TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
NOTES PACKET

Friday, October 13

4:45 p.m vs. Rollins

Saturday, October 14

12:15 p.m. vs. Eckerd
7:00 p.m. vs. No. 4 Palm Beach Atlantic

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of West Florida volleyball squad will partake in the annual Gulf South Conference/Sunshine State Conference South Region Conference Crossover Tournament, beginning Friday in Birmingham. No. 23 UWF will take on SSC opponents Rollins, Eckerd and No. 4 Palm Beach Atlantic this weekend.

POPPEN, KAEL EARN WEEKLY GSC HONORS

• Following another perfect week in conference play for UWF, sophomore Jordyn Poppen and freshman Logan Kael earned weekly Gulf South Conference awards October 10. Poppen was named GSC Offensive Player of the Week, and Kael was named GSC Freshman of the Week.

• The GSC Offensive Player of the Week award is the first of Poppen's career. She previously earned GSC Freshman of the Week honors in November 2016. The sophomore enjoyed an outstanding week, helping No. 23 UWF go 3-0 by piling up a total of 40 total kills against West Georgia, Union and Christian Brothers.

• For Kael, a graduate of Bearden HS in Knoxville, Tennessee, the GSC Freshman of the Week Award is her second of the season. She previously earned the honor September 5. The first-year libero averaged 3.1 digs per set this week. She recorded 14 total digs plus two service aces in Tuesday's victory over West Georgia. She helped put the exclamation point on the week by contributing 15 digs at Christian Brothers.

VIEW FROM THE TOP

• UWF currently leads the GSC with a perfect 7-0 record. North Alabama trails the Argos by one game. West Alabama is third, 1.5 games behind. UWF has two wins (one conference, one non-conference) vs. UNA this season, including a thrilling 3-2 win at home October 10 to extend the current win streak to 13 straight matches.

• The team (16-4, 7-0 GSC) piled up 15 blocks on the way to a 13th straight win Tuesday, downing rival North Alabama 3-2. Rachel Neblett turned in a signature performance, registering 11 kills, ten digs and five blocks, including two final blocks to close the fifth set and help UWF earn a 16-14 tiebreaker victory. Caleigh Morrison posted 14 kills and seven total blocks to set new career highs in both categories.

• UWF leads the GSC in five major statistical categories: hitting percentage (.254),  blocks per set (2.17), kills per set (14.19), opponent service aces per set (0.82) and assists per set (13.22). Statistically, UWF is fifth in digs per set (15.74).

• UWF earned its first AVCA Top 25 national ranking of the season, checking in at No. 23 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II poll.

CROSSOVER HISTORY

• Since 2010, UWF owns a 14-11 record in the annual South Region Crossover, which features both GSC and Sunshine State Conference institutions.

• Last year the Argos went 2-1 at the tournament, sweeping St. Leo before falling to Eckerd 2-3 and besting Nova Southeastern 3-1. The Argos had two All-Tournament team selections (Corisha Smith and Rachel Neblett).

•  The Sunshine State Conference has been the more dominant team in the Crossover over the last two years, going 30-3 against GSC opponents in 2015 and 25-8 vs. GSC opponents in 2016.

VS. RANKED OPPONENTS

• The final match of the Crossover vs. No. 4 Palm Beach Atlantic will be UWF's sixth against a ranked opponent this year. UWF defeated No. 11 Wheeling Jesuit to begin the year and scored a win over No. 20 Tampa September 9.

• The match will be the Argos' fourth against a top-5 opponent, and UWF will seek its first win against a top-5 team this season.

• Rachel Neblett leads the team with 11.4 kills per match (3.00 per set) vs. top-25 teams this year.

• Monique StCyr has piled up 134 assists in the five matches vs. ranked opponents so far this year.

• UWF has become known for its dominance at the net, and the Argonauts have finished first or second in the Gulf South Conference in blocks per set every season since 2012.

• The Argos have piled up 31 blocks over the last two matches, their best two-match stretch of the season. The Argos have regained the top spot in the GSC with 2.17 blocks per set.

• UWF is 5-1 all-time against Rollins. The teams most recently met in the 2013 NCAA South Regional Semifinal, when UWF bested Rollins 3-1. The Argos are 3-0 since 2001 on neutral courts vs. Rollins.

• UWF has won five straight matches vs. Rollins.

• The Tars are 5-8 on the year and have won 2 of their last 3, defeating Tampa 3-1 September 30, falling to Barry 2-3 October 6 and beating Nova Southeastern 3-0 October 7.

• Rollins is 4-5 in SSC action and owns a 1-3 record in neutral site games this year.

• Bri Civiero leads the team with 3.81 kills per set and ranks fifth in the SSC in that category. Shannon McDonough ranks seventh in the SSC with 3.53 kills per set.

• Cassidy Cason leads Rollins with 10.26 assists per set and ranks third in the SSC in that category. Sam Schlesman ranks seventh in the SSC with 0.96 blocks per set. Rollins currently ranks fifth in team blocks in the SSC with 2.02 per set.

SCOUTING ECKERD

• West Florida is 9-4 all-time against Eckerd. Last year's 2-3 loss to Eckerd at the Crossover snapped a three-game head-to-head win streak.

• Last year's loss to Eckerd was the first UWF has suffered head-to-head since Oct. 20, 2012.

• The Tritons are 7-5 on the year and sixth in the SSC with a record of 3-4.

• Eckerd is known as a very good defensive team, leading the SSC in opponent assists per set (9.23) and opponent kills per set (10.02). The team ranks second in the SSC in opponent service aces per set (1.02) and ranks third in opponent hitting percentage (.153).

• Arielle Erillo and Fernanda Reis rank first and second respectively in the SSC in service aces per set (0.62 and 0.49). Kaitlyn Sibson is tied for ninth in the conference with 0.33 service aces per set.

• Sibson ranks second in the SSC with 4.93 digs per set. Reis ranks fifth with 9.51 assists per set.

 SCOUTING PALM BEACH ATLANTIC

• The Argos are 0-3 vs. Palm Beach since 2014. The teams have met in each of the last three seasons, and Palm Beach has been ranked in the AVCA Division II Top 25 in two of those three matches.

• Palm Beach Atlantic, ranked in the Top 10 last season at the time of the meeting, eliminated UWF from the NCAA Division II South Regional tournament with a 3-1 victory.

• Palm Beach Atlantic checks into this matchup ranked No. 4 in the nation. The team owns a perfect 14-0 record and leads the SSC with a 9-0 mark.

• Palm Beach has three players in the SSC Top 10 in hitting percentage. Jazz Schmidt ranks second (.356), Sarah Kimmey ranks fourth (.333) and Ally Rohn ranks sixth (.327). The team has six players in the Top 15.

• Rohn ranks sixth in the SSC with 3.64 kills per set.

• Maddie Span and Sarah Kimmey rank first and second in the SSC in blocks per set (1.20 and 1.16).

• Jazz Schmidt and Susie Forbes rank third and fourth in the SSC in service aces (0.45 and 0.43). Forbes ranks sixth in the SSC with 4.20 digs per set.

• Palm Beach ranks in the SSC Top 3 in every statistical category. The Sailfish lead the conference in hitting percentage (.283), opponent hitting percentage (.116), assists per set (13.41), kills per set (14.55), blocks per set (2.45), and opponent service aces per set (0.84).  They are sixth nationally in hitting percentage, ninth in kills per set, 12th nationally in blocks, and 14th nationally in opponent hitting percentage.