HAMMOND, La. – The defending Southland Conference Champion Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team heads out on the road, putting its historic 12-match win streak on the line while looking to finish off a couple of sweeps against a pair of tough opponents in Texas this weekend, taking on Houston Christian and Texas A&M-Commerce.
 
The match between the Lady Lions (18-4, 9-1 SLC) and Huskies (11-10, 6-3 SLC) is set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday in Sharp Gymnasium, which will be live streamed on ESPN+ with live stats also available. Saturday's match against the Commerce Lions (9-13, 5-4 SLC) is set for 11:00 a.m. in Commerce's Field House. That match will not be live streamed but live stats will be available.
 
Southeastern enters the week trying for a 13^th straight win to continue the longest win streak since SLU joined the Southland. In their last match out, the Lady Lions avenged its most recent loss, and only loss from the first round of conference play, by sweeping the Northwestern State Lady Demons on Saturday at the Pride Roofing University Center. Thanks in large part to her play against the Demons, where she amassed 21 kills in just three sets, Kailin Newsome earned her third SLC Offensive Player of the Week of the season and ninth Player of the Week award of her SLU career.
 
Newsome's big week further cements her as one of the conference's top scorers as she now averages 4.18 points per set, the second-most in the SLC. She's also second in the Southland in kills per set, averaging 3.68, and in service aces per set, averaging 0.37. She also has 18 total blocks to her ledger.
 
Rachel Hartmann continues her solid season as well, scoring 3.53 points per set by getting 2.95 kills per set on a .313 attack percentage. She's second on the team in service aces with 22 on the season, behind Newsome's 29. Hartmann get the job done on the defensive side of the ball as well, averaging 2.32 digs per set while having the third-most blocks in the team with 44.
 
After missing both of last week's matches, Cicily Hidalgo enters this week's action continuing to average 3.13 points per set and 2.67 kills per set on a .260 attack percentage. She also has 15 service aces and 26 blocks on the season while averaging 2.91 digs per set.
 
Jacqueline Arrington, whose .338 attack percentage is third-best in the SLC, gets 1.92 kills per set but a good portion of her 2.56 points per set come at the net as she currently sits third in the conference with a 1.09 block per set average, having collected 86 total blocks on the year. Hannah Brewer's 49 blocks on the season has her behind Arrington for second-most on the team.
 
The Lady Lions enter the week leading the Southland in points per set, 17.39, assists per set, 12.76, and service aces per set, 1.72. SLU is second in the SLC in hitting percentage, .256, opposing hitting percentage, .186, opponent assists per set, 10.76, kills per set, 13.63, opponent kills per set, 11.72, and opponent digs per set, 13.76.
 
Houston Christian is coming off its third loss in SLC play, and first via a sweep as the Huskies fell in straight sets to McNeese in Lake Charles on Saturday.
 
The Huskies are led by Audrey Pearce, who averages 3.40 points per set, getting 2.57 kills per set on a .257 attack percentage. Her 13 service aces are also third-best on the team while leading the team in blocks with 88 on the year, or 1.16 per set which is the second-best in the SLC.
 
Sara Arroyo averages 3.33 points per set on 3.11 kills per set and a .225 attack percentage with 24 blocks on the year.
 
Cassidy Drapela scores 2.93 points per set and has 2.70 kills per set on a .108 attack percentage with 30 blocks on the year.
 
Anna Gadway tallies 2.71 points per set, racking up 2.38 kills per set on a .160 attack percentage with 28 blocks on the season.
 
Kaley Feris is HCU's top server, putting down 22 serve aces so far in 2023 with Jaleesa Caroccio dishing up 16 aces.
 
With Pearce on the block is Lexie Temple, who has 57 total blocks on the year.
 
The Huskies lead the conference in digs per set, averaging 17.25. HCU averages 15.22 points per set and 12.05 kills per set while hitting .168 as a team. They also average 1.04 serve aces per set and block 2.13 opposing attacks per set.
 
HCU and SLU met two weeks ago in the Pride Roofing University Center with the Huskies jumping out to a 2-1 advantage in the match by winning the first and third sets before the Lady Lions won both sets four and five to take the match.
 
Texas A&M-Commerce enters this week's action coming off of a straight sets win at home over Lamar on Saturday, putting the Commerce Lions back above .500 in the conference standings.
 
A&M-Commerce's top scorer is Kitana Tuufuli, who averages 2.97 points per set, mostly from the attack as she collects 2.77 kills per set on a .214 attack percentage. She also has a service ace and 27 total blocks to her credit.
 
Reese Fetty gets 2.54 points per set, scoring 2.09 kills per set on a .136 attack percentage. She second on the team in aces with 20 and has 26 total blocks on the season.

Essence Allen rounds out the leading scorers with 2.07 points per set, putting down 1.86 kills per set on a .156 attack percentage. She has one ace and 19 total blocks on her tally.
 
A&M-Commerce's top server on the season is Millie Allgood, who has 24 service aces on the season. At the net, Deja Benjamin is the Lions top blocker, having knocked down 70 blocks this season with Peyton Roper adding 49 blocks and Avery Wilks knocking down 45.
 
The Lions of Commerce score 13.86 points per set, accruing 10.45 kills per set on a .166 attack percentage as a team. They tally 1.33 serve aces per set while blocking back 2.09 attacks per set.
 
Late last month, Southeastern swept Texas A&M-Commerce in the first meeting between the two teams this season, the last in a run of seven-straight SLU straight sets wins during the current win streak.
 
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.