HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana returns to the court this week, hosting Nicholls and Sam Houston in a pair of Southland Conference volleyball matches at the University Center. The home opener against in-state rival Nicholls (0-3, 0-2 Southland) is slated for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday's contest against Sam Houston (2-1, 2-1 Southland) is also scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. first serve.
 
Both Lady Lion (2-2, 0-1 Southland) matches are set for coverage on ESPN+ while live stats will be available through both www.LionSports.net and the Lions Gameday Experience app.
 
Coming off a 12-day hiatus due to COVID protocols, Southeastern is led on offense by Kailin Newsome (4.54 kills per set), Ryan Maddera (2.08 p/set), Sam Gomez (2.00 p/set) and Karlee Wilkerson (2.00 p/set). Calli Collins (6.69 assists per set) and Ariana Hebert (3.92 a/set) direct the Lady Lions' 6- 2 system from the setter position.
 
Gomez (1.23 blocks per set) and Crispin Adams (0.85 b/set) lead Southeastern's frontline defense at the net while Ansley Tullis (4.31 digs per set), Lizzy Low (2.85 d/set) and Newsome (2.00 d/set) lend support along the end line.
 
Nicholls dropped its first two conference matches, 3-0, at home to New Orleans and, 3-2, at McNeese.
 
Kate Hoerdemann (3.09 k/set) and Emily Gauthreaux (2.90 k/set) lead the Colonels' offensive attack with the help of a trio of setters, Jaida Felix (6.25 a/set), Lilly Bivens (4.67 a/set) and Meghan Wozniak (4.38 a/set).
 
Aaliyah Burras (0.91 b/set), Lydia Frederick (0.67 b/set) and Hoerdemann (0.55 b/set) are Nicholls' top blocking threats and the end line is anchored by Kylie Lockhart (3.45 d/set), Gauthreaux (2.40 d/set) and Hoerdemann (2.27 d/set).
 
Sam Houston, after dropping its Southland opener to Central Arkansas in five sets, has swept its last two matches against Northwestern State and New Orleans.
 
Ashley Lewis (5.25 k/set) and Breanne Chausse (2.88 k/set) are the Bearkats' top attackers, operating under the direction of setters Morgan Janda (5.63 a/set) and Madilyn Miles (4.63 a/set).
 
The Bearkats have a formidable blocking scheme run by Kaira Hunnicutt (1.80 b/set), McKenzie Morvant (1.75 b/set), Samantha Rodgers (0.71 b/set), Chausse (0.63 b/set) and Lewis (0.63 b/set). Passing along the end line is also strong with Hannah Baker (5.00 d/set) and Lewis (4.25 d/set).
 
UP NEXT
Southeastern head back out on the road for three consecutive conference matches, Feb. 25 at Northwestern State, Feb. 27 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and March 9 in a rescheduled contest at Lamar. The Lady Lions then return home for four straight.
 
LIONS GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE APP
The Lions Gameday Experience app puts audio, stats, video, social media and more in the hands of fans. Those in attendance can also check in to earn reward points redeemable for Southeastern-related prizes. Available for both Android and iOS devices, it can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play or by following the link www.LionSports.net/App.
 
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.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics enforces a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. The policy mirrors safety precautions required for entrance to professional and collegiate sporting venues throughout the country. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/Clear.
 
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.