HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team faces a pair of key Southland Conference matches this week as it hits the road for the final time during the regular season.
 
SLU (8-13, 6-3 SLC) travels to McNeese (11-9, 5-4 SLC) for a 6:30 p.m. match Thursday at the Ralph O. Ward Rec Complex in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Lady Lions enter the match sitting in third place in the conference standings, one game ahead of McNeese and one game behind their next opponent.
 
Following the match against the Cowgirls, Southeastern travels to Houston, Texas for a 1 p.m. match against second-place HBU (16-7, 7-2 SLC) at Sharp Gym. Despite being in third place, the Lady Lions sit just two games back of first place with five to play.
 
Live stats and a video stream are available for both matches. Media links can be found on the volleyball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
 
Southeastern is coming off a four-set win over UNO this past Saturday.
 
SLU freshman Cicily Hidalgo, an outside hitter from Opelousas, Louisiana, leads the Southland Conference in total kills (343), kills per set (3.99), points (370.5), points per set (4.31), total attacks (980) and attacks per set (11.40).
 
Other key personnel driving the SLU offensive attack are Karlee Wilkerson (2.48 k/set), a senior from Springfield, Louisiana, Addie Vidrine (1.87 k/set), a junior from Lafayette, Louisiana, and middle blocker Crispin Adams (1.80 k/set), a preseason All-Conference selection from Brookshire, Texas.
 
Gracie Duplechein (7.52 a/set), a freshman from St. Amant, Louisiana, currently ranks third in the conference in total assists (647). She splits time with junior Ariana Hebert (2.95 a/set).
 
Hannah Brewer, a freshman from Benton, Arkansas, ranks seventh in blocks (0.96 b/set) while Ansley Tullis, a sophomore libero from Slidell, Louisiana, leads the team with 4.10 digs per set and ranks seventh in the Southland.
 
The Lady Lions face both teams for the second time this season. Southeastern defeated McNeese in five sets back on Nov. 7 in the University Center before dropping a five-setter to HBU, also at home, two days later.
 
McNeese is coming off a four-set win at home over UIW.
 
The Cowgirls are led by Aryn Johnson, Jaylin Gordon, Ceci Harness, Bria Plante and Lizzy Low.
 
Gordon leads the Southland with a .372 attack percentage. Johnson is fourth in kills (3.06 k/set) and seventh in service aces (0.29 sa/set). Harness ranks seventh in assists (6.03 a/set). Plante is eighth in blocks (0.95 b/set) and Low is eighth in digs (3.90 d.set).
 
HBU, which has a Thursday home match against Northwestern State, has won back-to-back matches, including a four-set win over conference-leading Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (12-9, 8-1 SLC) this past weekend.
 
The Huskies are led by Anna Gadway, Ebonie Ballesteros, Audrey Pearce, Ellie Wipf, Kaley Feris and Jada Allen.
 
Ballesteros leads the conference in blocks (1.33 b/set) and ranks ninth in attack percentage (.277) while Pearce ranks second in blocks (1.19 b/set) and eighth in attack percentage (.282). Wipf leads the Southland in assists (9.62 a/set). Feris is third in digs (4.50 d/set) and Allen is fifth in blocks (1.02 b/set). Gadway ranks eighth in service aces (0.27 sa/set) and ninth in kills (2.68 k/set).
 
UP NEXT
SLU returns home next week to wrap up the regular season with a three-match homestand. The Lady Lions host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m., and UIW, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m., in the University Center.
 
The final match of the regular season is slated for Veterans Day against Northwestern State. In addition to the traditional Senior Night ceremony, all active duty and military veterans will be honored.
 
DIGGIN' IT CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the Southeastern volleyball program are encouraged to join the Diggin' It Club. Lion volleyball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Diggin' It Club and S Club (volleyball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern volleyball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lady Lions Volleyball, follow @LionUpVB or @JWhiteSLU on Twitter, @LionUpVB on Instagram, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.