Trojans Look to Clinch Spot in Conference Tournament

Match Notes (PDF)

Match 23: Little Rock vs. Georgia Southern
Saturday, Oct. 31 • 6:30 p.m.
Little Rock, Ark. • Jack Stephens Center
Live Stats | Live Video

LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock volleyball (10-12, 6-6 Sun Belt) will look to clinch a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament when it welcomes Georgia Southern (8-15, 3-8) to the Jack Stephens Center for its next-to-last home match of the season on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
 
With it being Halloween night, the Trojans will host SpooktacUALR with a costume contest set to take place for a $100 gift card and plenty of candy available on the concourse. Fans are encouraged to wear their spookiest costumes and join the fun.
 
FIRST SERVE

• Little Rock will look to maintain its undefeated record against Georgia Southern.
• Since joining Division I in 1991, Little Rock is 8-1 when playing on Halloween and has won eight consecutive times.
• Little Rock is one of three teams to have not been swept in Sun Belt play this season.
• The Trojans need just one more win to clinch a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
• Priscila Almeida's 426 digs are the seventh-most in a single season at Little Rock.
• Almeida averages the 16th-most digs per set in the nation at 5.20.
• The Trojans continue to the lead the conference in blocks per set.
• Little Rock has the second-best opponent hitting percentage at .165.
• The Trojans' 1.32 aces per set in conference play are the third-most in the Sun Belt.
• Edina Selimovic and Sydnee Martin rank in the top five for aces per set in conference play.

 
SCOUTING GEORGIA SOUTHERN (8-15, 3-8 SUN BELT)
The Eagles come into the week with a pair of 0-3 losses to Appalachian State and UT Arlington at home last weekend. Before Saturday night's match against Little Rock, Georgia Southern will make the trip to Jonesboro to face Arkansas State on Friday night.
 
Georgia Southern is led on offense by Megan Chevalier with 2.65 kills per set and a .211 hitting percentage for the year. Racking up the assists is Katie Bange with 6.63 per set for the season and 8.55 in conference play.
 
On defense, Alex Beecher is averaging a league-leading 5.95 digs per set in conference play while also averaging a league-leading 5.26 per set for the entire year. The Eagles also have a pair of good blockers in Crysten Curry and Lauren Reichard. Curry averages 1.08 blocks per set in conference play, ranking fifth, while Reichard averages 1.00 per set, ranking eighth.
 
SERIES AGAINST GEORGIA SOUTHERN
In just three meetings with the Eagles, Little Rock boasts an undefeated 3-0 record. Last season in Little Rock, the Trojans and Eagles played a five-set match with Little Rock earning the 3-2 win in the next-to-last home match of the season. Up until that point, Little Rock was only one of two teams in Division I not to have played in a five-set match in the regular season and was the only team with a winning record to not have done so.
The Trojans faced the Eagles in the first conference match of the season on Sept. 18 and came away with the 3-0 sweep over Georgia Southern. Edina Selimovic led the Trojans with a match-high 17 kills and a team-high five blocks while hitting .577 on 26 swings.
 
HALLOWEEN SUCCESS
Since joining Division I in 1991, Little Rock has an overall record of 8-1 when playing on Halloween. The Trojans only loss came in 1992 when playing rival Arkansas State. Since then, Little Rock has went on to win eight consecutive matches on All Hallows' Eve. When playing at home, the Trojans are 3-0 on the last day of October.
 
The last time Little Rock played a home match on Halloween was against North Texas in 2008 as the Trojans won in four sets over the Mean Green.
 
NOT GOING DOWN EASY
Despite the six losses Little Rock has taken in Sun Belt play this season, the Trojans are only one of three teams in the conference to not have been swept in a Sun Belt match this season. Besides last season's undefeated conference run, the last time Little Rock pulled this off was in 1999 as they took at least one set in all Sun Belt matches.
 
WIN AND YOU'RE IN
With the regular season winding down to the final few matches, Little Rock finds itself in good position. The Trojans need just one more win to clinch a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the fifth consecutive year. With Georgia Southern and Troy to play in the next two matches, Little Rock's chances look pretty good as the Trojans swept both earlier this season.
 
DIGGIN' ALMEIDA
Senior libero Priscila Almeida came into Wednesday night's match with 400 digs for the season, ninth-most for a single season in program history. Almeida proceeded to record 26 digs and finish with 426 for the season. Almeida's total jumped to seventh-most in a single season in program history after passing Sonja Milanovic's 411 last season and Amila Barakovic's 421 in 2006. Almeida's 26 digs tied for the fourth-most in a four-set match in the rally-scoring era.
 
Almeida's average of 5.20 digs per set ranks 16th in the nation and ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference. In conference matches, Almeida averages 5.34 digs per set, enough for second-best in the Sun Belt.
 
Among Sun Belt schools, Almeida owns the top three spots for most digs in a single match with totals of 38, 35 and 34 earlier this season.
 
THE TROJAN WALL IS UP!
Little Rock continues to be the most dominate blocking team in the Sun Belt. For the season, the Trojans have tallied 2.51 blocks per set with a total of 206. In Sun Belt play, Little Rock's numbers are even more impressive with 2.72 blocks per set.
In conference play, Carolee Dillard and Edina Selimovic are tied for the second-most blocks per set with 1.26.
Nationally, the Trojans 2.51 blocks per set rank 44th in the nation.
 
DEFENSIVE STRENGTH
Little Rock's top-notch defense is evident once again this season as the Trojans have the second-lowest opponent hitting percentage in the Sun Belt at .165. The Trojans have held opponents to the second-most errors this season among conference schools with 563 in the third-fewest sets played with 82.
 
In conference play, the story is much the same as Little Rock has held opponents to a .147 average. The Trojans' opponents have committed the most errors against Little Rock than any other team in conference play with 332.
 
ACE YOUR FACE
In conference play, Little Rock's 1.32 aces per set are the third-most in the Sun Belt. Edina Selimovic ranks second with 0.45 aces per set while Sydnee Martin ranks fifth with 0.34 per set.
 
A WIN AGAINST GEORGIA SOUTHERN WOULD…
…guarantee Little Rock a spot in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. A win would also give the Trojans the season sweep over the Eagles while also keeping Little Rock's undefeated record against Georgia Southern intact.
 
CAREER NUMBERS WATCH

• Priscila Almeida needs 22 digs to move up to sixth place for most digs in a single season.
• Marina Avram is six digs shy of 200 for career and is four blocks away from her 40th.
• Sydnee Martin's next ace will be her 25th of the season and her career.

NEXT UP
After Saturday's match, Little Rock goes on its final regular-season road trip with stops at Troy on Nov. 6 and South Alabama on Nov. 8.