Stephen F. Austin
Incarnate Word
Ladyjacks Take Aim at 20th Win of 2018 Thursday Night at Incarnate Word
10/10/2018 4:41:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SFA is riding a 16-match winning streak and needs one more win to become first NCAA Division I volleyball team to 20 triumphs this season
Match Twenty-Two
SFA (19-2, 6-0 Southland) at Incarnate Word (4-13, 2-5 Southland)
Thursday, Oct. 11 | 7:00 p.m. | McDermott Convocation Center (2,000) | San Antonio, Texas
Live Stats | Watch | Listen (SFAVolleyblog.net) | SFA Match Notes (PDF)
Play-by-Play/Analysis | Greg Miller
THE FIRST SERVE
• Riding the nation's second-longest active winning streak, the SFA volleyball team sets out on a journey to the Alamo City for a Thursday night Southland Conference battle at Incarnate Word. First serve for the ninth meeting between the Ladyjacks and Cardinals has been slated for 7:00 p.m. inside the McDermott Convocation Center.
• Fans unable to make the trip to San Antonio can follow each and every point of the action via live stats, a live video stream and the high-level play-by-play and analysis courtesy of the nation's foremost expert on all things SFA volleyball, Greg Miller. Miller's call can be heard around the globe on an online radio stream available at SFAVolleyblog.net.
• One-third of the way through its 18-match Southland Conference schedule, SFA remains atop the league standings and is the only squad in the 13-team league that has not dropped a conference match this season. The Ladyjacks are one of 29 NCAA Division I volleyball teams from around the nation who have not lost a conference match so far this season and of those 29, four are from the state of Texas (Rice, SFA, Texas State).
• SFA has won each of its last 16 matches dating back to a 3-1 non-conference victory at Colgate on Saturday, Sept. 1. That winning streak is second only to ACC institution Pittsburgh who has started the season with 18-straight victories. The Ladyjacks' 19 wins, however, are the most in the nation - one more than both sixth-ranked Pittsburgh and Valparaiso.
• The Ladyjacks' 16-match winning streak ranks as the seventh-longest unbeaten run in program history. It's SFA's longest unbeaten stretch since the Ladyjacks reeled off 17 victories in 2014 and included in that winning streak is a perfect 5-0 mark in true road games. SFA is one of only nine NCAA Division I volleyball teams this season who have not lost a road match.
• Should the Ladyjacks defeat the Cardinals Thursday night, they would reach the 20-win plateau for the 22nd time in program history and the fifth time in as many seasons. SFA would also be the first NCAA Division I volleyball squad this season to reach the 20-win mark.
LAST TIME OUT | at Northwestern State 1, SFA 3 (10/6/18)
• After dropping just their second set in Southland Conference action this season, SFA responded by winning the next three to post a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over the Lady Demons last Saturday afternoon in Natchitoches, La.
• Senior outside hitter Haley Coleman was the only Ladyjack to reach double-digits in the kill column, putting down a team-best 13 in the tilt. For the second time in as many matches, junior setter Ann Hollas turned in a double-double with 25 assists and 10 digs.
• After finishing with no blocks in the opening set, the Ladyjacks were able to get their front-row defense established for the rest of the match in order to take some of the punch away from the Lady Demons' offense. SFA accumulated all 11 of its rejections through the final three frames, getting six block assists from sophomore Anyia Williams and five more courtesy of junior middle blocker Danae Daron who also finished with a career-best 10 digs.
• Freshman libero Marisabel Torres celebrated her second consecutive appearance in the starting lineup by diving for a match and career-best 26 digs in the Ladyjacks' win. Those 26 digs are the most by an SFA player in a single match this season.
• Once again, SFA's depth was a key component of its victory. Junior outside hitter Xariah Williams stepped off the bench and delivered eight kills in the final three sets to help put the visitors to the win.
• For the seventh-straight match, SFA held its opponent to a hitting percentage south of the .200 mark. Northwestern State attacked at a clip of .122 and as of this writing no Southland Conference opponent has succeeded in hitting .200 or better against SFA since Texas A&M-Corpus Christi did so on Halloween night of 2017 (a 3-0 win for the Islanders).
SCOUTING INCARNATE WORD | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
SFA vs. Incarnate Word | 6-2 (.750)
In Nacogdoches, Texas | 2-1 (.667)
In San Antonio, Texas | 4-1 (.800)
At neutral sites | 0-0 (.000)
Streak | SFA won three
Last five matches | 4-1 (.800)
In three-set matches | 5-0 (1.000)
In five-set matches | 1-2 (.333)
Humphreys vs. Incarnate Word | 6-2 (.750)
Dabbs vs. SFA | 0-0 (.000)
Last meeting | at UIW 0, SFA 3 (10/12/17)
• Three of the Cardinals' four victories have come on their home floor of the McDermott Convocation Center and that includes a 3-0 sweep of Southland Conference adversary Sam Houston State back on September 27. With all that said, Incarnate Word is back home for the first time this month and would like nothing better than to snap a three-match Southland Conference skid when SFA comes to town.
• Most of Incarnate Word's damage on offense has been done by senior Autumn Lockley and freshman Bethany Clapp. That outside hitter duo ranks fifth and sixth respectively in the Southland Conference with kills per set averages of 3.41 and 3.23. Both also sit among the top five in the Southland in points per set as well.
• Like SFA, Incarnate Word uses a two-setter system. A pair of freshmen - Pilar Gonzaba and Kendall Kilchrist - run the Cardinals' offense with Gonzaba leading the way and passing out 7.52 assists per set. Kilchrist is second with an assists per set average of 7.29 which ranks as the eighth-highest in the Southland.
• Sophomore libero Madelynn Miller is the leader of the Cardinals' back row as she leads the team and ranks second in the Southland with a digs per set average of 4.61. Both Chloe Patton (2.05 digs/set) and Lockley (2.00 digs/set) are the only other pair of Incarnate Word players who are at or over two scoops per frame.
• Almost 30-percent of Incarnate Word's block total has been accounted for by freshman Carissa McGarity. She leads the team and ranks 10th among all Southland Conference players with a blocks per set average of 0.92.
TORRES TEARS IT UP
• For her efforts over the course of last week, freshman libero Marisabel Torres earned the title of Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week Monday afternoon.
• Torres was placed in SFA's starting lineup against Southeastern Louisiana last Thursday night and proceeded to run down 17 digs. Just a few days later in a 3-1 win at Northwestern State Torres turned in 26 digs. For the week, the Pearland, Texas, product averaged 6.14 digs per set while helping SFA limit the opposition to a collective .073 attack percentage through the week.
COMING UP NEXT
• The endpoint of the Ladyjacks' four-match road trip sends SFA to Conway, Ark., for a highly-anticipated rematch with its first Southland Conference opponent of 2018. Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m., SFA clashes with Central Arkansas inside the Prince Center as the Ladyjacks seek a season sweep of the Sugar Bears. Currently, SFA leads Central Arkansas by one game for the top spot in the Southland standings.
-SFA-
