By: Mark Wasik
Atlantic Sun Quarterfinals
Thursday, November 16
4 p.m. – No. 4 Kennesaw State (17-10) vs No. 5 North Alabama (17-11)
Location: Alico Arena | Fort Myers, Fla.
KSU GAME NOTES
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State Volleyball opens play in the 2023 Atlantic Sun Conference Volleyball Tournament as the fourth seed, and will face fifth seed North Alabama at 4 p.m. in the quarterfinal round on Thursday in Alico Arena on the FGCU campus in Fort Myers, Fla.
Kennesaw State got off to a hot start in 2023, winning seven of its first 10 games which included three victories over Power Five opponents. After suffering several hits to their starting lineup that lead to a 1-4 start in league action, the Owls have bounced back with nine wins in the past 11 games to claim sole possession of fourth place in the final regular season standings, which also earned them the No. 4 seed in this week's 2023 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.
The Owls will look to keep their perfect record alive against North Alabama, as they have won all nine meetings against the fifth-seeded Lions. That includes this year's lone meeting, a 3-1 victory in the Convocation Center on Oct. 13, 2013. In that contest, KSU held a commanding 59-31 edge on kills and held the Lions to a .101 hitting percentage. The two teams have never met before in the ASUN Tournament, and a win for KSU on Thursday would move them to the semifinals for the nine straight season. The last time KSU was not one of the final four teams left in the tournament was in 2014.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sophomore outside hitter Manu Johnsen, 2022 Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year and two-time All-ASUN selection, currently leads the league and is top 40 in the nation in both kills (4.04 kps) and points (4.56 pps). Senior defensive specialist Shelby Dennis is currently fifth in the ASUN with 4.17 digs per set, while a pair of Owls rank in the top 10 in blocks, as freshman Olivia Burrage is fourth (0.96 bps) and senior Claire Parsons is eighth (0.89 bps). Also shining in 2023 is super senior Emma Schurfranz, who is eighth in kills (3.11 kps), and fifth in points (3.86 ppg).
SCOUTING THE LIONS...
North Alabama is having its best season in its NCAA Division I history, as the Lions bring a 17-11 overall record and a 9-7 league record into Thursday's quarterfinals. UNA closed out the regular season with a sweep of Austin Peay to clinch the firth seed, and its nine ASUN wins are a new school as well. The Lions are also playing their best ball at the right time, having won seven of their last nine following their loss at Kennesaw State.
A trio of players earned All-ASUN honors to pace the team, as middle blockers Anna Katherine Griggs and Maggie Sullivan were named first and third team all-conference, respectively. Griggs leads the team in kills (296) and blocks (92), while Sullivan is sixth in the ASUN in hitting percentage at .326 while posting 126 kills. Also earning conference honors was Avery Markham, as the outside hitter posted 164 kills to earn ASUN All-Freshman accolades.
