RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - Following their home stand against Ouachita Baptist last week, the Arkansas Tech volleyball team returns to action as they travel across the state line to Oklahoma to take on Southeastern and East Central in a pair of back-to-back Great American Conference road matches on Thursday and Friday.
Up first on the back-to-back slate is Southeastern. Last season, Southeastern went 8-19 overall and held a 5-11 record against conference opponents. This season, they are currently 2-14 overall and have been unable to pick up a win against a GAC opponent at 0-5.
Leading the offense for the Savage Storm is D'Nari Mills with 197 kills on the year with a 3.52 kill per set average. Jessica Hardin has also been a helpful factor on the attack with a 2.02 kill per set average on 95 kills total for the season. Pacing the offense for Southeastern is the pair of McKenzie Turkoly and Ruthie Forson who have 279 and 207 total assists on the year, respectively. Turkoly averages 5.07 assists per set, while Forson sits at a 4.40 assist per set average. Peyton Kriegel leads the team in aces with 21.
On defense, Amaya Constantino leads with 169 total digs on a 3.13 dig per set average. Behind Constantino is Patience Lewis with 161 digs, while Mills has 156. In terms of blocks, Michera Moffett leads the team with 24 total blocks and Maci Morrison follows with 15 blocks on the year.
On the other side of the back-to-back, Arkansas Tech will take on East Central. Last year, East Central went 15-14 overall with an 11-5 record in conference play. This year, they are 7-11 overall and have a 3-2 record against conference opponents.
Leading the attack on offense for the Tigers is Emma Strickland with 249 kills on the season on a 3.72 kill per set average. Following behind Strickland is Nyah Walker with a 2.48 kill per set average putting down 166 total kills. Pacing the offense for East Central is Leah Lawson with 458 total assists on the year with a 6.84 assist per set average. Lisa Gonzalez has also contributed with 155 total assists for the Tigers. In terms of service aces, Lawson leads East Central with 28 on the year so far.
Defensively, Alejandra Delgado leads the Tigers with 300 total digs on a 5.17 dig per set average. Behind Delgado is Strickland with 163 digs and Lawson with 156. In front of the net, Aloni Jordan leads East Central with 73 total blocks for the year on a 1.12 block per set average. Walker follows with 37 total blocks, while Ashleigh Miller has blocked 34.
Moving to the Golden Suns,
Maddi Siedenburg leads the offensive attack with 105 total kills, on a 2.76 kills per set average. Following Siedenburg is
Lydia Hale with 91 kills on the year while averaging 1.98 kills per set.
Heather Thomas slots in right behind Hale with 89 kills on the season and
Brianna Merkel has also contributed on the attack with 82 total kills on the season thus far. Pacing the offense is Merkel with 244 assists, while averaging 5.30 assists per set.
Gracie Palmer averages 2.86 assists per set and has set set up 163 total assists. In terms of service aces,
Jamie Myrick leads the team with 24, while
Megan Solberg follows with 18.
Anchoring the Golden Suns on defense is Solberg with 244 digs on the year and is averaging 4.21 digs per set. Myrick has also added plenty of help on defense with 136 total digs on a 2.39 dig per set average. Holding down the front of the net for the Golden Suns is Thomas with six solo blocks and 36 assisted blocks, for 42 total on the season and is averaging 0.72 blocks per set. Following behind Thomas at the front of the net is Hale with 26 total blocks, while
Olivia Crowl has logged 15.
The first match of the road trip will be on Thursday in Durant, Okla. against Southeastern. That match is set for a 6 p.m. first serve on Thursday evening. Then on Friday, the Golden Suns will travel to Ada, Okla. to take on East Central. The match against the Tigers is set for a 4 p.m. first serve on Friday afternoon.
