League teams have dedicated a match in October to fighting breast cancer.
C-USA holds the top four spots in the Midwest Region.
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IRVING, Texas - If the second week of Conference USA volleyball action is any indication of what the rest of the season has in store then the next two months will be interesting. Out of the 28 league matches played, only 11 have been decided in straight sets.
In the most recent RichKern.com RKPI/AVCA Regional Rankings (Sept. 28), Conference USA volleyball programs own the top-four rankings and six out of the Top 10. Continuing to headline the Midwest Region is Tulane, followed by Marshall at No. 2 and SMU and Rice at No. 3 and 4, respectively. Nine of the league's 12 teams appear among the Top 20.
In this week's NCAA rankings the league saw movement from Rice as the Owls climbed to the No. 5 spot for most assists per set, averaging a C-USA best 13.53. The program also ranks No. 6 in digs (17.76) and No. 7 in kills per set (14.41).
Tulsa appears at No. 18 in APS with 13.07 assists, while Tulane moved from No. 44 to No. 38 in the category.
With a solid week of competition, the league witnessed numerous players improve upon last week's numbers, including a 10-spot jump for Tyler Henderson of Tulsa. Henderson now ranks 21st in the nation with 4.15 kills per set, followed by C-USA foe Visnja Djurdjevic of Tulane who ranks No. 24 with 4.21 KPS. Djurdjevic also ranks 24th in points per set with an average of 4.81.
Tulsa's Hannah Stout moved up from No. 10 to No. 8 with a .417 hitting efficiency.
In addition, Rice setter Meredith Schamun climbed up to No. 8 with a league-best 11.55 APS average.
C-USA VOLLEYBALL NOTEBOOK & STATISTICS_OCT. 5
UPCOMING MATCHES (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)
Tue., Oct. 6
Central Arkansas at Memphis 7 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 7
*Rice at Houston 7 p.m.
*Southern Miss at Tulane 7 p.m.
Fri. , Oct. 9
*SMU at Houston 7 p.m.
*East Carolina at Memphis 7 p.m.
*Tulsa at Rice 7 p.m.
*Marshall at UAB 7 p.m.
*UCF at UTEP 8 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 10
*Marshall at Memphis 7 p.m.
*SMU at Rice 7 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 11
*Tulsa at Houston 1 p.m.
*UCF at Tulane 1 p.m.
*East Carolina at UAB 1 p.m.
*Southern Miss at UTEP 1 p.m.
2009 CONFERENCE USA VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ASHLEY MELL, SOUTHERN MISS
6-3, So., OH (Yorba Linda, Calif.)
Mell averaged 4.29 kills and 3.57 digs per set while accounting for 4.71 points per set in a pair of C-USA home wins for Southern Miss. She recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 23 kills and 11 digs against Memphis. The sophomore also produced a .426 hitting percentage (23K-3E-47TA) against the Tigers. Two days later against UAB, Mell tallied seven kills and 14 digs. For the week, she totaled 30 kills, 25 digs and established a .328 hitting efficiency. This is Mell¡¦s second career C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honor.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MAIA IVANOVA, SOUTHERN MISS
5-10, Sr., L (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Ivanova posted back-to-back 20-dig performances in a pair of C-USA home wins over Memphis and UAB. She registered 40 digs for a 5.71 dig per set average. The two 20-digs performances improve her total to seven matches with 20-or-more digs. This is Ivanova¡¦s second career C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honor.
SETTER OF THE WEEK
KELSEA SEYMOUR, SOUTHERN MISS
5-9, So., S (Long Beach, Calif.)
Seymour helped to orchestrate two C-USA wins for the Golden Eagles, tallying 87 assists for a 12.43 per set average. She also recorded 14 digs and four kills, while hitting .308 with no attack errors. Seymour had 45 assists and 10 digs against Memphis to post her C-USA best 13th double-double of the season. She totaled 42 assists, three blocks and one ace in a three-set win against UAB. This is Seymour¡¦s second career C-USA Setter of the Week honor.
2009 C-USA VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
A31 Elizabeth Herman, Marshall
S8 Hannah Stout, Tulsa
S14 Dana Powell, SMU
S21 Ashley Mell, Southern Miss
S28 Visnja Djurdjevic, Tulane
O5 Ashley Mell, Southern Miss
DEFENSIVE
A31 Jessica Adams, Tulsa
S8 Maia Ivanova, Southern Miss
S14 Sidney Stewart, SMU & Jessica Adams, Tulsa
S21 Sidney Stewart, SMU
S28 Jennifer Nolasco, UTEP
O5 Maia Ivanova, Southern Miss
SETTER
A31 Andee Youngblood, UCF
S8 Elizabeth Fleming, Marshall
S14 Rachel Lindelow, Tulane
S21 Kelsea Seymour, Southern Miss
S28 Rachel Lindelow, Tulane & Meredith Schamun, Rice
O5 Kelsea Seymour, Southern Miss
