FORT SMITH, Ark. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Volleyball returns to the Stubblefield Center this week with an opportunity to clinch the Lone Star Conference North Division.
The Lady Lions, winners of seven straight matches, host Midwestern State Tuesday and Wednesday at the Stubblefield Center at 6 p.m. each night.
General admission tickets for both matches are on sale at the UAFS Box Office. The matches can also be seen on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network, with live stats available at uafortsmithlions.com.
NOTES:
LAST WEEK: UAFS earned its seventh straight win by sweeping the season series with Oklahoma Christian. The Lady Lions earned wins of 3-0 and 3-1.
NORTH DIVISION: The LSC North Division title is on the line this week. UAFS holds a one game lead over Midwestern State entering the week. UAFS sits at 7-1 and MSU 7-3, with a pair of wins by either team giving that team the division title and the right to host the quarterfinals of the LSC Tournament.
BLOCK PARTY: UAFS held a block party in the 3-1 win over Oklahoma Christian, totaling 13 blocks. Sophomore middle blocker Hannah Holland led the way with six assisted blocks, with sophomore outside hitter Julia McCown adding four. Holland also had two solo blocks.
BEST IN SHOW: The Lady Lions continue to boast the best defense in the league, allowing just a .079 opponent attack percentage. That mark leads the LSC and ranks second nationally. The Lady Lions are also second in the league and ninth nationally in blocks at 2.4 per set.
AMONG THE LSC:
- Attack %: Hannah Holland - .333 (4th); Courtney Crownover - .280 (10th)
- Aces: Reagan Macha – 0.53/S (2nd)
- Assists: Courtney Crownover – 5.73/S (10th)
- Blocks: Hannah Holland – 1.37/S (1st)
- Digs: Lexy Lewis – 4.57 (8th)
PREVIOUSLY: The teams split their first meetings of the season in Wichita Falls in early February. The Mustangs rallied from down 2-0 to win 3-2 in the opener, before the Lady Lions won in five sets the next night.
SCOUTING MSU: Freshman outside hitter Lauryn Bourne leads the Mustangs offensively with 2.81 kills per set. Senior defensive specialist Jaycie Fuller leads the team with 3.79 digs per set, while Bourne averages 3.27 per set. Both setters average nearly 5.0 assists per set for the Mustangs, who won both matches versus Cameron last week.
THE SERIES: After splitting the first two matches of the year, UAFS now leads the series, 3-1. The Lady Lions won both matches by a score of 3-1 in 2019.
