Southern Miss volleyball opens Sun Belt play at Louisiana Tech

Southern Miss volleyball opens Sun Belt Conference play against Louisiana Tech this weekend in Ruston, with matches scheduled for 6 p.m. CT Friday and 1 p.m. CT Saturday at the Thomas Assembly Center. Southern Miss enters at 9-2, while Louisiana Tech is 7-7.

The Golden Eagles won nine of 11 nonconference matches, the most wins and highest winning percentage in the Sun Belt. They lead the league in aces per set at 2.03 and digs per set at 15.77, while ranking in the top three in kills per set at 13.41.

Southern Miss has a .212 hitting percentage, seventh in the conference, after posting a .355 mark during opening weekend at the Gamecock Classic. Defensively, the Golden Eagles have held opponents to 11.08 kills per set and a .163 hitting percentage, both figures ranking second-lowest in the Sun Belt.

Senior Sadie McAda leads the offense with 990 career kills and averages 4.03 kills per set, second-most in the conference. Sunni Sheppard, the 2024 Sun Belt Libero of the Year, averages 3.97 digs per set, while transfer setter Allie Hazelwood leads the league with 10.54 assists per set. Hazelwood also recorded the conference’s top single-match total this season, with 57 assists against Lamar on Sept. 11.

Southern Miss closed its nonconference schedule at the Rumble at the Roane in Memphis with a 3-0 loss to host Memphis and a 3-2 win over Little Rock. McAda had 31 kills across the two matches, Hazelwood totaled 67 assists and six kills against Little Rock, and the Golden Eagles recorded a season-high 12 service aces in the five-set victory.

Louisiana Tech closed its nonconference schedule with a 3-0 victory over Prairie View A&M at the Wildcat Classic. The Bulldogs hit a season-best .424, totaling 41 kills on 85 attempts with five errors. Taylor Woods leads the team with 117 kills, followed by Tyra McKinnie with 115 and Gabrielle Hairston with 99.

Sydnee Carter and Emerson Traylor have directed the Louisiana Tech offense with 269 and 197 assists, respectively. Carter had a career-high 44 assists in a four-set loss to Stephen F. Austin. Riley Steubing leads the Bulldogs with 233 digs and 17 service aces.

Source: Southern Miss Athletics.