By: by KSU Sports Information
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KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State's volleyball team will head for Jacksonville, Fla., this weekend and a pair of Atlantic Sun Conference matches. The Owls play North Florida at 7 p.m. before traveling an additional 11 miles to face Jacksonville at 3 p.m. Saturday.
"We're looking for a good bounce-back effort after dropping two tough matches last weekend," said KSU head coach Karen Weatherington. "The A-Sun keeps getting better as a conference and no team typifies that improvement more than North Florida. Jacksonville has always been a perennial power in this conference that is a difficult team to face whether at home or on the road. This weekend will be a tough test for us but I think we will be able to respond positively."
The Owls (5-12, 0-2) have dropped five straight matches after falling in their first two A-Sun matches of the season. Justine Young averaged 5.14 kills last weekend, yet the Owls fell to Belmont, 3-1, and Lipscomb, 3-0.
Young is in the midst of one of the best offensive seasons in KSU history. Currently ranked 92nd in the nation in kills per set, the Sacramento, Calif., native has had five matches with at least 20 kills so far this season. Young has 233 kills in 17 matches. To break the school record for kills in a season, Young would need to average 14 kills over the final 11 regular-season matches. That record was set last year when Sabrita Gulley had 385.
UNF (7-8, 1-1) and Jacksonville (8-9, 1-1) both had a win over Stetson and a loss to Florida Gulf Coast last weekend on the road to start A-Sun play. UNF is led offensively by Paige Pridgeon. An A-Sun Preseason All-Conference honoree, Pridgeon is averaging a team-best 3.14 kills per set. For the Dolphins, Taylor Nyquist's 2.92 kills per set paces the offense. Setter Courtney Kendall guides the offense to the tune of 9.96 assists per set.
Kennesaw State holds a 4-3 advantage in the all-time series with the Ospreys. UNF is one of only three teams in the A-Sun that the Owls have a winning record against. KSU's very first A-Sun win came in UNF Arena over the Ospreys, 3-0, back on Sept. 28, 2007. The Owls have won two meetings in Jacksonville.
Heading into last season’s match at the KSU Convocation Center, the Owls had never defeated Jacksonville on the volleyball court. Things didn’t look good for the Owls after losing the first set; however, powered by Alyssa Lang’s double-double and Baylee Strachan’s season-high 10 kills, the Owls rallied to defeat the Dolphins, 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-21). The Dolphins still hold a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series against KSU.
Live audio will be available for both matches by clicking
here 15 minutes prior to first serve.
ASun.TV will provide coverage of Saturday's match.
