HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana volleyball team will host Dig the Lions Thursday against Houston Baptist, the first of two home Southland Conference matches this week for the Lady Lions.
First serve against HBU (7-11, 2-4 Southland) is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will feature free food, while it lasts, for students as well as T-shirts for the first 300 students in attendance. Southeastern (6-12, 0-6 Southland) will also host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (10-7, 5-1 Southland) at 2 p.m. Saturday, prior to the home football game against Stephen F. Austin.
Fans can watch both matches live on LionVision, Southeastern's subscription-based video stream, or follow live statistics. Links for both are available on the volleyball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
The Lady Lion offense is led by
Tiffany Thomas (3.13 kills per set),
Rachael Bunn (.328 attack percentage) and
Mikayla Shippy (9.36 assists per set). Bunn is tied for second in the Southland in attack percentage. Shippy is sixth in assists.
Landry Bullock (0.96 blocks per set), Bunn (0.85 b/set) and
Morgan Todd (4.23 digs per set) lead one of the best defenses in the Southland. Southeastern is fourth in the conference in blocks (2.02/set) and fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.180). Todd is sixth in digs.
Southeastern dropped a four-set decision at rival Nicholls State this past Tuesday. Houston Baptist, one of four schools competing in its inaugural Southland campaign, had its two-match winning streak snapped by Incarnate Word in four sets last time out.
Five Huskies average at least a pair of kills per set, including Madeline Gaffney (2.77), Megan McStravick (2.58), Jessica Wooten (2.57), Caiti Wenger (2.53) and Bailey Keith (2.05). Setter Kayla Armer is fourth in the conference with an average of 10.45 assists per set. Haley Hoffman (3.59) and McStravick (3.11) lead the defensive effort for HBU.
Ivy Baresh (3.43 k/set), Morgan Carlson (3.00 k/set), Ashley Phelps (2.97 k/set), Brianna Brink (2.97 k/set) and Logen Bourque (10.79 a/set) lead a deep Islander offense. Hailey King (4.07 d/set) and Baresh (3.31 d/set) anchor the AMCC defense.
The Islanders, who travel Thursday to New Orleans, are riding a three-match winning streak.
