CLARKSVILLE – Seeking to extend its three-match Ohio Valley Conference win streak, Austin Peay State University's volleyball team hosts two league outings this weekend. First is a 7 p.m., Friday contest against Southeast Missouri followed by a 2 p.m., Saturday matchup with UT Martin, both matches will be played at the Dunn Center.
Austin Peay (6-14, 3-1 OVC) will need to put a three-set nonconference loss to No. 25 Missouri, Tuesday, behind it as it returns to league action. The Lady Govs have won their last three OVC outings and sit tied, with Eastern Illinois, atop the OVC West standings with a 3-1 mark. Both of this weekend's opponents sit just one match behind APSU with identical 2-2 league marks.
“Obviously each weekend in conference play is big for us,” said Lady Govs head coach Taylor Mott. “We got off to a good start but the next three weekends with matches against teams in our division will be crucial.”
Junior Liz Landon, the reigning OVC Offensive Player of the Week, was held to four kills at Missouri. However, through two OVC weekends she has done her damage to the tune of a league-leading .441 attack percentage while ranking 10th in kills (3.12 per set).
Landon's emergence has been a benefit to junior Jada Stotts who has not had to carry the full load of the offense. Still, Stotts ranks fourth among league hitters in kills (3.53 per set) during conference play while also functioning as one of APSU's top defenders – ranking sixth among OVC players in digs (4.41 per set).
“Liz's play the past three weeks has been a pleasant surprise,” said Mott. “It has given us a lot of options in the middle and we have the ability to play matchups there. Jada is one of the top all-around players in this league and I believe she is returning to form after so much time off. Still, it will take a quality effort from everyone to pick up wins in our league.”
This weekend the Lady Govs also will be wearing pink to promote cancer awareness. Friday's contest against Southeast Missouri will be Austin Peay's annual Think “Peaynk” fundraiser.
Three Questions with Hillary Plybon:
Scouting the Opposition:
Southeast Missouri (9-9, 2-2 OVC West) has been a Jekyll and Hyde team this season, posting a 3-1 record at home and a 1-5 record in true road contests. The Redhawks handed Jacksonville State its first league loss, Saturday, with an impressive three-set sweep. That win came after SEMO suffered back-to-back OVC losses to SIU Edwardsville and at UT Martin. Southeast Missouri boasts the league's top blocking unit, averaging 2.53 blocks per set in OVC play. Sophomore Taylor Masterson leads that effort, ranking fifth among OVC blockers at 1.06 blocks per set.
UT Martin (8-12, 2-2 OVC West) enters the weekend alternating wins and losses in its first two league weekends. Last week, the Skyhawks lost to Tennessee Tech in five sets three days after knocking off Southeast Missouri in five sets. This weekend's road trip, a Friday match at Murray State precedes Saturday's outing at APSU, is UT Martin's first league road set this season. The Skyhawks rank among the league's top five in kills (13.18 per set) and service aces (1.18 per set) through two league weekends. However, UTM does not have an individual player ranked among the top 10 in kills and only sophomore Lynsey Hazelwood (0.41 service aces per set) ranks among the OVC's top 10 in service aces.
Series Histories and last season's results:
Last season, Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri split the regular-season series with the home team winning each match. The Lady Govs won a five-set decision, Nov. 3, to end the Redhawks three-match win streak in the series. SEMO leads the all-time series by a 32-20 margin, but APSU holds a slight 11-10 edge in matches played at the Dunn Center.
Austin Peay posted three-set sweeps in both matches last season against UT Martin, extending its streak to three consecutive wins. The Lady Govs have won 10 of the last 11 meetings in the series and holds a 30-40 edge all-time, including an 18-12 advantage in Clarksville.
On the Web:
Saturday's match against UT Martin will be available on the OVC Digital Network, the OVC's free nationwide ipTV service. In addition, live statistics can be seen at LetsGoPeay.com, Austin Peay's official athletics website.
