2019 Sun Belt Volleyball News and Notes:
Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats

AROUND #SUNBELTVB
• This week in Sun Belt Conference volleyball has 13 pivotal league matchups on the schedule. Three of the week's matches are set for live coverage on ESPN+.
 
• The Sun Belt boasts three teams in the top 100 in the latest NCAA Division I RPI updated through matches of Oct. 20. – Texas State (43rd), Coastal Carolina (53rd) and Troy (98th).
 
• Coastal Carolina (18-2, 8-0 Sun Belt) remains as the only undefeated team in conference play and sits atop the East Division, while Texas State (16-7, 8-1) has taken control in the top spot in the West Division.
 
• Coastal Carolina remains one of the hottest teams in the country, entering the week on an eight-match winning streak and leading NCAA Division I in service aces per set (2.24). The Chanticleers are one of 26 teams nationally still undefeated in conference play.
 
• Texas State senior defensive specialist Micah Dinwiddie became the school's all-time leader in digs with a team-high 13 digs against South Alabama on Oct. 19. Dinwiddie, the 2017 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, enters the week with 1,652 career digs.
 
• Troy (16-4, 6-2) had two players reach milestones of their own on the same day in its match against UTA. Sophomore setter Amara Anderson reached the 2,000-mark in career assists and junior outside hitter Cheyenne Hayes became the 11th player in school history to reach 1,000 career kills. With a 10-0 mark at home this season, the Trojans are on their longest home winning streak (11 matches dating back to last season) in Trojan Arena history.
 
• South Alabama (15-7, 6-2) has won five of its last six matches. The Jaguars carry an 11-match home winning streak into the weekend, which ties the school's 1982 team for the most home wins in a season.
 
• The Sun Belt continues to be home to some of the top servers nationally with three ranked in the top 10 in service aces – Coastal Carolina freshman setter Brigitta Petrenko (7th, 43), Texas State senior setter/outside hitter Cheyenne Huskey (t10th, 42) and Appalachian State senior defensive specialist/libero Emma Reilly (t10th, 42).
 
• The 2019 Sun Belt Women’s Volleyball Championship, hosted by Texas State, is set for Nov. 21-24 at Strahan Arena at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas.
 
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina (So., OH, Pecel, Hungary)
Coastal Carolina sophomore outside hitter Anett Nemeth grabbed Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second-straight week after tallying 38 kills (5.43 per set) and hitting .378 in the two wins over Appalachian State. Nemeth hit .467 in the three-set sweep over the Mountaineers. She added nine digs, five blocks and two service aces for the week.
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lacey Jeffcoat, Troy (So., DS, Mountain Brook, Ala.)
Troy sophomore defensive specialist Lacey Jeffcoat averaged an impressive 6.14 digs per set, including a season-high 25 in the Trojans' second-ever win over UTA. Jeffcoat added two kills, three assists and two service aces in the win. Against Texas State, she totaled 18 digs and three assists.
 
SETTER OF THE WEEK
Emily DeWalt, Texas State (So., S, Helotes, Texas)
Texas State sophomore setter Emily DeWalt had a solid week playing quarterback as she directed the offense with 12.43 assists per set and led the way with four service aces to help the Bobcats extend their winning streak to six matches. DeWalt also finished with 1.86 digs per set, six kills and four blocks. She totaled 38 assists, three blocks, and two service aces in the sweep of Troy. DeWalt concluded the weekend with 49 assists, nine digs and two service aces in the 3-1 victory over South Alabama.
 
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Brigitta Petrenko, Coastal Carolina (Fr., S, Eger, Hungary)
Coastal Carolina freshman setter Brigitta Petrenko quarterbacked the Chanticleers to the two over Appalachian State. Petrenko totaled 72 assists, 11 digs and five service aces for the week. She had a match-high 33 assists and four service aces in the four-set win. Petrenko followed up that performance with 39 assists (13.00 per season), six digs and two blocks to help Coastal Carolina to the three-set sweep over the Mountaineers.
 
2019 Weekly Award Winners
Offensive Player
September 2: Cheyenne Hayes, Troy
September 9: Kara Spicer, Appalachian State
September 16: Emma Longley, Appalachian State
September 23: Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina
September 30: Cheyenne Huskey, Texas State
October 7: Kelley Hartman, South Alabama
October 14: Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina
October 21: Anett Nemeth, Coastal Carolina

Defensive Player
September 2: Lauren Bandera, Georgia State
September 9: Emma Reilly, Appalachian State
September 16: Diana Giordani, Little Rock
September 23: Tyeranee Scott, Texas State
September 30: Emma Reilly, Appalachian State
October 7: Baylor Bumford, Georgia Southern
October 14: Ashlyn Roberts, South Alabama
October 21: Lacey Jeffcoat, Troy

Setter
September 2: Amara Anderson, Troy
September 9: Amara Anderson, Troy
September 16: Brigitta Petrenko, Coastal Carolina
September 23: Amara Anderson, Troy
September 30: Amara Anderson, Troy
October 7: Brigitta Petrenko, Coastal Carolina
October 14: Brigitta Petrenko, Coastal Carolina
October 21: Emily DeWalt, Texas State

Freshman
September 2: Brigitta Petrenko, Coastal Carolina
September 9: Celeste Darling, Louisiana
September 16: Brigitta Petrenko, Coastal Carolina
September 23: Julia Brooks, Troy
September 30: Sam Bickley, Appalachian State
October 7: Sam Bickley, Appalachian State
October 14: Brigitta Petrenko, Coastal Carolina
October 21: Brigitta Petrenko, Coastal Carolina
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, October 25
*UTA at Appalachian State (ESPN+), 5:30 p.m.
*Arkansas State at ULM, 6 p.m.
*Texas State at Coastal Carolina, 6:30 p.m.
*Georgia Southern at South Alabama, 6:30 p.m.
*Georgia State at Troy, 6:30 p.m.
*Little Rock at Louisiana, 6:30 p.m.
 
Saturday, October 26
*Little Rock at ULM, 6:30 p.m.
*Arkansas State at Louisiana, 6:30 p.m.
*Georgia Southern at Troy (ESPN+), 6:30 p.m.
*Georgia State at South Alabama, 6:30 p.m.
 
Sunday, October 27
*Texas State at Appalachian State (ESPN+), 11:30 a.m.
*UTA at Coastal Carolina, 11:30 a.m.
 
Tuesday, October 29
*Troy at South Alabama, 6:30 p.m.
 
*Sun Belt Conference contest
All Times Central and Subject to Change