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The Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team faces the Southland Conference preseason favorite, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, to begin a two-match swing through the state of Texas this week.

SLU (2-10, 1-0 SLC), voted third in the conference preseason poll, matches up against the Islanders (5-7, 1-0 SLC) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Corpus Christi, Texas at the Dugan Wellness. The Lady Lions wrap up the trip Saturday with a 1:30 p.m. match against UIW (5-10, 0-1 SLC) at the McDermott Center in San Antonio, Texas.

A video stream and live stats will be available for both matches. Links to each can be found on the volleyball schedule page at LionSports.net.

Southeastern is coming off a four-set win this past Saturday at Northwestern State to open up its conference schedule.

The Lady Lions’ leading attackers this season are Cicily Hidalgo (3.80 k/set) and Karlee Wilkerson (2.67 k/set), a senior from Springfield, Louisiana. Hidalgo, the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in as many weeks, sits atop the Southland charts with 194 kills and 11.00 attacks per set. Wilkerson ranks sixth in kills.

Gracie Duplechein (7.96 a/set), a freshman from St. Amant, Louisiana, and Ariana Hebert (2.54 a/set), a junior from Lafayette, have shared setting duties. Duplechein ranks fourth in the conference in assists.

Ansley Tullis, a sophomore libero from Slidell, Louisiana, leads the team with 4.25 digs per set, ranking sixth in the Southland. Hannah Brewer, a freshman outside hitter from Benton, Arkansas, ranks eighth in the conference in blocks (0.96 b/set).

A&M-Corpus Christi defeated UIW in San Antonio this past weekend to open conference action for both teams.

Kyndal Payne (2.95 k/set), Rachel Young (2.61 k/set) and Faith Panhans (8.07 a/set) lead the Islanders’ offensive attack. Payne ranks third and Young is eight in the Southland in kills. Panhans ranks fourth in assists.

Carissa Barnes leads the nation with 6.74 digs per set and ranks 13^th in service aces (0.56 sa/set).

The Cardinals are led on offense by Bethany Clapp (3.51 k/set), Risa Sena (2.60 k/set) and Natalie Martin (5.98 a/set). Clapp ranks second in the conference in both kills and service aces (0.44 sa/set).

Defensively, Macy Sumrall (4.38 d/set) ranks fourth in the Southland in digs while Jacqueline Arrington (1.06 b/set) ranks sixth in blocks.

SCHEDULE UPDATE

Slated to be moved to an alternate facility on campus following Hurricane, all remaining Southeastern home matches will return to their original home in the University Center effective immediately.

The Lady Lions are scheduled to host McNeese, Oct. 7, in their first home match of the season.

DIGGIN’ IT CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the Southeastern volleyball program are encouraged to join the Diggin’ It Club. Lion volleyball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.

All membership fees and donations to both the Diggin’ It Club and S Club (volleyball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern volleyball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lady Lions Volleyball, follow @LionUpVB or @JWhiteSLU on Twitter, @LionUpVB on Instagram, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.