament streamed live on the new Southland Conference Digital Network, available via link at www.LionSports.net and on the league's iPhone and Android mobile and tablet apps. A link to live stats will also be available and users can keep up with the match on Twitter by following @SLUathletics.

Leading the Lady Lion offense is first-team All-Conference selection Courtney Donald, ranked third in the Southland in kills (3.68 per set) and fifth in hitting percentage (.333). The senior middle blocker is tied for the fifth-best career attack percentage in school history. She also ranks among the best in Southeastern history in kills (seventh), attempts (seventh), solo blocks (ninth), block assists (seventh), total blocks (eighth) and points (eighth).

Veronica Turk (2.32 k/set), Tamra Grayson (1.68 k/set), Shelby Devlin (1.46 k/set) and Becky Bekelja (8.85 assists per set) are the other top offensive weapons for the Lady Lions.

Libero Megan McMillin, who earned an honorable mention on the All-Southland team, ranks fifth in the conference with 4.20 digs per set. Lending a helping hand on defense are Bekelja (2.19 d/set), Morgan Todd (2.07 d/set), Taylor Buckner (2.02 d/set) and Cherish Krohn (1.92 d/set). Donald (90 total blocks) and Devlin (80 tb) are the top Lady Lion blockers.

Southeastern (11-18, 5-13 Southland) claimed the tournament's eighth seed after dropping its last match of the regular season to Nicholls State, breaking a tie for seventh place. Central Arkansas (27-4, 15-3 Southland) swept through its final four matches after falling at home to conference co-champion Sam Houston State.

The Sugar Bears have won 20-or-more games five times in the last six seasons and their .871 winning percentage this season is 12th-best in the nation. As a team, the Sugar Bears led the conference in hitting percentage (.264), assists per set (13.90), kills per set (14.76) and service aces per set (1.74).

Jessica Hays, Marissa Collins and Alicia Dittrich received first-team all-conference recognition. Hays led the conference in kills per set (4.27) and service aces per set (0.47). The senior outside hitter notched double-digit kills in all but five matches for Central Arkansas this season.

A victory over the Sugar Bears would be Southeastern's first-ever Southland tournament victory and would send the Lady Lions on to face the winner of the Northwestern State (#4 seed) – Stephen F. Austin (fifth seed) match Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Farris Center.


Tournament Notes (courtesy Southland Conference)
No. 1 Beware: Since 1995, only two teams that won or had a share of the regular season title have proceeded to win the conference tournament title. The three teams to accomplish the feat are Texas State (2004, 2011) and Stephen F. Austin (2006). While the tournament will be held at the confines of Central Arkansas' Farris Center, 1993 was the last time the host school won the tournament.

Ticket Information: An all-tournament pass for the Southland tournament are $15, while tickets for each day are $10 for adults and $7 for students. Students at Southland Conference schools are admitted free with a valid institutional ID. Tickets are available by calling 501-852-2234 or by visiting www.ucasports.com.

Championship Match to be Carried Live on Southland TV: The championship match will be televised on the Southland Conference Television Network Sunday at 2 p.m. with announcers Lincoln Rose and Brooke Bentley. The match will be available live on more than 20 affiliates across the league's four-state region and nationwide on ESPN3. For a list of stations, visit www.southland.org/television.

Tournament Website: To check out the lastest information about the 2012 Southland Conference Volleyball Tournament, including an updated bracket, results, live stats, streaming, photo galleries and more, visit www.southland.org/Sports/Volleyball/VolleyballChampionship.aspx or download the league's official mobile and tablet apps for iPhone and Android.

Tournament Schedule
Friday, Nov. 16
Match 1: No. 2 Sam Houston St. vs. No. 7 Nicholls State, 11 a.m. (SLCDN)
Match 2: No. 3 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. No. 6 Oral Roberts, 1:30 p.m. (SLCDN)
Match 3: No. 4 Northwestern State vs. No. 5 Stephen F. Austin, 4 p.m. (SLCDN)
Match 4: No. 1 Central Arkansas vs. No. 8 Southeastern Louisiana, 6:30 p.m. (SLCDN)


Saturday, Nov. 17
Match 5: Match 1 Winner vs. Match 2 Winner, 11 a.m. (SLCDN)
Match 6: Match 3 Winner vs. Match 4 Winner, 1:30 p.m. (SLCDN)


Sunday, Nov. 18
Championship Match: Match 5 Winner vs. Match 6 Winner, 2 p.m. (SLCTV)

All times Central