HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team have completed one of its best regular seasons in the last 20-plus years of Lady Lions volleyball, but now the team looks to parlay a top two seed in the conference standings and a conference tournament on its home floor into a tournament championship and NCAA Tournament berth this weekend.
 
Southeastern has been led all season by Kailin Newsome, the only player in the Southland to average more than four kills per set on the season. The lone three-time Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week finished the 2022 regular campaign with 4.09 kills per set. Not far behind her in that category is Cicily Hidalgo, who has the third highest kills per set average in the SLC at 3.25, a dynamic pair on the attack that has given SLU its first 20-win season since the 1990s. Newsome's 31 service aces are also the most on the team this season.
 
On defense, Ansley Tullis led the Lady Lions with 3.93 digs per set while Hannah Brewer provided a solid wall at the net, collecting 101 total blocks on the season.
 
After finishing the regular season with a 23-7 record overall and 13-5 in the Southland, the Lady Lions earned the two-seed in the SLC Postseason Tournament. 12 of those wins on the season came inside the University Center, the host site of the 2022 Southland Conference Championship Tournament, while none of the losses happened inside that building. Possessing the two-seed in the tournament puts SLU just two wins in their home building away from the first conference championship in program history, waiting to see who they'll play in Saturday's semifinal match due to the SLC's gauntlet-style tournament set-up.
 
The 2022 Southland Conference Championship Tournament starts on Thursday with Northwestern State taking on Incarnate Word with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi awaiting the winner of that game on Friday. New Orleans plays Texas A&M-Commerce in the late match on Thursday, looking to see who will advance to face McNeese on Friday. Houston Christian awaits the winner from the game involving Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday while Southeastern will await the winner coming out of the match involving McNeese. SLU's match will be at 3:00 P.M. on Saturday. The Championship Match is scheduled for 2:00 P.M. on Sunday with all matches taking place inside the University Center.
 
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.