Ashley Williams is second in the BIG EAST with 5.64 digs per set
Volleyball Heads West for Utah State Invitational
9/1/2011 1:25:09 PM | Volleyball
| SU Tournament Schedule | ||
| Date | Time | Opponent |
| Fri. 9/2 | 9 p.m. EST | Utah State |
| Sat. 9/3 | 1 p.m. EST | Texas State |
| Sat. 9/3 | 7 p.m. EST | Idaho State |
| Live Stats | Live Video | Match Notes |
LOGAN, Utah – The Syracuse University volleyball team puts its 21 match nonconference winning streak on the line this weekend at the Utah State Invitational, as the Orange faces Utah State, Texas State and Idaho State at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
SU is the only undefeated team in this weekend's field after three wins at the Big Orange Tournament. Senior Noemie Lefebvre was the tournament MVP for her 44 kill, 36 dig performance.
Lefebvre needs just seven digs to reach 1,000 for her career. She would become the 11th player in Orange volleyball history to accomplish that milestone.
The team defense shined last weekend for the Orange. Syracuse leads the BIG EAST conference in opponent hitting percentage as SU held its three foes to a combined .081 hitting percentage.
Middle Blocker Sam Hinz tallied 19 total blocks last weekend and her 1.73 blocks per set average is second highest in conference. Libero Ashley Williams also ranks second in the BIG EAST with a 5.64 digs per set average.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:
Utah State: The Aggies won the Western Athletic Conference Tournament a year ago and returns All-American outside hitter Liz McArthur who is leading the team with 35 kills. USU is 1-2 this season with a win against Drake and losses against Pacific and Southern Utah last weekend at the Thunderbird Invitational.
The match set for Friday at 9:00 p.m. EST marks the first ever contest between the Orange and the Aggies. SU head coach Jing Pu graduated from Utah State with his masters in 1989.
Texas State: The Bobcats are the only other team entering this weekend with a winning record. Texas State went 2-1 at the 'Bama Bash with wins against Alabama State and Austin Peay, and a loss in five sets to host Alabama.
Sophomore Ashlee Hilbun is the reigning Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week. Hilburn registered a conference-best 23 blocks (20 assists, three solo – 1.77 blocks per set) and added 27 digs.
Texas State holds a 1-0 advantage in the all-time series with Syracuse. The two teams first met in 2009 at the SMU Tournament with Bobcats winning in four sets.
First serve between Syracuse and Texas State is scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 p.m. EST.
Idaho State: The Bengals are 1-3 after the Missouri Tournament where ISU suffered straight set losses to Tulane, Missouri and North Dakota State. ISU's win came against Binghamton in straight sets. Redshirt freshman Danielle Downs earned all-tournament honors with 35 kills and a .250 hitting clip.
This will be the first meeting between Syracuse and Idaho State. The match on Saturday begins at 7 p.m. EST.
Following the Utah State Invitational, the Orange will travel to Orem, Utah, for a Labor Day contest with Utah Valley scheduled for 3:00 p.m. EST.
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