CLARKSVILLE – After posting an impressive 3-1 record in its season-opening tournament, Austin Peay State University's volleyball team begins a nine-match road trip at UAB's Blazer Invitational, Friday-Saturday, in Birmingham. APSU will face Georgia State (1-2) and host UAB (0-3), Friday, before a Saturday match against Western Illinois (2-1).
NINE-MATCH ROAD TRIP STARTS IN BIRMINGHAM
- The Governors enter the week ranked No. 17 in the first-ever VolleyballMag.com Mid-Major Poll presented by the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
- Senior Ashley Slay was named the adidas® OVC Offensive Player of the Week, Monday, her third career weekly honor. In addition, she was named the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Volleyball Player of the Week, Thursday. Slay posted back-to-back 20-kill outings against Marshall and Missouri last week.
- Junior Kristen Stucker picked up her fifth career adidas® OVC Setter of the Week award, Monday. She leads the OVC with 11.56 assists per set after the opening weekend thanks largely to back-to-back 57-assist performances against Marshall and Missouri.
- Austin Peay was successful away from Clarksville last season, posting a 9-3 record in true road games and an 8-4 mark in neutral court contests.
- Austin Peay returns 11 players (lost two) from last season's team that posted the fifth-best win-loss record improvement among Division I teams and finished with the most wins (24) of any Tennessee Division I team.
- 2016 First-Team All-OVC selections Kristen Stucker and Ashley Slay return for the 2017 campaign. Stucker is the reigning OVC Setter of the Year.
MEET THE TEAMS
GOING ON TWO
Sophomore Ginny Gerig was nominated for the adidas® OVC Defensive Player of the Week award after averaging 5.00 digs per set over the opening weekend and committing only two reception errors on 76 attempts… Freshman Brooke Moore was a candidate for the OVC's Newcomer of the Week honor, she posted 16 kills, seven service aces and 32 digs while playing all 16 sets in her first collegiate weekend… Junior Kaylee Taff led the Govs front-row defense with 11 blocks (0.79 per set) in the opening weekend… Redshirt junior Christina White was a solid No. 2 option last week, finishing second on the team in kills (48, 3.00 per set) and digs (47, 2.94 per set)… Sophomore Jenna Panning made her presence felt with 29 kills (1.81 per set)… Junior Logan Carger made a big impact in her 12 sets, posting 21 kills (1.75 per set) and four blocks… Senior Allie O'Reilly played in all 16 sets on the opening weekend as a defensive specialist, finishing with 37 digs (2.31 per set)… Led by White and Moore's seven aces each, the Govs averaged 1.94 service aces per set and are ranked 24th among Division I teams entering Week 2.
