Match 23 | Southeastern (18-4, 10-0 SLC) at Nicholls (7-13, 2-7 SLC)
Oct. 31, 2024 | 6:30 p.m. | David R. Stopher Gymnasium (3,800) | Thibodaux, La.
Series History: Nicholls leads, 52-46
Last Meeting: Southeastern 3, Nicholls 0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-21) (Oct. 10, 2024 – Hammond, La.)
Television: None
Radio: None
 
Match 24 | Stephen F. Austin (17-6, 9-1 SLC) at Southeastern (18-4, 10-0 SLC)
Nov. 2, 2024 | 12 p.m. | University Center (7,500) | Hammond, La.
Series History: SFA leads, 41-9
Last Meeting: Southeastern 3, SFA 2 (14-25, 20-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-13) (Oct. 19, 2024 – Nacogdoches, Texas)
Television: ESPN+
Radio: 90.9 FM The Lion

HAMMOND, La. – The reigning, two-time Southland Conference Champion Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team will put its 18-match win streak on the line by wrapping up its four-match road trip on Halloween night at Nicholls, and then comes home Saturday for Senior Day against Stephen F. Austin.
 
The Lady Lions (18-4, 10-0 SLC) will look to wrap up another pair of SLC season sweeps. They'll try to put a fright into the Colonels (7-13, 2-7 SLC) when the two face off on Halloween night with opening serve set for 6:30 p.m. in the David R. Stopher Gymnasium. SLU comes back to Hammond, America on Saturday to start the final homestand of the season, a homestand which features the other three teams in the top-four of the Southland standings, with Senior Day as Stephen F. Austin (17-6, 9-1 SLC) comes to the University Center for a 12 p.m. match.
 
Five players will be honored on Saturday for the Senior Day festivities - Hannah Brewer, Kibi Huggins, Gracie Duplechein, India Bennett, and Cicily Hidalgo.
 
Thursday's match at Nicholls will not have television or radio coverage, but Saturday's match against the Ladyjacks will be televised on ESPN+ with a radio broadcast also available on 90.9 FM The Lion in the Hammond/Ponchatoula area, online at LionSports.net/ListenLive and LionUpRadio.org, and on smart devices through the Lions Gameday Experience app, the TuneIn Radio app, or the MyTuner Radio app. Live stats will be available for both matches through the host institution.
 
Along with trying to extend its current 18-match win streak, Southeastern will also try to extend its current 27-match win streak in Southland Conference play, and 30-match win streak against SLC teams in all competitions.
 
Hidalgo continues to be the focal point of the SLU attack, scoring 4.17 points per game with 3.59 kills per set on a .265 attack percentage to go with 19 service aces and 43 total blocks on the year. On the back end, she also averages 2.97 digs per set. Both her service ace total and dig per set average are the second-highest on the team.
 
Brewer is the next option for scoring, averaging 3.03 points per set on the season. She scores 2.33 kills per set while leading the Lady Lions with 31 service aces to go along with 43 total blocks this season. She's third on the team in digs with 2.65 on the season.
 
Keira Beverly is the next top scorer for Southeastern at 2.49 points per set. She tallies 1.88 kills per set on a .353 attack percentage while sitting second on the team with 70 total blocks. She's also put down five service aces this year.
 
Alexis Logarbo scores 2.45 points per set with 2.06 kills per set on a .276 attack percentage and has 59 total blocks.
 
At the net, Bennett is the top blocker in the conference with 100 total blocks on the season.
 
Duplechein and Ashley Richardson take turns running the offense with Duplechein tallying 5.94 assists per set while Richardson averages 5.35 assists per set. Both are also in double digits in aces on the year with Richardson at 17 serve aces while Duplechein has 15.
 
SLU will look to finish its current four-match road trip undefeated by completing the season sweep of Nicholls after the Lady Lions won in straight sets over the Colonels back on Oct. 10 in Hammond. Southeastern has won five-straight matches over Nicholls, taking 15 of the 16 sets played during that run, including the last 10 in a row. Even beyond the current run, the series between the Lady Lions and Colonels has been dominated by SLU of late with the Lady Lions winning nine of the last 10 meetings.
 
The Colonels are trying to stop a three-match slide which has seen them get swept by Incarnate Word, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and Texas-Rio Grande Valley.
 
Leah Linares Castro is the top threat for Nicholls, averaging 3.91 points per set this season. She scores 3.29 kills per set on a .274 attack percentage with a team-leading 25 service aces as well as 31 total blocks on the year.
 
Makila Billingsley is next for Nicholls with 2.77 points per set. She scores 2.45 kills per set with five service aces and 24 total blocks.
 
Tierney Terrell is the next target for the Colonel attack, scoring 2.39 points per set on 2.26 kills per set with 13 blocks and a pair of aces. She also contributes 2.67 digs per set on the season.
 
Kenley Nonato joins Castro in the 20-or-more ace club this season with 20 while leading the Colonels in digs at 4.14 per set.
 
Nicholls also uses a pair of setters. Evelyn Trivino Espinosa averages 5.22 digs per set while Ava-Claire Calais puts up 4.64 assists per set.
 
Jordan Gamble is the top blocker for Nicholls at 55 total blocks on the year while adding 14 service aces on the year. Khara Morton is her top helper at the net with 39 blocks this season.
 
When the Lady Lions face off with Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, not only will SLU be looking for its third win this season against the Ladyjacks, but it could put Southeastern in prime position in the SLC standings with just four matches remaining at the match's conclusion. SLU reverse swept SFA in both of their previous matches this season, once at the Borderland Invitational at Texas-El Paso last month and then again at SFA two weeks ago in the first in-conference meeting between the two teams in three seasons.
 
The Ladyjacks will be looking for their third-straight win since that last loss to the Lady Lions on Thursday when they go to New Orleans to face the Privateers.
 
Katherine Holtman leads the Ladyjack attack, averaging 3.49 points per set with 3.03 kills per set on a .296 attack percentage while racking up 55 blocks on the year.
 
Izabella Ortiz puts up 3.36 points per set this season for SFA, scoring 2.63 kills per set on a .352 attack percentage with 10 service aces and 79 total blocks on the year which is the second-most on the team.
 
Camryn Hill averages 2.83 points per set with 2.35 kills per set. She has 21 service aces and 29 blocks while leading the team in digs with 3.25 per set this season.
 
Kyanna Creecy scores 2.61 points per set on the year with 1.96 kills per set on a .379 attack percentage while leading the Ladyjacks with 88 total blocks on the year.
 
Jayden Flynn is the top server for SFA with 32 service aces on the year, just one more than Brewer for the Southland's ace lead this season. Flynn is the top setter for the Ladyjacks at 6.15 assists per set on the year. Cambry Saul, who has 12 service aces this season, averages 4.29 assists per set while Sophia Wilson puts up 4.51 assists per set and has seven aces of her own.
 
Natalie Guerrero is right behind Hill on the defensive side for SFA by averaging 3.06 digs per set.
 
With just three weeks remaining in the regular season, the Lady Lions find themselves a game up on SFA in the SLC standings, and just two games ahead of A&M-Corpus Christi and UTRGV, both of whom will also come to Hammond, America during the three-match homestand which starts on Saturday.
 
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.