CONWAY, Ark. - The Alcorn State University volleyball team will open its 2016 season this weekend with a four-game slate at the University of Central Arkansas Volleyball Crain Automotive Invitational.
The Lady Braves are set to face UL-Monroe and Oral Roberts Friday at 10 a.m. and noon, respectively. Alcorn will close with host UCA (noon) and Incarnate Word (5 p.m.) Saturday.
The Lady Braves boast an experienced roster heading into the 2016 campaign, returning 11 players from last year's squad.Â
Seniors LETICIA GONZALES and SYDNEY MELLOM and junior BRITTNEY DUMAS return depth to the setter position while seniors JASMINE CRUZ and CAROL KIAM-ASSATO and junior DNADA SMITH are again expected to hold the backline. Senior TAYLOR SCRIVEN, juniors HEATHER JACKSON and LURLETHIA JONES and sophomore SIMONE JOINER look to spearhead Alcorn's attack.Â
UL-Monroe (0-4) | Sept. 2 | 10 a.m.
Despite a winless start for the Warhawks, senior Hope Pawlik headlines their attack with a team-best 37 kills at 2.85 kills per set. Pawlik ended ULM's last match, a 3-1 loss to Northwestern State, with a double-double (12 kills, 12 digs) and 42 total attempts, almost twice as many as the next closest student-athlete (23). Proving her value as a blocker is fellow senior Kaitlyn Shearer who ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference with 2.0 blocks per set.
ORU (1-2) | Sept. 2 | 12 p.m.
The Golden Eagles have been led by junior Laura Milos, who garnered All-Tournament honors at the Oklahoma Invitational after smashing 56 kills on a .227 clip in three matches. Milos set a season-high 28 kills in ORU's 3-1 win over UTEP. Fellow Junior Shelby Cox also shined in that match, tallying a season-high 14 kills on a .619 hitting percentage.Â
UCA (2-1) | Sept. 3 | 12 p.m.
The Sugar Bears are on a two-game winning streak after defeating Memphis and Chicago State 3-1 at the Memphis Invitational. UCA features a balanced attack with senior Rachel Sharp, junior Megan Nash and sophomores Samantha Anderson and Haley Tippett each firing 30-plus kills on the season. Anderson and fellow middle blocker Savanah Allen have caused fits in the middle, each posting 15 blocks.
UIW (0-3) | Sept. 3 | 5 p.m.
The Cardinals commenced their season with three straight losses to Tulsa, South Dakota and Alabama. Sophomore outside hitter Autumn Lockley is UIW's top attacker as she has recorded a team-high 34 kills and 115 total attempts. The next closest player, freshman Emily Waller, totals 19 and 66, respectively. Junior Sarea Alexander has made her presence felt as a blocker, stuffing a team-best 16 total blocks (1.45/set).Â
All four matches can be followed via live stats here. The UCA match will also be live streamed here (must pay to watch).
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