SAN ANTONIO -- The University of the Incarnate Word volleyball team is preparing to embrace a critical opportunity this weekend when the Cardinals host two of the conference's top squads. UIW faces Stephen F. Austin on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. CT, before welcoming Central Arkansas on Saturday at noon. Both contests are in the McDermott Center.
 
This will be the second weekend of conference matches at home for the Cardinals. UIW defeated Sam Houston (3-0) and fell in five sets to Abilene Christian (3-2) the weekend of Sept. 27-29. Overall, the team is 3-2 at home, including victories in three of their last four home matches.

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LAST TIME OUT

• UIW fell in five sets at Houston Baptist on Saturday afternoon.
• The Cardinals set a new team high with 11 blocks.
• Senior outside hitter Maddie Slaughter played a major part in the record, earning a career-high seven blocks.
• Sophomore libero Madelynn Miller set a new career high with 39 digs.
• Freshman setter Kendall Killchrist finished with 40 assists. This marks a new season high, surpassing her previous best of 39, set at SLU (9/22).
• Senior outside hitter Autumn Lockley led the team with 17 kills.
• Freshman outside hitter Bethany Clapp finished with 13 kills to extend her double-digit kill streak to nine consecutive matches.
• Sophomore outside hitter Julia Monday contributed 12 kills. It was her fifth match this season with 10-or-more kills.

 
STORYLINES

• The Cardinal freshmen have asserted themselves as one of the top all-around freshman classes in the conference.
• Clapp has established herself as a premier offensive weapon on the outside. She leads the team with 194 kills, including 101 in seven SLC matches. Her 3.23 kills per set is the best among freshman in the conference, and sixth best overall.
• She posted an .824 hitting percentage in UIW's victory over Alcorn State (9/15), the best attacking percentage for a single match in the conference (minimum of 12 kills)
• Clapp has now posted double-digit kills in each of her last nine matches, marking the longest such streak since Lockley posted 12 consecutive double-digit kill performances in 2016.
• Speaking of Lockley, the senior is fourth in the conference with an average of 3.41 kills per set (150 in 44 sets).
• Her 26-kill performance against ACU (Sept. 29) is the second most kills in a single match of any student-athlete in the conference.
• McGarity sits among the top freshmen in the SLC with 0.92 blocks per set played. She also leads the team with 57.0 blocks this year.
• Gonzaba has eclipsed the 300 assist plateau this season; her current total is 346. She has delivered 129 assists in her last three matches (10.75 assists per set).
• Her 42-assist performance in UIW's 3-0 win over SHSU (Sept. 27) stands as the most assists by anyone in the SLC over the course of a 3-set match.
• On the season, Gonzaba sits second best among freshmen in the conference, and sixth best overall, with 7.52 assists per set.
• Miller leads the team with 249 digs. She stands second in the conference in digs per set, averaging 4.61.

 
CARDINALS IN CONFERENCE

• UIW has a 2-5 SLC record.
• Clapp leads the conference in total kills (101), 15 kills above the next closest competitor.
• She is also the top freshman in the conference, and sixth best overall, in kills per set (3.48).
• The Corpus Christi native holds two double-doubles in conference play (@ SLU, Sept. 22 and vs ACU, Sept. 29).
• Miller leads the SLC with 143 digs. She ranks second in the conference in digs per set, averaging 4.93.
• Gonzaba owns 187 assists in conference play, the second most in the conference.
• She averages 9.35 assists per set in conference play, which is sixth most in the conference and the best among qualifying freshman setters.
• McGarity is fourth in the conference with 28 blocks, she averages .97 blocks per set in SLC matches, the second-best average among SLC freshman 
• Lockley recorded 26 kills against ACU on Sept. 29. That stands as the most kills in a single match of any SLC student-athlete in 2018.

SCOUTING STEPHEN F. AUSTIN

• The Ladyjacks (19-2, 6-0) enter the weekend riding a 16-match win streak. Their last loss came on Sept. 1, a 3-1 defeat to Northwestern.
• They lead the conference in both hitting percentage (.249) and blocks per set (2.53).
• The Ladyjacks are led offensively by Haley Coleman, who has 212 kills. She is one of six in the conference to amass 200-or-more kills this season.
• SFA leads the all-time series, 6-2. UIW's last victory in the series came in 2015, a five-set victory in Nacogdoches (Nov. 14).

 
SCOUTING CENTRAL ARKANSAS

• The Sugarbears (15-4, 5-1) have won their last five matches in conference. Their last loss, and their only loss in SLC play, came to SFA in the conference opener, a 3-0 loss on Sept. 22.
• They lead the conference in both kills per set (13.4) and assists per set (12.51)
• They are led offensively by Samantha Anderson (226 kills) and Haley Tippett (212 kills). Together, the duo makes up two of the six student-athletes in the conference with 200-or-more kills this year.
• UCA leads the all-time series, 4-2. UIW's last victory in the series came on Sept.1 2016, in Conway, Arkansas two seasons ago (3-1).

 
 
UP NEXT
The Cardinals head back out on the road for a one-game jaunt into Louisiana. UIW faces McNeese on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The Cardinals then have a nine-day break before traveling to Nicholls for a Thursday night tilt on Oct. 25. First serve for that contest is set for 6:30 p.m.

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