Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University volleyball team (5-11, 2-6 SSC) will look to snap a four game skid has they head out of state to participate in the Wingate by Wyndham Crossover Classic hosted by Valdosta State University, Friday and Saturday.
Six schools from the Sunshine State Conference and Gulf South Conference will battle in 10 matches in the two day span.
The Sharks are set to face Alabama-Huntsville at 9 a.m. Friday morning, and then come back to clash with West Georgia at 4:30 p.m. that night. NSU will close out the tournament squaring off against host Valdosta State at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.
After No. 5 Tampa just slipped past the Sharks in five sets, NSU will take a break from conference play and head into regional competition.
Head coach Steve Wilcosky will look to its seniors, Paola Ruiz (Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico) and Kathleen Yony (Miami, Fla.) to lead the charge.
Yony currently ranks 35th in the nation, averaging 5.02 digs per set. Ruiz will attempt to reach 200 kills in a season, only reaching that feat since her rookie campaign.
Sophomore setter Jordan Pappas (Naperville, Ill.) is just two assists shy of 600 and junior middle blocker, Molly Sigerich (Downers Grove, Ill.) is just one block of tying Irene Girgis for fifth all-time on NSU’s career block list with 219.
The Lady Charger volleyball ended a two-game losing streak and picked up a much-needed Gulf South Conference win on Tuesday, sweeping West Georgia 25-22, 25-22, 25-23. With the win, UAH improved to 8-13 and 2-3 in the GSC.
Senior outside hitter Allison Cousins led UAH with 15 kills. Setter Kelly Wilson added 41 assists, while libero Kaeli McCaghren tallied 18 digs. Freshman Ashley Saunders contributed eight service aces for the Lady Chargers.
The Sharks are 0-1 against UAH with the only contest between them was back in 2005, where the Chargers blanked NSU, 3-0.
The Wolves fell to 5-15 on the season and 1-4 in GSC play through the first half of conference play with the 3-0 loss to Alabama-Huntsville.
Mary K Krueger led the UWG offensive with nine kills at a .467 rate against UAH and Emily Reul lead with five blocks on the evening. Jasmine Dotson and Melissa Holt led the way in digs with 12 and 10, respectively.
NSU leads the series against Wolves, 3-1, and won its last meeting back in 2007 in five sets, 3-2.
Valdosta State University came back from being down 2-0 and fought back to defeat North Alabama, 3-2, to improve to 13-5 overall and 4-1 in the GSC.
Irene Hannan and Ruthie King again led the team with double-doubles. King led in digs with 19 and added 14 kills while Hannan paced the Blazers in kills with 17 and notched 12 digs. Chelsea Luttfring also had 12 digs.
Emelia Saulter dished out 25 assists and pitched in nine digs while freshman setter Hope Ripsam had 14 assists and seven digs.
The series between the Sharks and the Blazers is even at 1-1 with NSU coming out on top back in its last meeting in 2007, 3-0.
