Marshall University Athletics
Volleyball Set To Host SMU and Tulsa
10/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 22, 2008
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University volleyball team will host Conference USA rivals SMU and Tulsa, Friday Oct. 24 and Sunday Oct. 26. Friday's match will begin at 7:00 p.m. while Sunday's first-serve is slated for 12:00 p.m. at the Cam Henderson Center.
Marshall enters weekend action with a 10-9 overall record and stands at 3-6 in the conference. The Thundering Herd is coming off a weekend split that featured a 3-0 sweep of UTEP and a 3-0 loss to Tulane. During Marshall's match with the Miners, Jalicia Ross (Bank Village, Trinidad) registered an impressive .800 hitting percentage (16K, 0E, 20TA). It was the first time a Herd player has reached the .800 mark in a single match since Nickie Sanlin did so when she recorded 12 kills in 14 attempts with no errors during the 2005 season. Marshall hit .364 for the match with Kristin Marcum (Arlington, Texas) and Megan Carlson (Andover, Minn.) adding 12 and 11 kills apiece. Taylor Tanner (Union, Ky.) led the defensive effort with a 19-dig effort, while Elizabeth Fleming (South Bend, Ind.) directed the offensive surge with 46 assists. Carlson added a team-high 11 kills in the loss to Tulane, while Fleming contributed 31 assists and 10 digs (both match-highs).
Marshall owns a 3-0 record against SMU, earning a 3-1 victory over the Mustangs in last year's C-USA opener. Ross blasted 12 kills while Marcum and Fleming dug nine balls apiece. Fleming also paced the Herd offense with 58 assists.
Ross' .454 hitting percentage ranks her first among C-USA attackers and fourth in the nation, and her total 197 kills leads the Herd offense. Fleming has dished out 780 assists 19 matches into the season and ranks fourth in C-USA with 10.83 assists per set, while Jessica Dhoore (LaPorte, Ind.), leads the squad with 189 defensive digs on the season. Carlson's 186 dig total follows closely behind Dhoore.
SMU travels to Huntington on a three-match losing skid that included a pair of losses last weekend to Memphis and UAB. The Mustangs' leader in kills, Kathryn Wilkerson, tallied 13 of her 272 total kills in a 3-1 loss at Memphis and averages 3.16 kills per set 23 matches into the season. Wilkerson also ranks second on the squad with 266 digs. Sidney Stewart totaled 12 digs against UAB and leads the team with 336 (averaging 3.91 digs per set) for the season, while Kelli Becerra's 465 assists and Stefanie Kons' 389 helpers, propels the SMU offense.
Tulsa enters weekend play with an 18-6 overall record (5-4 C-USA) and has won four its last six contests. The all-time series between Marshall and the Golden Hurricane is split 2-2. The Herd claimed a 3-1 decision during last season's regular season meeting, as head coach Mitch Jacobs earned his 300th career victory. Ross registered a .538 hitting clip with eight kills, while Emily Sullivan (Cincinnati, Ohio) added seven. Fleming handed out 56 assists in the contest.
The teams met again during the C-USA tournament with Tulsa pulling out a 3-2 victory over Marshall and evening the season series 1-1. Ross blasted 18 kills on 27 swings for a .593 hitting percentage, while Fleming guided the offensive effort with a career-high 73 assists in addition to 13 digs.
Tulsa suffered a 3-0 loss to UAB, Friday, but earned a 3-1 victory over Memphis during last weekend's action. Hannah Stout downed a team-best 14 kills and recorded a pair of solo blocks and five assisted blocks against the Tigers. Malorey Grove picked up 18 digs, while Rachel Vukson notched 46 assists in the contest.
Jennifer Eichler, who terminated 13 balls against Memphis and nine against UAB, leads the Golden Hurricane with 290 kills on the season. Beth Hodge leads the squad with an average of 3.32 kills per set and ranks second on the team in total kills with 242. Vukson has collected 686 assists for Tulsa in 2008, while Jessie Ayers has provided 286 helpers. Grove's 3.48 digs per set is a team-high as is her total of 324 digs. Kelsey Wood has contributed 246 digs, while Hodge has chipped in 200 digs so far this season.
GameTracker will be provided for each match by visiting HerdZone.com.
Photos from the 2008 volleyball season can also be viewed and purchased by visiting HerdZone.com.
