Marshall University Athletics
Herd Volleyball Remains On Top of Midwest Region
10/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 18, 2005
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - At 14-5 overall and 6-1 in Conference USA play, the Marshall volleyball team remained atop the Midwest Region rankings for the second week in a row.
The Herd climbed to the top spot last week for the first time in program history and held on to the No. 1 position despite losing its first Conference USA match this weekend, 3-2 to Memphis.
Marshall is on top of the Midwest Region with its RKPI (Same as NCAA RPI) at No. 47. This weekend should provide a couple interesting matches for the Herd as it will face No. 2 and No. 3 in the Midwest Region down in Texas when it takes on Houston and Rice.
Houston is 5-1 in C-USA after winning five-straight and the Rice Owls were the preseason league favorite coming into the year. The Owls are 13-4 overall and 4-2 in Conference USA.
The Thundering Herd picked up Player and Setter of the Week honors with senior Katie Stein notching nearly a triple-double in both matches of the week, finishing just one kill away from accomplishing the feat. Kelly-Anne Billingy took home co-player of the week accolades with Houston's Kariny Ritter. Billingy broke her own Marshall single match kills record with 38 against Memphis. The 38 kills are the most in a match by any C-USA player this season.
As a team, Marshall is still leading the league in hitting percentage (.272), opponent hitting percentage (.161), assists (15.03/game), blocks (2.36/game) and is tied for first in kills at 16.14 a game and is fourth in service aces.
Billingy leads the league with 5.66 kills per game and Stein is on top of the conference with 13.98 assists per game. Stein and Stephanie Cahill are second and third in service aces per game, while Amber Sims is fifth in total blocks per game. Cahill is ninth in kills per game and Nickie Sanlin and Billingy are third and fourth respectively in individual hitting percentage.
In conference-only play, Sanlin and Billingy are one, two in the league in hitting percentage at .402 and .391 respectively. Billingy is on top with 6.08 kills per game and Stein leads with 14.08 assists per game. As a team, the Herd leads all offensive categories except for service aces where it places third.
First serve against Houston is set for 7 p.m. Central time Friday.
