HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team rolls into Southland Conference play Thursday against McNeese State in the University Center.
First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. and live statistics will be available at www.LionSports.net. Fans can also keep up with the match on Twitter by following @SLUathletics.
There will be free food and t-shirts for students, while it lasts, as part of the Dig the Lions promotion. Students are admitted free of charge by showing a Southeastern ID.
Southeastern (4-4) finished second in the Tangi Tourism Lion Classic this past weekend with victories over Southern, Texas-Pan American and Louisiana Tech.
The Lady Lions are led by the reigning Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week,
Courtney Donald. The senior from Tomball, Texas, recorded 56 kills in the four Southeastern matches last week, including 20 kills against Weber State.
Ranked second in the Southland in kills per set (4.00) and attack percentage (.404), Donald is the first Lady Lion to win a conference player of the week award since Megan Sutherland won the defensive award October 10, 2005.
Joining Donald on the offensive front are freshmen
Veronica Turk (2.41 k/set) and
Shelby Devlin (2.12 k/set) as well as senior
Tamra Grayson (1.30 k/set). Senior
Becky Bekelja, a McNeese State transfer, leads the team and is ranked fifth in the conference with an average of 9.56 assists per set.
Junior
Megan McMillin anchors the Lady Lion back row, averaging 4.37 digs per set (fifth-best in the Southland). She is joined by freshman
Morgan Todd (2.37 d/set), Bekelja (2.30 d/set), and junior
Cherish Krohn (2.08 d/set).
McNeese State (2-8) dropped its final three matches of the Big Daddy's Invitational after starting off the tournament with a win over Bethune-Cookman. The Cowgirls dropped a pair of four-set contests to Baylor and Hampton before being swept in three by Arkansas State.
Megan Carlton (2.33 k/set) and Melina Sanchez (2.14 k/set) are the offensive leaders for McNeese State. Setter Kelly Graham is averaging 8.22 assists per set. Whitney Ellisor (2.69 d/set) and Sanchez (2.67 d/set) are the defensive leaders for the Cowgirls.
Southeastern continues Southland action Saturday at 2 p.m. against Lamar in the University Center.
