HAMMOND, La. – The Southland Conference-leading Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team is set for a two-match week, in which the Lions will host LSU New Orleans Tuesday before visiting the Privateers for a Thursday road matchup.
 
In a race for first place in the Southland Conference, SLU (13-12, 10-2 SLC) will face off with the Privateers (3-22, 1-11 SLC) in the seventh week of SLC play. Southeastern will host LSU New Orleans, then visit the conference foe at the Human Performance Center. This week's matches will be available to watch on ESPN+.
 
Tuesday's home match against the Privateers will be Residential Life Rivalry night at the University Center. Fans are encouraged to represent their hall by wearing their colors and competing to see who brings the loudest energy on campus.
 
After a split schedule last week, the Lions remain in the race for first place in the Southland Conference, with SLU, UTRGV, SFA, and UIW all owning a 10-2 SLC record. All four of the teams are tied for the top spot in the conference standings with two weeks left in the regular season.
 
Kyra McKelvey continued to be one of the best hitters in the Southland with 41 kills last week, posting 23 and 18 kills against McNeese and Nicholls. The senior averages 3.48 kills per set to rank fifth in the league. McKelvey's 341 kills lead the Southland Conference. Keira Beverly also put together a solid week, notching match-best hitting percentages of .556 and .526. Beverly also added 19 kills in the team's last two matches.
 
Ashley Richardson continues to be one of the top setters in the Southland. The junior posted 88 assists and 22 digs last week, her most assists through a two-game stretch in her collegiate career. The League City, Texas, native ranks fourth in the conference in both total assists (663) and assists per set (7.99). Richardson's 45 assists and 14 digs against McNeese gave the setter her 11^th double-double of the season.
 
Melina Gonzalez paced the Lions with 33 digs last week. The freshman chipped in 13 digs against the Cowgirls before notching a season-high 20 digs in the win over Nicholls. The El Paso, Texas, native has tallied 64 digs in her last four matches. Lindsey Wickersham has produced at libero for Southeastern. The third-year Lion has nine straight matches with digs in double figures, totaling 140 digs in that stretch.
 
The Privateers' Armie Hall has been the team's top attacker this season. The freshman has averaged 3.26 kills per set, to place seventh in the conference. Nyakuak Lual's 0.98 blocks per set are also seventh in the league rankings, while Mia Lopez's 3.50 digs per set are ninth in the SLC. The Privateers have improved in recent weeks, picking up their first conference win in a three-set sweep at Nicholls last week.
 
Next week, the Lions will be back in the University Center for the final week of regular-season play. SLU will begin its home slate on Thursday, Nov. 12, hosting Stephen F. Austin (16-9, 10-2 SLC) at 6:30 p.m. Southeastern will conclude the SLC competition on Saturday, Nov. 14, when the Lions face off with Lamar (8-17, 5-7 SLC) at 12 p.m. The matches will be televised on ESPN+.
 
SLU's Nov. 14 matchup against Lamar will be Senior Day. The Lions will honor seniors Ainsley Driska, Mina Petrovic, Wickersham, Beverly, McKelvey, and Carissa Young before the match.
 
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 Lions Volleyball, follow @LionUpVB on X and Instagram or like /SLUathletics on Facebook.