THREE THINGS TO KNOW
Welcome Back Families, Alumnae: It will be a busy weekend for the Lady Govs as they welcome their families and alumnae back to the Dunn Center this weekend. The Lady Govs 2010 OVC Championship squad will highlight the return of APSU volleyball alumnae with recognition at both Friday's volleyball match and Saturday's football game. Austin Peay Volleyball will recognize its families back in a pre-match recognition, Saturday.
Adams Stays Ranked Nationally: Senior April Adams remains among the nation's leaders in digs. With 302 digs this season, she is ranked 89th nationally. She leads an Austin Peay defense that ranks 79th nationally with 1,091 digs.
First Set Signs: The first set has been a harbinger of success for Austin Peay this season. The Lady Govs are 5-0 when winning the first set this season, but 1-15 when losing the opening frame – that lone win coming in a five-set victory against Southern Miss, Sept. 19.
THE FULL STORY
CLARKSVILLE – Back-to-back contests against opponents atop the Ohio Valley Conference await Austin Peay State University's volleyball team as it hosts Tennessee State in a 6 p.m., Friday contest followed by a 1 p.m., Saturday matchup with Belmont.
Austin Peay (6-15, 1-5 OVC) will wrap up the toughest stretch of its conference slate with this weekend's contests. Tennessee State enters the weekend tied for third place behind Belmont which sits alone in second place. The two matches follow an outing against Eastern Illinois, which is tied with TSU, and a matchup against league-leading Murray State that started the five-match stretch.
Through the five-match stretch against the league's top teams, the Lady Govs have proven to be a tough out. Austin Peay pushed both Murray State and Eastern Illinois before ultimately falling. The Lady Govs passing and defense have been its Achilles heel at the beginning of the stretch, with the team losing both ends of the battle, 13.92-15.50 in digs and 1.67-2.33 in blocks.
"We are going through a part of our schedule that has been and will be a tough test every night," said Lady Govs head Taylor Mott. "There have been encouraging signs in each of our last three matches that show how close we are to breaking through. The only thing holding us back is ourselves and the ability to remain focused throughout a match."
Sophomore Ashley Slay has led Austin Peay with 29 kills (2.42 per set) in the last three matches, including 15 in a victory against SIUE that was sandwiched between the Murray State and Eastern Illinois losses. Seniors Aubrey Marsellis and Samantha Strother have each posted 25 kills (2.08 per set) during the same stretch. That trio has accounted for more than 60 percent of APSU's kills.
"Ashley, Aubrey and Samantha have found their stride offensively," said Mott. "It seems as they go so goes the team. The energy and excitement they bring to the court is important for us every time we step out to compete."
ABOUT TENNESSEE STATE (9-9, 4-2 OVC)
A streaking Tennessee State squad will visit the Dunn Center, Friday, bringing a four-match win streak into the contest. The Tigers went 3-0 during their recently concluded homestand, which included a sweep of SIUE and Jacksonville State. Junior Chloe Watson has paced TSU this season, her 3.79 kills per set ranking third among OVC hitters. Senior Madison Halterman leads the OVC liberos with 4.64 digs per set.
SERIES HISTORY: Austin Peay has won the last two matches in the series and eight of the last 10. The Lady Govs own a dominant 47-9 edge in the series all-time with Tennessee State's nine wins all coming since the 2005 season.
ABOUT BELMONT (8-9, 5-1 OVC)
Belmont brings a three-game win streak into the weekend, its lone OVC loss coming at home to Tennessee State as part of a 3-1 homestand. The Bruins boast a formidable service attack, ranking second in the OVC with 1.76 service aces per set, with three players ranking among the league's top 10 in service aces, sophomore Arianna Person owning a league-leading 32 aces (2nd with 0.47 per set).
SERIES HISTORY: Austin Peay holds a narrow 11-10 advantage in the series but has lost the last 10 meetings, including a matchup in last season's OVC Tournament. The Lady Govs do own a 6-3 edge at the Dunn Center, but have not won at home since Oct. 19, 2004, a three-match losing streak.
CATCH IT LIVE
Both matches will be available on the OVC Digital Network, available free on any digital device. In addition, live statistics will be available at PeayStats.com.
