Humphreys Guns For 500 Against UTSA
10/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 15, 2009
Humphreys Guns For 500 Against Runners
UTSA (7-12, 2-3 Southland) - Oct. 17, 5:00 p.m.
Johnson Coliseum (7,202) - Nacogdoches
Complete Release
FOR STARTERS
The Ladyjacks have not managed to win more than two matches in a row since a six-match win streak that was snapped Sept. 22, but they have the opportunity to do just that on Saturday when it hosts UTSA.
The game could also serve as a milestone for SFA head coach Debbie Humphreys who currently sits with 499 career wins and with a win on Saturday would become the first head coach to reach 500 career wins as a member of the Southland Conference.
SFA VS THE ROADRUNNERS
vs UTSA, SFA leads 28-7
The last time: UTSA 3, SFA 0 • Oct. 18, 2008 • San Antonio
FOLLOW THE LADYJACKS
SFA's matches versus the Roadrunners can be followed via Gametracker at www.sfajacks.com with a full recap following the match.
Also, keep up with other news and notes about the Ladyjacks with the Ladyjack Volleyball Blog at sfajacks.com, and at www.sfavolleyblog.net. The matches can also be followed via live video streaming at www.sfajacks.com
WHAT'S NEXT
SFA's swing through the SLC West continues next week, starting with a road trip to Huntsville to take on Sam Houston. The Bearkats are playing as well as any team in the league right now, sitting atop the SLC West with a 6-1 record and will be looking to win their second straight over the Ladyjacks after knocking SFA out of the SLC Tournament last season.
After Huntsville, SFA will travel to Beaumont to try and stop a two-match skid against the second place team in the SLC West - Lamar.
Humphreys Nearing Milestone: Head coach Debbie Humphreys is inching closer and closer to another career milestone: 500 career wins. Only two other coaches in the Southland Conference - Texas State's Karen Chisum and Sam Houston's Brenda Gray - have reached the 500 win mark; however, Humphreys will be the first to hit that milestone as an exclusive member of the league. She entered the season ranked 30th in the country in wins among Division I active head coaches, and depending on how quickly she reaches the mark she would be anywhere from the fourth to the sixth Division I coach in the nation this season alone to reach 500 career wins, with only American's Barry Goldberg reaching 500 in less seasons among that group.
MOVE, GET OUT THE BAY!: Ashley Bailey is closing out her Ladyjack career just how Debbie Humphreys had envisioned it - with a career season that could result in conference Player of the Year honors if she is able to keep up the pace. Bailey is averaging career highs in kills and hitting percentage and has helped SFA become the top statistical defense in the Southland. Coming into her senior year Bailey was not always a consistent go-to force offensively with only 11 career double-digit kill outings in her previous three seasons, but this year she has already picked up at least 10 kills on 13 occasions, all in a 13-match streak that finally came to an end on Monday at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. However, Bailey still made a huge defensive impact in the SFA sweep. The senior rejected 10 shots in only three sets, setting a new career high and posting the highest single-match block total in the SLC this season. Before her performance the highest three-set block total in the SLC was 10 and was the most overall blocks in a single match since Briana Taylor had 13 against Houston on Sept. 14, 2007.
SERIES STREAKS:
It has been a series of streaks when it comes to UTSA and SFA, and fortunately for the Ladyjacks it is SFA that has gotten the better of the series. The Roadrunners swept SFA in San Antonio last year in the team's only meeting, snapping a 16-match win streak for SFA over UTSA. Prior to that streak it was UTSA that had a four-match streak of its own over the Ladyjacks that was on the heels of another 12-match win streak by SFA that lasted from 1992 to 1999.
Third Round K-O: Since returning from an early-season injury on Sept. 19 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi junior outside hitter Kelsey Owens has been the main target for SFA setters. Owens had picked up four straight double-doubles heading into Monday at TAMUCC, putting her in company with JJ Jones and Laruen Railey as the only Ladyjacks in the last four years to do that. It is even more impressive considering that Owens did not have a single double-double in either of her first two seasons. She has taken advantage of playing all rotations this year too as a she has gone over 10 digs four times this year, including each of her last three matches, but had not had more than nine since she put up a career high 27 digs in the very first match of her career in August of 2007 against Montana State.
Early Bird Special: It's no surprise that jumping out to an early lead has aided in the Ladyjacks' 15 victories this season, but the Ladyjacks are in the midst of a five-set funk that they have not been able to break out of quite yet. Friday's loss at Nicholls was the fifth time this season that SFA has gone the full five sets in a match, and each time it has come out on the wrong end of the stick in losses to Tulsa, North Texas, Central Arkansas, Tulane and the Colonels. The Ladyjacks are 13-3 this season when taking a 1-0 lead, closing eight of them out early with sweeps. SFA was 8-1 in five-set matches in 2006 and 2005, but since 2007 is just 3-10 with going the distance. It is also the longest five-set drought by the Ladyjacks in the Humphreys era.
Back To Basics: Debbie Humphreys made a point in the off season to emphasize a return to what won SFA four SLC titles from 2004-2007: Defense. So far it looks as though the emphasis has worked, especially as of late. In their last 14 matches only two teams - Miami, Tulane and Nicholls - have been able to hit over .140 against SFA, including Central Arkansas who came into its match as the top statistical offense in the Southland. Humphreys message is obviously getting through as SFA is second in the entire SLC in opponent's hitting percentage and digs, and second in blocks.
Little Learning Curve: Freshman Madison Hanlann has wasted no time putting her name toward the forefront of the discussion of Southland Conference liberos. She won the league's Defensive Player of the Week honor in her first week on the job and currently sits third in the league with 4.10 digs per set, getting at least 10 in each of her last 16 matches dating back to a 21-dig outing at Missouri State. Four times this season she has gone over 20 digs, and set another career-best of 26 at McNeese which currently stands as the third best in the SLC this season in a four-set match.
