Courtesy of Scott Wallace, Tennessee State Athletics
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee State University Tiger Volleyball Team will hit the road this weekend to take on the University of Southern Indiana Eagles (Friday 6 p.m. and Saturday 2 p.m. both on ESPN Plus).
For the second consecutive week, with two victories, the Tigers (12-15, 6-8 OVC) could get to .500 in the conference play. If the Tigers get hot and win the next four games, they will have a chance to finish as high as third place after being picked last in the preseason poll. This will be the first meeting between the two schools, which always poses a challenge in preparation.
“We have watched a lot of film to try to learn their tendencies,” said TSU head coach Donika Sutton. “As always, we work on ourselves, but we need to be ready for what they will offer. It is never easy on the road, so we must be prepared.”
Earlier in the week, Johanna Alcantara earned Offensive and Newcomer of the Week honors. This is the second week in a row for both honors and her third one as Newcomer. In the Saturday morning victory over EIU, she had 26 kills which tied her season high and swung at a .333 clip. Her 27.5 points was her second most this season. She followed that effort up with 20 kills in the four-set loss to EIU that same night. Alcantara also contributed 12 digs in the two games. She has been blistering around the net as of late, recording at least 19 kills in her last four matches
USI will be honoring their seniors this weekend. They are searching for its first win since defeating Lindenwood on 9/30. The Tigers will have to content with a balanced attack from USI which features six players that have recorded double doubles this season.
The Matchup: Tennessee State Tigers (12-15, 6-8 OVC) at Southern Indiana Eagles (1-23, 1-12 OVC)
Date/Time: Friday, November 3 || 6:00 p.m. (CST)
Date/Time: Saturday, November 4 || 2:00 p.m. (CST)
Location: Screaming Eagle Arena | Evansville, Indiana
Watch Live: https://www.espn.com/espnplus/player/_/id/e2a8145c-ab29-470e-8b8e-c7a71c052d31#bucketId=1
Live Statshttps://eiupanthers.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
SCOUTING THE TIGERS:
- Johanna Alcantara is second in the OVC in total kills (205) and is third in kills per set (3.66) She earned her second consecutive OVC Offensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week award this week.
- Carla Boudal leads the OVC in services aces with 42 for the overall season.
- Kennedy Davis is leading the OVC in hitting percentage in overall matches at .343.
- Gabrielle Johnson’s 75 blocks leads in OVC play. She has 100 total blocks on the season.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
- Led by Keira Moore, USI is third in the OVC in digs per set (15.47)
- USI has two players in the top ten in assists. Carly Sobieralski is ninth averaging 5.5 per set and Katherine Koch is right behind at 10th (5.45).
- Leah Anderson is one of the USI players with over 100 kills on the season. Her 278 ranks her seventh in overall play.
UP NEXT: The Tigers will finish the regular season at home when they take on Little Rock November 11 and 12.
