Stephen F. Austin
Houston Baptist University
Ladyjacks Set for Saturday Showdown at Houston Baptist
9/29/2017 11:10:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
SFA is one of three Southland teams without a loss in league play
Stephen F. Austin (14-4, 2-0 Southland) at Houston Baptist (11-5, 3-1 Southland)
Saturday, Sept. 30 | 1:00 p.m. | Sharp Gymnasium (1,000) | Houston, Texas
Live Stats | Watch | SFA Match Notes
THE FIRST SERVE
• One of just three Southland Conference squads who have not been dealt a league loss so far in 2017, the Stephen F. Austin volleyball team will set out on a journey to Houston, Texas, for its lone match of the week - a Saturday afternoon tilt with Houston Baptist at 1:00 p.m. inside Sharp Gymnasium.
• Due to the fact that they were the only team in the league that did not take part in any weekday matches, the Ladyjacks now sit in third place in the conference standings. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (7-8, 4-0 Southland) and Sam Houston State (6-9, 3-0 Southland) rank first and second respectively in the league standings.
SCOUTING HOUSTON BAPTIST | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• SFA vs. Houston Baptist | 6-4
• In Nacogdoches, Texas | 2-1
• In Houston, Texas | 4-2
• At neutral sites | 0-1
• Humphreys vs. Houston Baptist | 6-4
• A busy week for the Huskies began in Conway, Ark., where they would up on the wrong end of a 3-1 decision against Central Arkansas before they returned home for the first time since September 5 in order to hand Lamar a 3-0 loss. The squads' four-set loss to Central Arkansas is its lone setback in league play thus far.
• Led by reigning Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week in senior Bailey Banks, the Huskies represent one of the best all-around squads in the 13-team league. Dangerous in all phases of the game, Houston Baptist excels defensively and leads the Southland in total blocks (145) while ranking second in the league in blocks per set (2.50).
• Most of those rejections have come courtesy of senior Blair Gillard. So far this season, Gillard is tops in the Southland in both blocks per set (1.30) and total blocks (74). Nationally, she sits in the top 50 in each of those aforementioned categories, but Gillard is hardly the only front-row defensive threat the Huskies have. Six HBU players average at least 0.50 blocks per set and complimenting Gillard the most in the front line is Kayla Davenport who stuffs 1.07 shots per frame.
• Banks' name is one on a short list of Southland Conference players who average greater than three kills per set. The senior leads the league in total kills (208) while her 3.59 winners per frame is the third-highest average in the 13-team league. HBU's star brings a strong service game to the table, too, as she boasts a league-leading service aces per set figure of 0.40.
• With teams focused on trying to slow down Banks, that has opened the door for the likes of Jessica Wooten, Ashtyn Richey and Gillard to impose themselves on offense as well. Wooten (2.91 kills per set) and Richey (2.14 kills per set) are both hitting .199 or better this season and while Gillard's 1.88 kills per set may not be as high as any of the others boasted by the Huskies' lead dogs, her attack percentage of .255 is the best among HBU's top four offensive threats.
• Freshman setter Abby Gargus has done an admirable job of driving the Huskies' offensive production in her first season as a collegian. She ranks second in the Southland Conference with an assists per set average of 10.10 and is one of three Huskies in the league's top ten in the category of service aces per set.
LAST TIME OUT
• Northwestern State won the opening set, but that was the only thing the Lady Demons did win inside Shelton Gym last Saturday afternoon as the Ladyjacks sloughed off a slow start and rocked their longtime Louisiana foes to improve to 14-4 and 2-0 in Southland Conference play.
• With the win, it marked the seventh-straight season in which SFA won its first two Southland Conference matches of the season. The victory was also the 650th of head coach Debbie Humphreys career. Now in her 30th season in charge of the Ladyjacks, Humphreys is one of 15 active NCAA Division I coaches with 650 or more wins to their credit.
• SFA hit above .300 for the second-straight match and posted a .301 attack percentage in the four-set triumph. Sophomore setter Ann Hollas dished out a season-high 46 assists and added one of the team's eight service aces.
• Sophomore Corin Evans served up a match-best three aces and junior Sam Rodriguez added two more, helping push the Ladyjacks' service aces per set average in Southland Conference matches to 1.57 - the fourth-highest in the 13-team league.
• Evans finished with a match-high 16 kills while Haley Coleman added 15 and completed her sixth double-double of the season by scooping up 10 digs. The third part of the Ladyjacks' main trio of attackers was sophomore Danae Daron who punched down 12 kills. It was just the second time this season that three or more Ladyjacks finished with 10 or more terminations in a single match and SFA moved to 2-0 in those matches.
• No Northwestern State player finished with nine or more kills and after the Lady Demons hit .323 in the opening frame SFA's defense clamped down and held them to attack percentage of .132 in the second, .067 in the third and -.036 in the fifth.
HAMMERING HANNA
• Junior Makenzee Hanna was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday morning. It was Hanna's first Southland weekly honor of her career and came on the heels of perhaps her two best matches as a collegian.
• Hanna recorded six blocks in each of the Ladyjacks' wins over Central Arkansas (3-0) and Northwestern State (3-1) last week, helping her rise to second among all league players in blocks per set (1.71) in Southland Conference-only matches. Hanna is one of six players in the 13-team conference who are averaging more than one block per set and thanks in part to her skill in the front row, SFA leads the league in opponent attack percentage, holding its foes to an attacking clip of .161.
• As impressive as Hanna's defensive numbers were during the wins, the junior's efforts on offense were equally sublime. During the two-match stretch, Hanna pounded down eight kills in each tilt and did not commit an error during her 23 total swings. She posted a career-best attack percentage of .667 Thursday evening against Central Arkansas only to reset it less than 48 hours later by attacking at a .727 clip against Northwestern State.
• So far, only one player in the Southland Conference has racked up more blocks than the 67 Hanna has to her credit this season. That total is the 34th-highest among all NCAA Division I volleyball players. Completing her résumé as a dangerous two-way player, Hanna is tops in the 13-team Southland Conference and 74th nationally with a hitting percentage of .367.
NOT TOP TEN
• Expected to challenge for the Southland Conference regular season crown, the Ladyjacks are doing so by using a roster that does not feature a single player in the top ten in terms of kills per set in the Southland Conference.
• Seven different SFA players have led the team in kills in a single match this season, giving the Ladyjacks a multitude of weapons on the offensive end. Junior Haley Coleman (2.85 kills per set) leads a group of three SFA regulars who average two or more kills per set. Also in that trio are sophomore Corin Evans (2.85 kills per set) and Danae Daron (2.38 kills per set).
ABOUT ACE
• One of two Southland Conference squads who have racked up 100 or more service aces so far this season, pressure at the service line has allowed the Ladyjacks to get the upper hand on the majority of their opponents this season.
• The Ladyjacks rank 13th nationally in terms of total service aces with Northwestern State (102 aces) being the only Southland team with more service winners to its credit.
• Six players have accumulated at least 11 service aces for SFA, none more than sophomore Ann Hollas who has 22 so far. Fellow second-year player Corin Evans has chipped in 20 as well.
FOLLOW THE LEADERS
• SFA leads the Southland Conference in both attack percentage (.251) and opponent attack percentage (.161).
• In Southland Conference-only matches, the Ladyjacks are tops in a number of statistical categories including hitting percentage (.346), assists per set (13.86), kills per set (15.29), opponent blocks per set (1.00), and opponent digs per set (12.71).
COMING UP NEXT
• The Ladyjacks' first action in the month of October will come inside Shelton Gym on Wednesday evening when SFA welcomes Southland Conference adversary New Orleans to Nacogdoches. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m.
-SFA-
