HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana volleyball squad opens the regular season Saturday with a split doubleheader against Southern at the University Center. The first match is set for 11 a.m., followed by a 4 p.m. nightcap.
Both matches are part of Youth Day at the University Center in conjunction with Academy Sports and Outdoors. Southeastern Athletics Marketing and Promotions will be giving away Southeastern spirit items at Saturday's matches, and kids ages 12 and under will be able to join the Lady Lions on-court for the national anthem.
Admission, as it will be for all home volleyball matches this season, is free. Volleyball posters and magnet schedules will be available in the Fan Zone and students can earn points toward their LionUp Loyalty account by checking in on the app while in attendance.
Fans can also watch the match live on LionVision, Southeastern's subscription-based video stream, or follow live statistics. Links for stats, video and promotions are available on the volleyball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
Lady Lion head coach
Jim Smoot (399-372-2) enters the season looking for the 400th win of his 26-plus year career.
Southeastern returns seven players off a squad that finished last season with an 13-18 overall record (7-9 Southland Conference), advancing to the Southland Conference Tournament for the second year in a row.
Paced by preseason All-Southland Conference selection
Landry Bullock, a group of four seniors will help lead a squad dominated by underclassmen.
A first team selection, Bullock averaged a team-high 3.12 kills per set (346 total) last season, ranking ninth in the Southland. The senior from Spring, Texas, recorded an attack percentage of .400 or better against North Carolina Central (.400), Abilene Christian (.483) and in the conference tournament against top-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (.485).
Seniors
Parrie Hartley (2.05 k/set) and
Madi Odom (1.43 k/set), along with Bullock, are the Lady Lions top returning offensive threats, while
Rachael Bunn (0.58 blocks per set) is the top returning blocker on the squad.
Sophomores
Monica Ramon (3.12 digs per set) and
Macey Stock (1.73 d/set) are the top returning defensive specialists while
Haley Baker (5.63 assists per set) split setting duties last season as a freshman.
Redshirt freshmen
Sky Ramsey and
Elyssa Purcell, a transfer from Central Florida, join incoming freshmen
Savannah Alcazar,
Jodi Edo,
Chloee Holden and
Emily Waddell.
Southern finished the 2015 season with a 10-21 overall record.
The Lady Jags returns their top attacker in senior outside hitter Melodie Malone (2.12 k/set), both setters, their top blocker in Bayley Neubauer (0.88 b/set) and libero Diamond Williams (4.64 d/set).
Southeastern's next match is Tuesday at Troy and the Lady Lions will not return to the University Center until Sept. 22 when they open Southland Conference play against Lamar.
