Tuesday, Sept. 4
7 p.m. – Kennesaw State vs. Clemson 

Location: Kennesaw, Ga. | Convocation Center
Links - ESPN | Live Stats 
Social Media: Twitter | Facebook
Match Notes

Match Preview
The Kennesaw State volleyball team closes out its three-match homestand Tuesday night, hosting Clemson at 7 p.m. in the Convocation Center.

Tuesday's match will complete the home-and-home series between the Owls and the Tigers. KSU swept Clemson last season in South Carolina, 25-21, 25-16, 25-11, to improve to 2-0 on the year. The Owls shut down the Clemson offense, holding the Tigers to a -.010 hitting percentage for the match.

Clemson heads into the meeting riding a three-match winning streak, picking up victories over Mississippi State, Appalachian State and Davidson. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .256 through their first seven matches, with four players registering over 50 kills.

Alyssa Deloney has had a phenomenal start to her sophomore campaign for Clemson, recording 57 kills, including six aces, and hitting at a clip off .344 percent. The outside hitter has also recorded 20 digs and 14 blocks, one of only two Tigers to record double-digits in all three categories. The other being freshman Gabby Easton who has recorded 20 kills, 47 digs and 15 blocks to go along with 269 assists.

Last Time Out
The Owls remained perfect on the season after recording back-to-back victories over High Point and Presbyterian in the ASUN/Big South Challenge.

KSU opened the challenge against HPU Thursday evening for its 2018 home-opener. The Owls were put to the test by the Panthers needing a decisive fifth set to down HPU 3-2.

High Point jumped out to an early 12-7 lead in the first set as the Owls looked for their rhythm. KSU found their way in front behind a 7-1 run, but HPU managed to fend off the Owls with a late 5-0 run to win the opening set. KSU buckled down in the next two sets, holding HPU to .000 and .111 hitting percent in the first and second sets, respectively.

After a back-and-forth fourth set saw HPU tie the match at 2-2, the Owls headed into their second straight fifth set match. In the deciding set, KSU broke the match wide open after taking a 7-6 lead at the switch. Sophomores Quin Sutphin and Lauren Chastang combined for six kills to lead KSU on an 8-0 run to clinch the set and the match. The Owls hit an outstanding .450 percent in the fifth set, recording only one error.

Three Owls finished the match with double-doubles, senior Maddie Jones (11 kills, 10 digs), Chastang (15 kills, 13 digs) and junior Lexi Broadwater (49 assists, 10 digs), the first of her career.

In the final match of the ASUN/Big South Challenge, the Owls grinded out a 3-1 win over Presbyterian despite hitting only .183 percent for the match.

KSU came up big from the service line in the first set, recording six of their 11 aces in the match in the opening set. The Owls tremendous serving, combined with Presbyterian errors, gave KSU the first set victory.

Presbyterian gained an early lead in the second set, building it to as high as 21-14 before Sutphin finally halted the Blue Hose run to spark an 8-0 run for KSU. The Owls earned a 23-21 lead late, but Presbyterian fought to win the set, 27-25, and tie the match 1-1.

After a 10-1 run to get in front, 10-6, in the third set, the Owls would not relinquish the lead the rest of the way holding Presbyterian to -.088 percent hitting to win the set 25-19. KSU ran away with the fourth set hitting a phenomenal .560 percent to take the set 25-9.

Chastang finished the match recording a career-high 18 kills to go along with nine digs and four blocks. 

Kennesaw State Team Notes
• The Owls are one win away from tying their best start in program history. KSU began the 2015 season 6-0 before falling to Valparaiso. That squad reached the ASUN Tournament Championship for the first time in school history.

• With their win over Presbyterian, KSU extended their home winning streak to 14 matches. the Owls last home loss was against Lipscomb on Oct. 21, 2016.

• KSU's 11 aces against Presbyterian is tied for fifth on the all-time single-match record list. Lexi Broadwater's five aces put her in a tie for fourth all-time in a single match. Broadwater has recorded 11 aces so far this season to lead the ASUN conference. Although early in the season, the Owl's 2.15 aces per set average would rank first all-time in a single-season at KSU.

• Liesl Engelbrecht opened the year with a bang, breaking the KSU career blocks record on her way to garnering tournament MVP honors at the Courtyard by Marriott Samford Invitational. Engelbrecht's 10 total blocks over the three-match span brought her career total to 256 blocks, surpassing Rachel Taylor (2014-17). The senior middle blocker also currently holds the KSU career record for block assists (234) and blocks per set (0.93). She, along with sophomore Quin Sutphin, currently leads the team with 18 blocks so far this season.

• Junior setter Lexi Broadwater continues to climb the top-10 career assists list at KSU after recording 84 assists during the ASUN/Big South Challenge. Broadwater now sits at seventh all-time with 297 career assists, surpassing Camille Pedraza (2010-13) with 242. Her 209 assists through the first three matches currently leads the ASUN and is already more than her first two seasons combined.

• Sophomore Lauren Chastang has been far from a sophomore slump early in the year. Last season's ASUN all-freshmen team selection has recorded 10 or more kills in all but one match so far this season, finishing with nine against McNeese State. The BayMinette, Ala., native earned back-to-back double-doubles against Samford and HPU and was one dig shy of a third straight in KSU's last match against Presbyterian. Against PC, Chastang recorded a career-high 18 kills. Her 66 kills so far this season currently ranks fourth in the ASUN.

• Four freshmen, Kaylee Morris, Jasmine Brown, Katie Crocker and Dani Ballou, made their first appearances on the court at the Convocation Center against Presbyterian. Brown had a huge night hitting .571 with five kills while also recording one block. Ballou recorded all three of her kills on the night in the fourth set, including the match-clinching point.

• Kennesaw State was picked to finish second in the 2018 ASUN Preseason Coaches' poll with a total of 70 points and three first-place first. FGCU was picked to finish first with just 75 points.

• Kennesaw State is coming off its most successful season going 21-5 overall and 13-1 in the ASUN conference marking their first win as 2017 ASUN Champions. It was its second-straight year winning the regular-season championship.

• KSU returns nine players from their championship squad including senior Liesl Engelbrecht who was named to the 2018 ASUN Preseason All-Conference team and was chosen to be one of three ASUN Preseason Players of the Year.

• The Owls also welcome six newcomers to the team, Bri Becerra, Kaylee Morris, Jessie Cohen, Jasmine Brown, Katie Crocker, and Dani Ballou.

• The Owls are once again led by sixth-year head coach Keith Schunzel, who was voted ASUN Coach of the Year after leading the program to its most wins in school history and finishing the second half of ASUN play at 7-1.

Owls on ESPN+ 
Tuesday's match will air live on ESPN. Fans can purchase the digital platform for $4.99 a month or $49.99 for a year's subscription that provides access to all events broadcast on the network.

Next Up
The Owls hit the road for three matches in Pennsylvania, taking on Pittsburgh Friday at 10:30 a.m., followed by Dayton and Washington Saturday at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.

Stat Leaders
Kills: 66, Lauren Chastang
Assists: 209, Lexi Broadwater
Digs: 78, Karlees Groover
Blocks: 18, Liesl Engelbrecht and Lauren Chastang​​​​​​​
Aces: 11, Lexi Broadwater​​​​​​​
Attack Percentage: .333, Liesl Engelbrecht

For more information on Kennesaw State athletics, follow @KSUOwlNation on Twitter or like Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook and Instagram.

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