CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay's volleyball team begins the second half of ASUN play this weekend when it hosts Queens and Kennesaw State, Friday-Saturday, in the only meetings between the teams. The Governors and Queens open the weekend with a 6 p.m. Friday match at the Winfield Dunn Center before APSU hosts Kennesaw State in a 4 p.m. Saturday contest.
The Govs begin the second half of conference play seeking to reverse their fortunes of the first half. In its last six matches of the first half, Austin Peay faced each of the league's top five teams in the standings.
Looking ahead to the second half, Austin Peay will face three of those teams – Bellarmine, Eastern Kentucky, and Lipscomb – a second time but the other five matches are against teams the Govs will battle against for one of the eight spots in the ASUN Volleyball Championship that is one month away.
The Govs return home for two of their final four home matches this weekend. They will not return to the Dunn Center until the regular season's final weekend, Nov. 10-11. With outside hitter Mikayla Powell battling an injury (she is day-to-day), Austin Peay's offense has sought to spread the wealth. The sophomore trio of right-side hitter Jamie Seward and outside hitters Payton Deidesheimer and Sarah Carnathan combined for 35 kills at Stetson.
THROUGH THE ROTATION
- Outside hitter Mikayla Powell recorded double-digit kills in 16 consecutive matches and had four 20-kill outings, Sept. 1-Oct. 7, but suffered an injury following the Govs match against Eastern Kentucky and is day-to-day.
- Powell was the first ASUN hitter to record 200 kills this season and her 281 total kills still leads the ASUN and ranks 34th among Division I hitters. Powell's also enters the week averaging an ASUN-leading 3.80 kills per set, which places her 54th among Division I hitters.
- Middle blocker Maggie Keenan's 62 blocks are the sixth-most in the ASUN. She needs 26 blocks to become only the sixth Govs student-athlete to record 300 career blocks.
- As September dawned, setter Kelsey Mead took over as the Govs' primary setter as the team switched from a 6-2 to a 5-1 offense. She enters this week's action ranked seventh among ASUN setters at 7.84 assists per set.
- Middle blocker Karli Graham is out to an impressive start in ASUN play with 41 kills (1.54 per set) and a .409 attack percentage.
- In addition, Graham is second among ASUN attackers with a .380 attack percentage for the season. That's due largely to a hot streak that started during the Kansas City Klassic, Sept. 15-16. The 11-match stretch has seen her record 64 kills (1.60 per set) while posting a .414 attack percentage.
- Mead and defensive specialist Kalliann Cook form one of the ASUN's top back-row defensive pairings. Cook has 232 digs entering the weekend, while Mead brings 223 total digs into this week's action.
- Freshman middle blocker Anna Rita enjoyed a pair of breakout performances against Jacksonville and Lipscomb, scoring 13 blocks (1.44 per set), including setting her season bests in blocks (8) and kills (6) against Jacksonville. She has 26 blocks (1.08 per set) in ASUN play – second-most on the team.
- Sophomore right-side hitter Jamie Seward notched her second nine-kill outing of ASUN play at Stetson on Oct. 14, tying her career-high set against Bellarmine eight days prior. This season, she has 27 kills (1.69 per set) in 16 ASUN sets.
- Sophomore outside hitter Payton Deidesheimer set her career high with 17 kills at Stetson on Oct. 14, in her first start since Sept. 8. It is her second double-digit kill outing in 2023, joining a 14-kill performance against Florida A&M during the opening weekend.
- Senior defensive specialist Morgan Rutledge wore the libero jersey at FGCU and Stetson last weekend and finished with 29 digs (4.14 per set) while committing only one reception error in 24 serve receipts.
INSIDE THE SERIES
QUEENS
SERIES RECORD: APSU leads, 1-0.
CURRENT STREAK: Second meeting all time.
LAST SEASON: Austin Peay won a three-set decision against Queens in Charlotte.
NOTABLY: The Govs and Royals meet at the Winfield Dunn Center for the first time Friday.
KENNESAW STATE
SERIES RECORD: APSU leads, 3-0.
CURRENT STREAK: APSU, three wins.
LAST SEASON: Austin Peay won a three-set decision against Kennesaw State in Clarksville.
NOTABLY: The Govs and Owls have met three times previously in a series that began in 2007. This season's meeting is the second-straight meeting in Clarksville. APSU has not dropped a set to KSU in the previous three meetings.
