Match 25 | Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (14-9, 9-3 SLC) at Southeastern (20-4, 12-0 SLC)
Nov. 7, 2024 | 6:30 p.m. | University Center (7,500) | Hammond, La.
Series History: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi leads, 16-7
Last Meeting: Southeastern 3, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-18) (Nov. 18, 2023 – Corpus Christi, Texas)
Television: ESPN+
Radio: 90.9 FM The Lion
 
Match 26 | Texas-Rio Grande Valley (13-9, 9-3 SLC) at Southeastern (20-4, 12-0 SLC)
Nov. 9, 2024 | 12 p.m. | University Center (7,500) | Hammond, La.
Series History: Southeastern leads, 2-1
Last Meeting: Southeastern 3, UTRGV 0 (25-20, 29-27, 25-22) (Sept. 7, 2012 – Hammond, La.)
Television: None
Radio: LionSports.net/ListenLive, LionUpRadio.org
 
HAMMOND, La. – The reigning, two-time Southland Conference Champion Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team wraps up its 2024 regular season home slate with a pair of matches this week where a win in both would secure the Lady Lions a second-straight SLC regular season championship on the home floor.
 
Southeastern (20-4, 12-0 SLC) starts its week on Thursday night as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi comes to town for a dual between the two teams who battled it out atop the Southland a season ago. Opening serve against the Islanders (14-9, 9-3 SLC) is set for 6:30 p.m. in the University Center. Two days later, it's the regular season home finale as UTRGV comes to Hammond, America for the first time since 2012, when the school was known as Texas-Pan American. Opening serve against the Vaqueros (13-9, 9-3 SLC) is set for 12 p.m., also in the University Center.
 
Only Thursday's match will be televised on ESPN+ and have a radio broadcast on 90.9 FM The Lion in the Hammond/Ponchatoula area. However, an audio stream for both matches will be available on 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 at LionSports.net.
 
Thursday's match against the Islanders will be the annual Dig the Lions match, where students who attend will get a free Dig the Lions t-shirt or tank top, while supplies last. On Saturday against the Vaqueros, it'll be Family Day with the Lady Lions as SLU welcomes families to the University Center for our final home match of the regular season.
 
Southeastern enters the week riding the second-longest win streak in Division I, having won its last 20 matches. The Lady Lions will also attempt to continue their 29-match win streak in Southland Conference play and run of 32 wins in a row over SLC teams in all competitions.
 
With four matches remaining in the regular season, SLU holds a two-game lead and the tiebreaker over Stephen F. Austin at the top of the Southland Conference standings. A&M-Corpus Christi and UTRGV are one game back of SFA for second place, and still have a chance at crossing the gap to the Lady Lions for the SLC regular season championship. Should SLU win both matches this week, the Lady Lions would clinch at least a share of the SLC regular season championship, the program's second overall and second-straight, and the #1 seed in the SLC Championship Tournament, which is being held the University Center.
 
Cicily Hidalgo is up to 4.28 points per set to lead the Southeastern offense, scoring 3.58 kills per set on a .264 attack percentage, has seen her number of service aces rise to 30 on the season while contributing 52 total blocks on the year.
 
Hannah Brewer is up to 3.02 points per set, scoring 2.33 kills per set with 35 service aces on the season which is currently tied for the second-most in the SLC. She also has 40 total blocks on the season and averages 2.71 digs per set.
 
Kyra McKelvey, the reigning SLC Offensive Player of the Week, is coming off of a career match against the Ladyjacks, scoring a career-high 21 kills on a .655 attack percentage in SLU's third five-set win of the season over SFA. She's up to 2.48 points per set this season with 2.31 kills per set and a .299 attack percentage. She's added 21 total blocks to her score column this year.
 
Gracie Duplechein and Ashley Richardson continue to put the ball in the right spots for the hitters this season. Duplechein is averaging 5.97 assists per set while Richardson averages 5.4 assists per set. Both are even on the serve as well with Richardson at 17 service aces on the season and Duplechein with 16. On defense, Richardson averages 2.21 digs per set while Duplechein averages 2.09 digs per set.
 
India Bennett leads the Southland in blocks on the season, having sent back 116 opposing attacks for a 1.47 block per set average. She's at 2.32 points per set and hits .353 this season, earning 1.47 kills per set.
 
Lexi Gonzalez guides the back line for the Lion defense, averaging 3.38 digs per set. She's also in double digits in aces with 19 on the year.
 
As a team, Southeastern hits .241 and averages 13.6 kills per set. SLU's opponents a .153 attack percentage and 10.69 kills per set, the best in the conference. The SLC's best defense will be tested this week by the two teams ahead of it in hitting percentage and kills per set average this week.
 
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is looking to rebound after a five-set loss at Incarnate Word in its last match which ended a 10-match win streak.
 
Kyndal Payne leads the Islander offense, averaging 4.26 points per set on 3.62 kills per set on a .259 attack percentage and leads the team with 23 service aces. She's also second on the A&M-Corpus Christi squad in blocks with 38 total blocks this season. On the back line, she averages 2.96 digs per set, second-most on the team.
 
Leah Stolfus averages 3.54 points per set, scoring 2.94 kills per set on a .352 attack percentage with 21 service aces and leads the team in blocks with 46.
 
Alex Hoglund sets the table for A&M-Corpus Christi, averaging 10.52 assists per set while scoring 58 kills and 14 service aces this season to average 1.08 points per set from the setter position. She also has 28 total blocks and averages 1.79 digs per set.
 
Kayla White leads the back line for the Islander defense, averaging 3.08 digs per set. She has 17 service aces and 24 assists.
 
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi averages 17.16 points per set, third-most in the conference. TAMUCC's 14.08 points per set is the second-best in the SLC while the team hits .255, also the second-best in the Southland. Defensively, the Islanders allow teams to hit .228, ninth in the SLC, and score 13.7 kills per set, 11^th in the conference, against them.
 
UTRGV enters its Thursday night match at New Orleans looking to build off the momentum of a straight sets win over Lamar in its last match.
 
Ilana De Assis leads the Vaquero offense, averaging 4.36 points per set with 3.98 kills per set on a .229 attack percentage. She also has 21 service aces with 19 blocks while averaging 2.51 digs per set.
 
Claudia Lupescu averages 4.17 points per set by getting 3.62 kills per set with a .252 attack percentage on the season. She's second on the team with 18 service aces, third with 27 total blocks, and third with 2.35 digs per set.
 
Nadine Zech scores 3.6 points per set on 3.37 kills per set with a .296 attack percentage. She has 20 blocks on the season and adds 1.9 digs per set.
 
Isabella Costantini is the primary setter for UTRGV this season with 11.27 assists per set on the year. She's also the Vaqueros' top server on the year with 36 service aces. She's alco contributed 20 total blocks while getting 2.23 digs per set.
 
Celianiz Cabranes leads UTRGV's back line, averaging 4.65 digs per set while getting 21 service aces on the year.
 
At the net, Perris Key leads the Vaqueros in blocks, sending back 42 on the year.
 
UTRGV has the conference's best hitting percentage heading into the weekend, hitting .258 as a team. The 14.18 kills per set the Vaqueros score is also the best in the SLC. UTRGV allows teams to hit .231 against them, 10^th in the SLC while the 11.38 kills per set allowed by the Vaqueros is second-best in the Southland, with only Southeastern allowing fewer.
 
The Lady Lions wrap up the regular season on the road next week, heading out for a date at Texas A&M-Commerce before wrapping up the regular season at Northwestern State.
 
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.