Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Volleyball Opens Conference Play this Weekend at Home
9/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 19, 2006
After a week off, Florida Atlantic University's volleyball team will open conference play and play three conference matches in three days starting this Saturday. FAU opens with Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday followed by Louisiana-Monroe and New Orleans on Sunday and Monday.
The Owls (3-7) are coming off a sweep in their home opener against Bethune-Cookman last Friday. Janelle Sarauw and Iana Andonova both posted double-doubles in the match as FAU posted its highest hitting percentage of the season at .303.
Andonova leads the team with 4.57 kills per game, while Sarauw holds a hitting percentage of .264. Freshman Lauren Ditscheit has amassed 13 service aces, while fellow freshman Nikki Hartman has 139 digs (4.09 digs per game) to rank sixth in the conference.
Casey LaRocca ranks fourth in the Sun Belt Conference with 11.91 assists per game.
Facing the Owls on Saturday at 7 p.m., Louisiana-Lafayette stands at 3-7 entering the week. The Ragin' Cajuns have won their last two matches and face Lamar at home on Tuesday night before heading to Florida International on Friday.
The UL offense is managing a .167 hitting percentage and is led by Jamie Sinegal's 166 kills (2.97 kills per game). Middle blocker Kim Rodgers follows behind with 112 kills and leads the team with a .322 hitting percentage.
The defense is led by Erika Castro's 203 digs. Her 5.21 digs per game ranks her third in the conference in that category.
An aggressive serving Louisiana-Monroe team visits Boca Raton on Sunday for a 2 p.m. match. The Warhawks are ranked ninth in the nation with 2.43 service aces per game. The team has dropped its last four contests with its last win coming on September 9 against Grambling State.
Only seven players have seen time on the court for ULM. Ilima Sam Fong leads the team with 160 kills. The team is hitting .072 while opponents are hitting .228 against the team. Defensively, five player are averaging over two digs a game.
New Orleans could be the toughest test for the Owls. At 10-3, the Privateers are ranked in several categories in the conference. The offense is ranked third with a .242 hitting percentage. Five players carry over a .200 hitting percentage and are led by Lindsey Loyd's .329 clip.
The team is also strong defensively and plays well at the net. Hillary Carr guides the second ranked blocking team in the SBC with 1.23 blocks per game. By averaging 5.35 digs per game, Jayne Duncan ranks in the top-30 in the nation.
UNO travels to Southern Miss on Wednesday before traveling to South Florida to face FIU on Sunday and FAU on Monday at 7 p.m.
Fans can follow live game action by clicking on the Owls All-Access link at www.fausports.com or on the volleyball schedule page.
