CARROLLTON, Ga. -- On the road again, the Nova Southeastern University volleyball team (11-6) will venture outside the heart of Sunshine State Conference play to face three Gulf South Conference opponents this weekend in the annual South Regional crossover. The tournament will be hosted by West Georgia on Friday and Saturday at the Coliseum.
On Friday morning, the Sharks will face their first GSC foe in West Alabama at 10 a.m. The Tigers will head into the match with a 7-11 overall record. The team is also 3-2 in their last five matches and are the sixth-ranked team in the GSC with a 5-6 conference mark. The Sharks will be on the lookout for the Tigers' kill leader Briana Sandifer who is currently averaging just under three kills per set. She also ranks seventh in the GSC in kills.
The Sharks will have a short breather between matches before facing the GSC's third-ranked North Alabama Lions at 2:30 p.m. UNA enters the tournament with a 15-4 overall record and will be the Sharks' toughest opponent throughout the tournament. The Lions have a high octane offense that thrives on efficiency leading the Gulf South with a .290 team hitting percentage. They will depend on the power of Jessica Austin and Natasha Formina. Austin ranks second in the GSC with a .365 hitting percentage, while Fomina is second in the league with 3.98 kills per set.
With less than 24 hours to prepare for the third and final match, the Sharks will turn around the next morning at 10 a.m. to face Union. The Bulldogs come into the match with a 5-11 mark overall. Through the month of October, the Bulldogs were winless until they picked up a 3-0 win over tournament host West Georgia in their last outing and are currently 1-4 in their last five. Ceciley Blanchard leads the team averaging 2.34 kills per set.
Although the Sharks have struggled recently, the team still ranks in the top half of the Sunshine State Conference with a 4-3 conference record and come in as the fourth-ranked SSC team. Nearing their midseason form, NSU will be looking toward the leadership of Dana Holger (Sr., Lino Lakes, Minn.) and Katie Pyles (Jr., Denver, Colo.) Holger paces the team with 3.35 kills per set and Pyles has guided the team to a .215 team hitting percentage this season averaging just over nine assists per set.
Live stats will be available for all matches by visiting www.NSUSharks.com. Be sure to follow @NSUSharks on Twitter for in-game updates as they happen.
