HAMMOND, La. – Looking to turn around their play in true road games, the Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team heads back into Texas for a pair of Southland Conference matches this week, starting with a Thursday night affair against Texas A&M-Commerce and ending with a Saturday afternoon match against Incarnate Word.
 
The Lady Lions (15-4, 5-2 SLC) are 1-4 in true road matches this season, with the only win coming at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. They look to extend their two-match win streak overall, having defeated Nicholls St. in straight sets and Lamar in four sets at home in their last two outings. In their most recent match, the win over the Cardinals last Thursday before a small break, the Lady Lions were bolstered by the return of Karlee Wilkerson from injury. While Wilkerson did play sparingly, appearing in just two of the four sets, she did register three kills in the win.
 
Kailin Newsome continues to lead the SLU attack, averaging 3.83 kills per set. The Lady Lions are eagerly awaiting another return as Cicily Hidalgo and her 3.43 kills per set average has not appeared in a match since the September 29^th loss at New Orleans. Crispin Adams, Ryley Boyne, and Addie Vidrine have all raised their production in Hidalgo's absence.
 
The Lions of Texas A&M-Commerce (7-14, 3-4 SLC) also enter Thursday's match on a two-match win streak and have won four of their last seven, their best stretch of the season. In their most recent match, a five-set victory over Tarleton St., Yasmin Figueiredo amassed a team-high 14 kills while Maddy Rashford put down 13 kills.
 
Rashford and Reese Fetty lead the TAMUC Lions by averaging 2.61 kills per set this season each.
 
Incarnate Word (3-14, 2-5 SLC) enters Thursday's slate of matches having won two of their last three matches, though the Cardinals are coming off of a loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. In their three-set defeat at the hands of the Islanders, the Cardinals had three players with seven kills each; Annamarie Alvarez, Jacqueline Arrington, and Risa Sena.
 
Sena is UIW's leader on the attack this season, averaging 2.76 kills per set. Allison Palmi averages 2.71 kills per set and Annamaria Alvarez rounds out the leading attackers for the Cardinals with exactly two kills per set.
 
Thursday's battle of the Lions between SLU and TAMUC is set for 6:00 P.M. at the TAMUC Field House while Saturday's match against the Cardinals is set for 1:00 P.M. at the McDermott Center. Both matches will be televised on ESPN+.
 
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.