NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word volleyball team is on the road this week for Southland Conference play. The Cardinals will first match up against Stephen F. Austin on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., and then on Saturday, they face Northwestern State at 2:00 p.m.
Angelique Vidaurri (San Antonio/Southwest HS) has been the top attacker for the Cardinals (5-10, 1-1), averaging 2.94 kills per set.
Claudia Hernandez (San Antonio/Antonian HS) continues her dominant defensive play, leading the team with 3.56 digs per set and
Kaitlyn Brooks (Sugar Land/Fort Bend Austin HS) leads the setters by dishing out 5.64 assists per set. As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 11.3 kills per set, 14.4 digs per set, 10.5 assists per set and 1.45 blocks per set while hitting .157.
Stephen F. Austin (9-7, 2-0 SLC) started Southland Conference play last weekend, with two sweeps against Nicholls and McNeese State. This is the third straight year that the Ladyjacks start 2-0 in conference. They have also won seven of their last nine matches this season. Libero OJ Olson has been named the SLC Defensive Player of the Week twice this year. She also leads the SLC in digs, with 327. Senior Jill Ivy is averaging 3.5 kills per set while Paige Holland averages 8.4 assists per set. As a team, the Ladyjacks are averaging 12.9 kills per set and 16.7 digs per set and are hitting .194.
Northwestern State (1-1, 4-11 SLC) won their first conference game against McNeese State last week, 3-2. Later that weekend, they fell in straight sets to Nicholls. The Lady Demons are facing a tough obstacle. Last Friday, defending Southland Conference Libero of the Year, Keelie Arneson, suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, leaving her out for the rest of the season. She was averaging 6.82 digs per set and ranks first in school history with 2,135 career digs. Mackenzie Neely leads the team in kills (145), and kills per set (2.74). Emily Johnson leads the Lady Demons in assists (275) and Stacey DiFrancesco, is second in digs (222). As a team, they are averaging 11.2 kills per set and 19.2 digs per set and are hitting .129.
Last year the Cardinals defeated Stephen F. Austin in five sets and lost to Northwestern State in five sets with both matches played at the McDermott Center.
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