Match 22 | Southeastern (17-4, 9-0 SLC) at Houston Christian (7-11, 4-3 SLC)
Oct. 24, 2024 | 6:30 p.m. | Sharp Gymnasium (1,000) | Houston, Texas
Series History: HCU leads, 13-10
Last Meeting: Southeastern 3, HCU 1 (25-17, 25-18, 18-25, 25-19) (Nov. 18, 2023 – Corpus Christi, Texas)
Television: ESPN+
Radio: None

HAMMOND, La. – The reigning, two-time Southland Conference Champion Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team continues its four-match road trip, putting its 17-match win streak on the line in Houston on Thursday night against Houston Christian in Sharp Gymnasium.
 
Opening serve of Thursday's match between the Lady Lions (17-4, 9-0 SLC) and Huskies (7-11, 4-3 SLC) is set for 6:30 p.m. in Sharp Gymnasium. The match will be televised on ESPN+ with live stats also available.
 
Along with a 17-match win streak, Southeastern also brings a 26-match win streak in Southland Conference action into Houston as well as a 29-match win streak against SLC teams in all competitions. SLU is also going for its sixth-straight win over HCU.
 
In their last match, the Lady Lions took sole possession of first place in the SLC by knocking off the only other team that entered Saturday undefeated in conference play, Stephen F. Austin, by reverse sweeping the Ladyjacks for the second time in 2024.
 
Cicily Hidalgo led the comeback with 23.5 points on 18 kills, three aces, and five block assists while adding 17 digs for a double-double. India Bennett had 10 kills with eight block assists for 14 points. Hannah Brewer scored 13.5 points on 13 kills and a block assist while getting a double-double of her own with 10 digs. Keira Beverly had 13 points with 12 kills and two block assists.
 
Hidalgo continues to lead the Lady Lion attack, averaging 4.14 points per set. She scores 3.57 kills per set on a .263 attack percentage while having scored on 19 service aces and 41 total blocks.
 
Brewer is the next option for the SLU offense, scoring 2.99 points per set on 2.28 kills per set, 31 service aces, which amounts to a conference-best 0.43 ace per set average, and 35 total blocks.
 
Bennett has the SLC's best attack percentage at .398, scoring 103 kills to just 19 errors on 211 total attacks. She's also the conference's blocks leader with 94 on the season, a 1.4 block per set average.
 
Southeastern's two-setter system has both Gracie Duplechein and Ashley Richardson averaging more than five assists per set. Duplechein sits at 5.94 while Richardson is at 5.32. Both also have 15 service aces each on the year.
 
Lexi Gonzalez leads the back row by averaging 3.33 digs per set, one of five Lady Lions averaging at least two digs per set so far this season.
 
The Huskies are looking to keep their own win streak going as they head into Thursday's coming off of back-to-back wins over Lamar and McNeese.
 
In their last outing, a four-set victory over the Cowgirls in Lake Charles on Thursday, HCU got 20 points from Emerald Jacobs, who tallied 17 kills, three aces, and 13 digs. Audrey Pearce added 15.5 points on 13 kills and four total blocks, one solo. Ravyn Dash scored 12.5 points on 11 kills and two blocks, one solo. Ana Garza rounded out the leading scorers for the Huskies from Thursday with 10.5 points on 10 kills and a block assist.
 
Jacobs is HCU's top threat, scoring 3.91 points per set. She averages 3.45 kills per set on a .245 attack percentage while adding nine service aces and 22 total blocks.
 
Pearce is the next option for the Huskies, scoring 3.74 points per set this year with a 2.89 kills per set average pm a .348 attack percentage. She also has nine service aces and leads the HCU block with 91 on the year.
 
Katy Barger averages 2.9 points per set with a 2.73 kills per set average and nine total blocks, but hasn't played since HCU's Oct. 5 match against UTRGV.
 
Dash is the next player on HCU's scoring list at 2.77 points per set on 2.59 kills per set with 15 total blocks.
 
Grace McLaughlin enters Thursday's match with the third-best assists per set average in the SLC at 10.22, serving as the main setter for HCU this season. She also has six service aces and 28 total blocks on the year.
 
Tatiana Evans leads the back line for the Huskies, averaging 3.81 digs per set while adding 11 service aces. McLaughlin is right behind her in terms of digs this season at 3.04 per set.
 
HCU's top server is Bianca Byerly, who has 26 service aces this season. Alexia Jones has 13 aces on the year, and then comes Evans with her 11 as the only three Huskies with 10 or more aces so far this season.
 
Following this match, Southeastern enjoys the rest of the weekend off before wrapping up the four-match road trip in Thibodaux at Nicholls on Halloween night next Thursday.
 
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.