LEADING OFF

It's a homecoming week for setter Kelsey Mead as Austin Peay State University's volleyball team travels to her hometown of Tallahassee, Florida for a pair of matches in Week 2 of the season. The Govs first face Florida A&M in a 5 p.m. (CT), Friday match before meeting Florida State at 5 p.m., Saturday.

The Govs will look to bounce back following its stay at Clemson's Big Orange Bash, last weekend. Austin Peay opened with a four-set victory against Louisiana Tech but dropped four-set decisions to both Clemson and Presbyterian to close its stay.

Florida A&M opened the season at Kansas State where it dropped matches to North Carolina State, Sam Houston State, and Kansas State. The Rattlers posted a 25-7 record last season and won the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament, advancing to the NCAA Volleyball Championship where they fell to Florida.

Florida State opened its season in Cincinnati where they won matches against Illinois State and Dayton before dropping a match to host Cincinnati. The Seminoles were 20-10 last season and were selected to play in the NCAA Volleyball Championship. They defeated Kansas State in the first round before falling to eventual national runner-up Nebraska in the second round.

THROUGH THE ROTATION

• Right-side hitter Mikayla Powell was a First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection last season after notching 317 kills (2.60 per set) at a .313 attack percentage that was second among the OVC's hitters and fifth-best in program history.
• Powell led an APSU offense that recorded a .233 attack percentage that led the OVC and ranked 84th among all Division I teams. Austin Peay also ranked 77th nationally in kills per set (13.30).
• The Govs' right side is by far its most experienced spot with Powell (122 sets), Tegan Seyring (55 sets) and Marlayna Bullington (44 sets) returning. The Govs added freshman Jamie Seward to help secure the future.
• After three seasons as part of a setting tandem, Kelsey Mead takes over the reigns at setter with Janvier Buggs looking to move into a key role at the net. Mead posted 618 assists (5.42/set) last season to lead a group effort that posted 1,519 assists –21st among Division I teams.
• Maggie Keenan posted five or more blocks 14 times last season and finished the campaign with a team-leading 121 stops – 1.09 blocks per set. She finished the season ranked third among OVC blockers and 77th among Division I athletes in total blocks.
• Erin Eisenhart returns after leading Austin Peay with 380 digs (3.49/set) last season. However, the Govs lost their No. 2 and No. 3 leaders in digs with a total of 608 digs account for in those two departures. Returnee Morgan Rutledge, transfer Sadie Edmonston and freshman Emma Loiars are expected to help fill in on the Govs' back-row defense.
• At outside hitter, Elizabeth Wheat is the Govs lone returnee after beginning her collegiate career with 71 kills (1.65/set). The Govs added freshmen Payton Deidesheimer and Sarah Carnathan at outside hitter as the team begins to restructure its lineup at the pivotal position.  
• Austin Peay joined the college conference realignment movement last season with its move to the ASUN Conference becoming official July 1.