HOUSTON – The end of the Lamar University volleyball squad's 15-match long road trip that started with the the season, over two months ago, is finally in sight. The final contest of that journey is Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Cardinals head down I-10 to take on Houston Baptist at Sharp Gym in Southland Conference action.
The Cardinals (1-13, 1-1 Southland Conference) enter the match after taking its first victory of the season at New Orleans on Sept. 24 and getting a Thursday night without a match. Houston Baptist (11-7, 2-0) enters on a three-match win streak that includes a non-conference victory over Texas Southern.
In its last match, Lamar had its best bout of the year with a season-high in total kills (60) and attack percentage (.317). It also had the second-most assists of the campaign with 55 in the match.
Three Cardinals registered 10+ kills in the contest, led by
Chelsea Grant at 16.
Murielle Hlavac had 15 kills – her career high – and
Ivette Dim finished with 11. Freshman
Dannisha House also was huge for the team, especially in blocking. She notched the team's top two blocking contests with nine at Southeastern Louisiana and six at New Orleans;
Ivette Dim also has a six-block match.
Grant is the team's leader in kills per set (3.24) and attack percentage (.192) for the season, and in conference play alone she has 3.22 kills a set and a .198 attack mark. Hlavac has a 2.02 kills number for the season, and is followed by four other Cardinals with one or more a set.
Defensively, Dim leads in blocks per set (0.76). House has a 1.29 average, but has only played in five matches and 14 sets.
Lauren Stahlman has a 2.49 digs a set number – which tops the team – and after a tremendous weekend
Carlyn Stella closed the gap for a 2.41 digs average.
HBU, one of four 2-0 teams in the league, enters just one match down in the all-time series (6-5). Since LU head coach
Alan Edwards took over the program, the battle is split 2-2.
Junior outside hitter Bailey Banks is the team's leading hitter – second in the Southland Conference – with a 3.49 kills average. She is second in attack percentage at .232. Three other Huskies have two or more kills a set, Melissa Fuchs (2.72), Ashlee Vann (2.21) and Blair Gillard (2.00). Setter Kayla Armer leads the Southland in assists (9.78 per set), and is a threat to score as well (1.00 kills a set).
Defensively, Banks sits atop the Huskies with 3.31 dig, followed closely by libero Hailey Erickson (3.24).
HBU was picked third and fourth in the preseason polls.
The Cardinals host their home opener on Thursday against Central Arkansas at 7 p.m., followed by another home match against Northwestern State at 1 p.m. the following Saturday.
