2018 Sun Belt Volleyball News and Notes:
Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats |
Championship Information
AROUND #SUNBELTVB
• Sun Belt volleyball enters the final two weeks of the regular season with 14 matches this week, three of which slated for live coverage on ESPN+.
• Entering the week, the Sun Belt regular-season title and championship pictures are taking shape as Texas State (22-5, 13-0 Sun Belt) secured no worse than a share of the league title and the No. 1 seed for the tournament with three matches remaining. The Bobcats are three up in the loss column on Appalachian State (17-7, 9-3), which sits atop the East Division. The Mountaineers have four matches remaining and a chance to share the conference crown with Texas State. The Bobcats defeated Appalachian State on Oct. 12 in their only conference clash this season.
• Texas State moved up 27th in the latest
NCAA Division I RPI updated through matches of Oct. 28. The Bobcats rose one spot to 21st in this week’s
VolleyMag.com Mid-Major Poll presented by the NIVC.
• The Bobcats’ winning streak is currently tied for the fifth-longest active streak in NCAA Division I with UCF, sitting behind BYU (22), Stephen F. Austin (22), Denver (20) and Stanford (18). It is their longest streak since 2000 and third-longest in school history.
• Appalachian State enters the week on a streak of its own, having won its last four in a row. Fueling the Mountaineers’ winning ways is junior outside hitter Emma Longley, who has recorded three straight double-doubles.
• Coastal Carolina (9-11, 8-4) is one game behind Appalachian State in the East Division and is sporting a two-match winning streak. Freshman outside hitter Anett Nemeth reset the school record with her sixth weekly award (five Freshman of the Week and one Offensive Player of the Week) this week.
• Texas State freshman setter Emily DeWalt put her name in the Sun Belt records book with her 11th weekly honor (six Setter of the Week and five Freshman of the Week) this week. DeWalt breaks the single-season record of 10 previously held by Arkansas State’s Mallory Warrington (2016). She is the first freshman in conference history to win more than one Setter of the Week award.
• Arkansas State senior outside hitter Carlisa May continues her assault on the records books as well, now sitting second in school history with 1,733 career kills. May is in position with five matching remaining to catch all-time leader Margie Kolat who had 1,789 kills from 1991-94. Her career total ranks second among active Division I players and fifth among active players across all divisions. May currently ranks eighth in the nation with 416 kills on the year, while also checking in at ninth in the nation with 4.73 kills per set.
• Little Rock senior middle blocker Veronica Marin remains the nation’s leader in total blocks (151) and stands fifth in blocks per set (1.59). Led by Marin, the Trojans rank seventh in team total blocks (258) and 16th in blocks per set (2.72).
• The 2018 Sun Belt Women’s Volleyball Championship is set for Nov. 15-18 at the GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta, Ga., hosted by Georgia State.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Madison Hill, UTA (Jr., MB, Rockwall, Texas)
UTA junior middle blocker Madison Hill hit .529 and posted six blocks, leading the Mavericks in a pair of matches. Hill finished with a match-high 15 kills with a .722 hitting percentage in a sweep of ULM. Against Louisiana, Hill recorded a career-high 26 kills adding four blocks and four digs.
| Hill's Weekly Stats |
| Match |
s |
k |
k/s |
e |
ta |
pct |
a |
a/s |
sa |
sa/s |
digs |
d/s |
bs |
ba |
tot |
b/s |
pts |
pts/s |
| Oct 26 vs. ULM W, 3-0 |
3 |
15 |
5.00 |
2 |
18 |
.722 |
2 |
0.67 |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0.67 |
16.0 |
5.3 |
| Oct 27 vs. Louisiana L, 3-2 |
5 |
26 |
5.20 |
3 |
50 |
.460 |
0 |
0.00 |
1 |
0.20 |
4 |
0.80 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
0.80 |
29.5 |
5.9 |
| Overall |
8 |
41 |
5.13 |
5 |
68 |
.529 |
2 |
0.25 |
1 |
0.13 |
4 |
0.50 |
1 |
5 |
6 |
0.75 |
45.5 |
5.7 |
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sydney Alvis, Coastal Carolina (Sr., DS, Maidans, Va.)
Coastal Carolina senior defensive specialist Sydney Alvis averaged 5.40 digs per set and totaled five service aces as the Chanticleers won three matches. Alvis had 25 digs in a three-set sweep of Troy and added 20 more digs in a win over South Alabama. Her efforts helped Coastal Carolina limit its three opponents to hitting a combined .124 for the week.
| Alvis' Weekly Stats |
| Match |
s |
k |
k/s |
e |
ta |
pct |
a |
a/s |
sa |
sa/s |
digs |
d/s |
bs |
ba |
tot |
b/s |
pts |
pts/s |
| Oct 23 at Georgia Southern W, 3-0 |
3 |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
0 |
- |
1 |
0.33 |
3 |
1.00 |
9 |
3.00 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
3.0 |
1.0 |
| Oct 26 vs. Troy W, 3-0 |
3 |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
0 |
- |
1 |
0.33 |
0 |
0.00 |
25 |
8.33 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
| Oct 28 vs. South Alabama W, 3-1 |
4 |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
3 |
0.75 |
2 |
0.50 |
20 |
5.00 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
2.0 |
0.5 |
| Overall |
10 |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
5 |
0.50 |
5 |
0.50 |
54 |
5.40 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
5.0 |
0.5 |
SETTER OF THE WEEK
Emily DeWalt, Texas State (Fr., S, Helotes, Texas)
Texas State freshman setter Emily DeWalt amassed 89 assists (11.13/set), 22 digs (2.75/set), five kills and four blocks in leading the Bobcats to a pair of victories over Louisiana and ULM. DeWalt began her week with 51 assists and 18 digs in a thrilling five-set win over the Ragin' Cajuns. She then tallied 38 assists in a sweep over the Warhawks. She hit .455 thanks to zero errors on 11 attacks.
| DeWalt's Weekly Stats |
| Match |
s |
k |
k/s |
e |
ta |
pct |
a |
a/s |
sa |
sa/s |
digs |
d/s |
bs |
ba |
tot |
b/s |
pts |
pts/s |
| Oct 26 vs. Louisiana W, 3-2 |
5 |
2 |
0.40 |
0 |
5 |
.400 |
51 |
10.20 |
3 |
0.60 |
18 |
3.60 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0.40 |
6.0 |
1.2 |
| Oct 28 vs. ULM W, 3-0 |
3 |
3 |
1.00 |
0 |
6 |
.500 |
38 |
12.67 |
1 |
0.33 |
4 |
1.33 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0.67 |
5.0 |
1.7 |
| Overall |
8 |
5 |
0.63 |
0 |
11 |
.455 |
89 |
11.13 |
4 |
0.50 |
22 |
2.75 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
0.50 |
11.0 |
1.4 |
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina (Fr., OH, Pecel, Hungary)
Coastal Carolina freshman outside hitter Anett Nemeth led the Chanticleers to a trio of wins last week, averaging 3.80 kills, 1.30 blocks and 2.60 digs per set while hitting .210 and totaling 50.0 points. Nemeth opened the week with a 13-kill, 10-dig double-double at Georgia Southern and followed that with 11 kills and seven blocks in a sweep of Troy. She closed the week with 14 kills and eight digs against South Alabama.
| Nemeth's Weekly Stats |
| Match |
s |
k |
k/s |
e |
ta |
pct |
a |
a/s |
sa |
sa/s |
digs |
d/s |
bs |
ba |
tot |
b/s |
pts |
pts/s |
| Oct 23 at Georgia Southern W, 3-0 |
3 |
13 |
4.33 |
4 |
32 |
.281 |
1 |
0.33 |
0 |
0.00 |
10 |
3.33 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0.33 |
13.5 |
4.5 |
| Oct 26 vs. Troy W, 3-0 |
3 |
11 |
3.67 |
4 |
31 |
.226 |
8 |
2.67 |
2 |
0.67 |
8 |
2.67 |
4 |
3 |
7 |
2.33 |
18.5 |
6.2 |
| Oct 28 vs. South Alabama W, 3-1 |
4 |
14 |
3.50 |
9 |
37 |
.135 |
6 |
1.50 |
1 |
0.25 |
8 |
2.00 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
1.25 |
18.0 |
4.5 |
| Overall |
10 |
38 |
3.80 |
17 |
100 |
.210 |
15 |
1.50 |
3 |
0.30 |
26 |
2.60 |
5 |
8 |
13 |
1.30 |
50.0 |
5.0 |
2018 Weekly Award Winners
Offensive Player
August 27: Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina
September 3: Madison Hill, UTA
September 10: Amy Pflughaupt, Texas State
September 17: Cheyenne Huskey, Texas State
September 24: Carlisa May, Arkansas State
October 1: Janell Fitzgerald, Texas State
October 8: Cheyenne Hayes, Troy
October 15: Carlisa May, Arkansas State
October 22: Madison Hill, UTA
October 29: Madison Hill, UTA
Defensive Player
August 27: Tatum Ticknor, Arkansas State
September 3: Madison Daigle, Texas State
September 10: Veronica Marin, Little Rock
September 17: Madelyn St. Germain, UTA
September 24: Veronica Marin, Little Rock
October 1: Madelyn St. Germain, UTA
October 8: Veronica Marin, Little Rock and Sydney Alvis, Coastal Carolina
October 15: Veronica Marin, Little Rock
October 22: Sydney Davis, Louisiana
October 29: Sydney Alvis, Coastal Carolina
Setter
August 27: Ellie Watkins, Arkansas State
September 3: Becky Porter, Appalachian State and Emily DeWalt, Texas State
September 10: Becky Porter, Appalachian State
September 17: Emily DeWalt, Texas State
September 24: Emily DeWalt, Texas State
October 1: Emily DeWalt, Texas State
October 8: Amara Anderson, Troy
October 15: Amara Anderson, Troy
October 22: Emily DeWalt, Texas State
October 29: Emily DeWalt, Texas State
Freshman
August 27: Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina
September 3: Emily DeWalt, Texas State
September 10: Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina
September 17: Emily DeWalt, Texas State
September 24: Emily DeWalt, Texas State
October 1: Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina and Emily DeWalt, Texas State
October 8: Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina
October 15: Emily DeWalt, Texas State
October 22: Kate Blasingame, ULM
October 29: Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Tuesday, October 30
*Arkansas State at Little Rock, 6:30 p.m.
ULM at Jackson State, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 31
*South Alabama at Troy (ESPN+), 6:00 p.m.
Friday, November 2
*Georgia State at Appalachian State (ESPN+), 5:30 p.m.
*Georgia Southern at Coastal Carolina, 5:30 p.m.
*UTA at Little Rock, 6:30 p.m.
*Texas State at Arkansas State, 6:30 p.m.
*ULM at Louisiana, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 3
*Troy at South Alabama, 6:30 p.m.
*Texas State at Little Rock, 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 4
*Georgia Southern at Appalachian State (ESPN+), 11:30 a.m.
*Georgia State at Coastal Carolina, 11:30 a.m.
*UTA at Arkansas State, Noon
*Louisiana at ULM, Noon
*Sun Belt Conference contest
All Times are Central and Subject to Change