Marshall University Athletics
Volleyball Set To Host Houston, Sunday
10/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 11, 2008
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University volleyball team will complete its Conference USA weekend homestand with a 12:00 p.m. contest with Houston at the Cam Henderson Center, Sunday.
Marshall (8-8 overall, 1-5 C-USA) enters Sunday's contest looking to snap a four-match losing skid and build on its 4-1 all-time series lead against the Cougars. Houston (11-7, 3-2 C-USA) comes to Huntington having won eight of its last 10 contests, and is currently on a four-match winning streak.
The Thundering Herd posted a 3-0 sweep of Houston in the only meeting between the squads in 2007. Jalicia Ross (Bank Village, Trinidad) blasted 13 kills and hit at a .524 clip (13K, 2E, 21TA) in that match. Kristin Marcum (Arlington, Texas) accounted for eight digs and eight kills against the Cougars last season, while Elizabeth Fleming (South Bend, Ind.) propelled the Marshall offense with 48 assists.
Marshall is coming off a 3-0 sweep at the hands of Rice, Friday. Ross and Emily Sullivan (Cincinnati, Ohio) blasted a team-high seven kills each, while Megan Carlson (Andover, Minn.) finished with a team-best eight digs and two service aces in the losing effort. Marcum chipped in two assisted blocks and six kills, while Fleming handed out 27 helpers and two assisted blocks.
Ross leads the team with a .433 hitting percentage (163K, 30E, 307TA), while Sullivan leads the squad with 173 kills on the season. Fleming has now registered 670 assists, and Jessica Dhoore (LaPorte, Ind.) has dug 177 balls to lead Marshall in each category respectively.
Houston enters Sunday's showdown fresh off a 3-0 sweep of East Carolina, Friday. Lucy Charuk blasted a match-best 15 kills, while Justine Farmer and Nataliya Panova added 12 kills apiece in the winning effort. Farmer and Cougar setter Kelsey King contributed a match-high 11 digs each, while King also dished out a match-best 44 assists. Kinsey Cave finished with eight kills, while Amanda Carson accounted for seven digs against the Pirates.
Farmer's season total of 247 kills leads the team, while Carson's 200 digs is also a team-best. King has now accumulated 721 assists on the season, and Charuk has posted a team-high 81 total blocks (9 solo, 72 assisted). Charuk also has the best hitting mark (.346) for the Cougars with 170 kills on 373 swings.
Following Sunday's match with Houston, Marshall takes to the road for C-USA clashes with UTEP, Friday, Oct. 17 and Tulane, Sunday, Oct. 19. The Herd will square off against the Miners at 9:00 p.m. ET, and will take the court against the Green Wave at 2:00 p.m. ET.
GameTracker will be provided for Sunday's match, and all of Marshall's matches via HerdZone.com.
