HAMMOND, La. – The two-time reigning Southland Conference regular season champion Southeastern Louisiana University indoor volleyball team will close out the regular season with a pair of SLC road matches this week.
Southeastern (18-8, 10-4 SLC) will open the regular season's final week with a 6:30 p.m. contest at Nicholls (12-15, 2-12 SLC) Tuesday. The Lady Lions will then head to McNeese (7-19, 3-11 SLC) for a 6:30 p.m. regular season finale Thursday. Thursday's match will be televised on ESPN+.
While SLU will not win its third straight Southland Conference regular season championship, the Lady Lions head into the final week with a chance to solidify its seeding in next week's Southland Conference Tournament. Depending on the results of this week's action, SLU, which is currently in a three-way tie with UIW and Lamar, will be seeded third, fourth or fifth in the league tournament.
Southeastern is second in the Southland Conference with 13.56 kills per set.
Kyra McKelvey leads the team and is third in the league with 3.81 kills per set, while also ranking among the Southland leaders with a .350 hitting percentage.
India Bennett (2.49) and
Alexis Logarbo (2.32) are the other team leaders in kills per set.
Ashley Richardson and
Peyton Stokley occupy the top two spots on the roster in terms of assists per set with 5.99 and 5.76, respectively. Stokley also paces the Lady Lions with 31 service aces.
SLU leads the conference with 2.46 team blocks per set, as Bennett ranks fifth in Division I with a league-high 1.54 blocks per set. Bennett, Logarbo (0.89 blocks per set) and
Ayla Klingenberg (0.74) are the team block leaders.
Lexi Gonzalez leads the team with 3.85 digs per set, followed by Abby Bailey (2.58) and
Anne Brauckmiller (2.54).
Nicholls is led by the Southland leaders in kills per set in Tamara Chavez (4.19). Isabella Padilla (8.47 assists per set) and Karina Smith (2.89 digs per set) are the other team leaders for the Colonels.
Southeastern won the first meeting between the two teams, 25-18, 25-10, 25-13, Sept. 27 in the University Center. Bennett led SLU with 11 kills and seven blocks – three solo – in the Lady Lions' sweep.
McNeese is led by the duo of Kayla Wilson (2.86 kills per set) and D'Nari Mills (2.69 kills per set). Kinga Ziolkowska (5.42 assists per set) and Lauren Fuller (3.34 digs per set) are the other Cowgirl statistical standouts.
SLU will be looking to complete the season series sweep of its in-state rivals, having bested McNeese, 25-18, 25-17, 25-19 in the Sept. 25 conference opener for both teams. McKelvey and Logarbo paced the Southeastern victory with 15 and 13 kills, respectively.
Next week's Southland Conference Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 21-23 in Commerce, Texas. The tournament will be televised on ESPN+.
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 on X and Instagram or like /SLUathletics on Facebook.
