Match 4 | Southeastern (0-3) at UTEP (2-1)
Sept. 5, 2024 | 6:30 p.m. MDT/7:30 p.m. CDT | Memorial Gym (5,200) | El Paso, Texas
Series History: UTEP leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: UTEP 3, Southeastern 1 (25-20, 25-18, 23-25, 25-22) (Aug. 26, 2023 – Hammond, La.)
Television: ESPN+
 
Match 5 | Southeastern (0-3) vs. Stephen F. Austin (4-0)
Sept. 6, 2024 | 3 p.m. MDT/4 p.m. CDT | Memorial Gym (5,200) | El Paso, Texas
Series History: SFA leads, 41-7
Last Meeting: Southeastern 3, SFA 1 (25-23, 25-19, 19-25, 25-23) (March 13, 2021 – Hammond, La.)
Television: YouTube (UTEP Athletics)
 
Match 6 | Southeastern (0-3) vs. Air Force (1-1)
Sept. 7, 2024 | 10 a.m. MDT/11 a.m. CDT | Memorial Gym (5,200) | El Paso, Texas
Series History: Southeastern leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Southeastern 3, Air Force 1 (30-22, 28-30, 30-27, 30-20) (Sept. 7, 2001 – Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Television: None

HAMMOND, La. –The reigning, two-time Southland Conference Champion Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team wraps up its six-match, season-opening road trip out west, heading to El Paso, Texas for the Borderland Invitational, hosted by the University of Texas-El Paso, which runs Thursday through Saturday at UTEP's Memorial Gym.
 
Southeastern (0-3) opens the Borderland Invitational against the hosting Miners (2-1) at 6:30 p.m. MDT/7:30 p.m. CDT on Thursday in a match that will be broadcast on ESPN+. Friday's match sees a preview of what could be a battle atop the Southland Conference as the reigning champion Lady Lions take on Stephen F. Austin (4-0), a Ladyjack program which is not only returning to the Southland this season after three years away but was also picked to win the SLC in the preseason poll, when the two teams face off at 3 p.m. MDT/4 p.m. CDT, which can be seen live on the UTEP Athletics YouTube page. SLU's schedule at the Borderland Invitational ends at 10 a.m. MDT/11 a.m. CDT on Saturday against Air Force (1-1) in SLU's only match of the weekend which will not be televised. Live stats for all three matches will be available through the host institution.
 
The Lady Lions are looking to rebound after a tough weekend at BYU's dōTERRA Classic, dropping all three matches against NCAA Tournament qualifiers from 2023. Cicily Hidalgo is SLU's leading scorer after the opening week of competition, averaging 2.92 points per set while getting 2.58 kills per set. Kyra McKelvey showed she will be someone opponents will have contend with, averaging 2.45 points per set on 2.27 kills per set along with a service ace over the weekend. Hannah Brewer and Ashley Richardson led Southeastern in the service line, each scoring three aces during their time in Provo.
 
Southeastern makes the trip to El Paso after UTEP made an appearance in the Southeastern Showdown in Hammond in 2023, a trip which saw the Miners win all three of its matches, including a 3-1 win over SLU in the University Center. UTEP also started its season in the state of Utah last weekend, playing at the Utah Classic. While in Salt Lake City, the Miners went 2-1, dropping their opening match to the host Utes in straight sets before winning their final two matches over Green Bay and Utah State in sweeps as well. Kaya Weaver led UTEP over the opening weekend as she averaged 4.0 points per set with 2.33 kills per set and hitting at a .366 attack percentage. Torrance Lovesee averaged 3.22 points per set and Ema Uskokovic had 3.17 points per set while both ended the weekend with 2.44 kills per set.
 
Stephen F. Austin had a hot start to its season, winning all three of its matches at the Sam Houston Tournament over the weekend, including a three-set win over Incarnate Word, before returning home and collecting a mid-week, straight sets win over a High Point team that was in Provo with Southeastern over the weekend. Katherine Holtman leads the Ladyjack attack after four matches, averaging 3.77 points per set and 3.46 kills per set on a .384 attack percentage. Izabella Ortiz currently scores 3.38 points per set and 2.85 kills per set. Jayden Flynn has scored nine aces through four matches so far this season. SFA represents the fourth 2023 NCAA Tournament qualifier the Lady Lions will have seen through the first two weeks of the 2024 season.
 
Air Force was home for its opening two matches of the season, hosting the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic. The Falcons started strong, sweeping Fordham to open the season, but dropped a straight sets decision to South Dakota to wrap up the event on Sunday. Ella Tschuor led the AFA offense with 3.83 points per set on a 3.33 kills per set average. Mac Russ was the next highest scorer, averaging 2.75 points per set with 2.0 kills per set on a .458 attack percentage. Jordan Suan is the top server for the Falcons after the opening weekend with three service aces to her credit.
 
After wrapping up play this weekend, the Lady Lions return to Louisiana to stay for the remainder of non-conference play, including the first two home matches of the season next week as Southeastern hosts South Alabama and Jackson State in the University Center in Hammond, America following the trip to El Paso.
 
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.