ARKANSAS STATE hosts
Louisiana-Lafayette Oct. 16 7:00 p.m.
New Orleans Oct. 17 3:00 p.m.
Louisiana-Monroe Oct. 18 1:00 p.m.
SERVING IT UP: Arkansas State will play host to Louisiana-Lafayette,
New Orleans and Louisiana-Monroe this weekend. The Red Wolves will
meet the Ragin’ Cajuns at 7:00 p.m. Friday night before taking on the
Lady Privateers at 3:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon. ASU will face the
ULM in a 1:00 p.m. matchup Sunday afternoon.
THE TEAMS: ASU returns to Jonesboro after two road losses at Middle
Tennessee and Western Kentucky last weekend. The Blue Raiders topped
the Red Wolves in a five-set thriller, and the Lady Toppers won in
four sets.
Louisiana-Lafayette will meet Arkansas State at 6-15 overall and 1-6
in Sun Belt Conference matches. The Ragin’ Cajuns dropped both their
matches last weekend at South Alabama 2-3 and at Troy 0-3, but the
team bounced back to top ULM 3-1 Monday night.
UNO will travel to Jonesboro after losing to South Alabama 0-3 and
topping Troy 3-0 last weekend on the road. The Lady Privateers stand
at 12-6 on the season and 5-1 in SBC action. UNO will play at UALR
Friday night before taking on the Red Wolves Saturday afternoon.
Louisiana-Monroe stands at 3-19 overall and 0-8 in SBC play. The
Warhawks dropped two weekend matches at Troy 0-3 and South Alabama 0-3
before falling to Louisiana-Lafayette 1-3 Monday night on the road.
THE Louisiana-Lafayette SERIES: Arkansas State holds a strong 36-9
lead in the all-time series against Louisiana-Lafayette. The two
teams met earlier this season in Lafayette when the Red Wolves topped
the Ragin’ Cajuns in three straight sets. The last Ragin’ Cajun win
was during the 2002 season when they topped ASU 3-0.
THE New Orleans SERIES: Arkansas State stands at 32-12 in the all-time
series versus New Orleans. ASU dropped a 1-3 decision to UNO earlier
this season in New Orleans.
The Louisiana-Monroe Series: ASU is 22-5 all-time against ULM. The
Red Wolves topped the Warhawks earlier this season 3-0 in Monroe. The
Red Wolves are riding a 15-match win streak against the Warhawks only
dropping three sets along the way. The last ULM win came during the
1986 season at the Oral Roberts Invitational when the Warhawks topped
A-State 3-0.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Red Wolves are 5-0 at the Convocation Center so
far this season. ASU swept UAPB, Jackson State and Houston Baptist
during the ASU Classic, and the Red Wolves topped South Alabama and
Troy in their first home conference matches of the year Oct. 2 and 3.
During the 2008 season, Arkansas State posted a 5-7 record at home,
and overall the Red Wolves are 227-62 in the Convocation Center.
UTA HALTS ASU’S TEN-MATCH WIN STREAK: ASU’s ten-match win streak came
to an end after the Red Wolves fell to tournament host UT-Arlington
3-2 Sept. 18 at the UT-Arlington Hilton Invitational. A-State dropped
to 10-4 on the season after suffering losses to UTA, Tulsa and Texas
Christian at the tournament.
Bowman Earns Second Consecutive SBC Defensive Player of the Week
Honors: JONESBORO, Ark. (9/21/09) – Arkansas State senior libero
Heather Bowman was named Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the
Week for the second consecutive week Monday, as voted on by the
league’s 13 head coaches.
Bowman earned her third straight all-tournament honor last weekend at
the UT-Arlington Hilton Invitational. She was named “Libero of the
Tournament” and tallied a team-high 94 digs on the weekend, averaging
6.27 digs per set.
She surpassed her career-high for a third time this season with 35
digs against UT-Arlington Friday night. Bowman led the Red Wolves in
all four matches on the weekend, posting 31 digs against Texas
Christian and 14 digs against both Texas Southern and Tulsa. She also
added five assists and four service aces on the weekend.
Bowman continues to lead the league with her 286 total digs and has
helped the Red Wolves top the conference in the same statistical
category. Behind Bowman’s 5.96 digs per set, the Red Wolves have
registered 783 digs so far this season, for their conference-best
15.66 per set average.
Bowman and the Red Wolves will begin Sun Belt Conference play
Thursday, Sept. 24 when they travel to New Orleans for a 7:00 p.m.
contest against the Lady Privateers.
19-SET STREAK ENDS: The Red Wolves’ 19-set win streak came to an end
against Mississippi State at the MSU Bulldog Invitational. ASU took
the first set against MSU 25-14, but the Lady Bulldogs bounced back to
take set two 25-23. The Red Wolves recovered to win the match, then
defeated Eastern Michigan and Northwestern State Saturday to close out
the tournament.
fielder, bowman sweep sun belt conference weekly awards: JONESBORO,
Ark. (9/14/09) - Arkansas State sophomore middle blocker Cayla Fielder
and senior libero Heather Bowman were named the Sun Belt Conference
Volleyball Player and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, as
voted on by the league's 13 head coaches Sept. 15. The award marks the
first for both student-athletes this season and the first time a
school has swept the awards since Denver during the 2007 season.
"I think it's a great honor to receive any conference award," said
ASU head coach Justin Ingram. "I think it's a credit to how we've
been playing as a team and how strong we've been this past week. I
think overall our effort was strong."
Fielder earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors for the second
consecutive weekend at the Mississippi State Bulldog Invitational,
leading the Red Wolves to an undefeated week and their ninth
consecutive win. Fielder pounded out a team high 43 kills on the
weekend, averaging 3.91 kills per set. She led the Red Wolves with 14
blocks over the three-match tournament. In ASU's 3-0 win over
UT-Martin Tuesday night, Fielder led the team with four blocks and
added 11 kills, hitting .400 in the match.
On the season, Fielder has recorded a league-best 48 total blocks -
1.45 per set - along with 111 kills and a .366 hitting percentage. The
local Jonesboro product has put ASU atop the Sun Belt in blocks and
opponent hitting percentage, as the Red Wolves lead the league with 94
blocks -- a 2.69 per set average -- while limiting their competitors
to just a .114 hitting percentage.
Bowman notched a career-high 31 digs in ASU's 3-1 win over Eastern
Michigan Saturday in the Mississippi State Bulldog Invitational.
Bowman earned her second all-tournament honor of the 2009 season over
the weekend with her 70 digs, four service aces and six assists. She
also led the Red Wolves with 20 digs Tuesday night in ASU's 3-0 win
over UT-Martin.
Bowman also leads the league with 192 total digs and has helped ASU
top the conference in the same statistical category. Behind Bowman's
5.82 digs per set, the Red Wolves have registered 572 digs so far this
season, for their conference-best 16.34 per set average.
"Offensively, Cayla was tremendous at the Mississippi State
tournament and Bowman was very strong defensively," added Ingram. "I
give a lot of credit to those two players. They're playing great for
us, and we have to keep it going this weekend at UT-Arlington."
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: Sophomore middle blocker Cayla Fielder pounded
out 12 kills and added four blocks to lead the Red Wolves to a 3-0
victory over the Huskies of Houston Baptist in the championship game
of the ASU Classic. Fielder won tournament MVP honors after hitting a
team-high .550 to notch 23 kills and six blocks over the three-game
tournament. She earned her second MVP honor at the MSU Bulldog
Invitational, pounding out a team-high 43 kills on the weekend,
averaging 3.91 kills per set. She also led the Red Wolves with 14
blocks over the three-match tournament.
Freshman Brittany Hoag also earned all-tournament honors at the ASU
Classic for the second time this season after leading the team with 26
kills, and senior libero Heather Bowman earned all-tournament honors
as well after leading the Red Wolves with 61 digs. Bowman earned her
second all-tournament honor of 2009 at the MSU Bulldog Invitational,
tallying 70 digs, four service aces and six assists. At the
tournament, she surpassed her career-high for the second time this
season, posting 31 digs in ASU’s 3-1 victory over Eastern Michigan.
Sophomore Charlyn Ursell became the fourth Red Wolf to earn
all-tournament honors this year. At the UT-Arlington Hilton
Invitational, Ursell led the Red Wolves on the weekend with 51 kills,
averaging 3.40 kills per set.
MAKING A DEBUT: Freshman outside hitter Brittany Hoag was named to
the all-tournament team at the Memphis Invitational Aug. 28-29 after
leading the Red Wolves to a 2-1 record at the tournament. Hoag
finished the weekend with 35 kills, including a high of 14 against
Evansville to help rally the Red Wolves from a two-set deficit and
earn the five-set victory. Hoag averaged a team-high 2.92 kills per
game and also led the Red Wolves with 44 digs and added 10 blocks.
Freshman Kelsie Hodges played in all 12 sets of her first weekend in
the Red Wolves’ lineup. She posted 25 kills, a team-high .303 hitting
percentage and 18 blocks over the three matches at the Memphis
Invitational.
Freshman Taylor Coughlin led the Red Wolves in their first weekend of
SBC play in Jonesboro with a total of 24 kills against South Alabama
and Troy. Coughlin also posted 18 digs, a service ace and an assist
in the two matches.
NEW CAREER-HIGHS: Junior setter Laura Bennett posted a career-high
five blocks to go along with 42 assists and 11 digs in ASU’s season
opener against SEMO at the Memphis Invitational. Bennett broke her
own record the next day against Evansville, finishing the match with
seven blocks, then added six more in just three sets in ASU’s victory
over Memphis to close out the tournament.
Sophomore middle blocker Cayla Fielder surpassed her previous
career-high of eight blocks twice at the Memphis Invitational, opening
the season with a 10-block effort against SEMO before adding nine
blocks in ASU’s second match against Evansville. Fielder notched five
more blocks in just three sets of action against Memphis. Fielder
was responsible for more than 50 percent of ASU’s 46 blocks on the
weekend and also averaged 2.83 kills per set.
Senior libero Heather Bowman surpassed her career-high for the third
time this season, posting 35 digs against UT-Arlington at the
UT-Arlington Hilton Invitational Sept. 18.
Fielder and Bowman both surpassed their career-highs in service aces
in ASU’s 3-0 victory over ULM. Fielder notched four service aces,
while Bowman tallied five. As a team, the Red Wolves tied their
season-high with 14 service aces in the match. The team posted 14
earlier this season against Texas Southern at the UT-Arlington Hilton
Invitational.
ASU IN SEASON OPENERS: The Red Wolves are 22-12 all-time in season
openers. Arkansas State fell to SEMO 3-1 in the 2009 season opener at
the Memphis Invitational. The Red Wolves topped Mississippi Valley
State in the 2008 season opener at the Texas Southern Season Opening
Tournament. Following that win, ASU won its next three matches to get
off to the best start since it went 5-0 to start the 2004 season.
FIELDER NAMED 2009 PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE: Arkansas State
sophomore middle blocker Cayla Fielder has been named to the 2009
All-Sun Belt Conference Preseason Volleyball Team, the league
announced Aug. 25. Fielder was the only sophomore selected for the
team as voted on by all 13 head coaches from across the Sun Belt
Conference.
Florida International outside hitter Yarimar Rosa was named the
league's Preseason Player of the Year, while Denver libero Kacie
Wikierak was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Fielder earned All-SBC second-team honors and was named SBC Freshman
of the Year following the 2008 season after seeing action in all 33
matches as a true freshman. She led the Red Wolves with 103 blocks on
the year and was second on the team with 291 kills, averaging 2.47
kills per set. She also posted a hitting percentage of .363 at the
end of regular season play to rank fourth in the Sun Belt and 36th
nationally. Fielder ended the season with a .356 hitting percentage
that ranks sixth in the ASU record book, and she was named to the
Texas Southern and UMKC Kangaroo Klassic All-Tournament teams during
the season as well.
"I think Cayla earning preseason all-conference is a great reward,"
said ASU head coach Justin Ingram. "She has proven to be one of the
best players in the conference, and hopefully we can use this as
momentum for our team going into this first weekend."
SENIORS READY FOR FINAL CAMPAIGN: “There are four seniors this year.
Two of them are defensive specialist/libero candidates,” said Ingram.
“I think whoever can serve-receive best will be utilized in the libero
position. That is the first thing I will look at, and then how they
defend and how they serve. Those three things will make up that
position. Both Heather Bowman and Erin Neeley have had playing
experience last year. They both played significant amounts and
contributed for the team last year, and I see both of them
contributing again this year.”
Senior defensive specialist Erin Neeley (5’5” Jonesboro, Ark.) led
the Arkansas State squad for the third consecutive season with 441
digs and enters the 2009 season ranked fourth on the ASU career digs
chart with 1,323 digs. She was named Sun Belt Conference Defensive
Player of the Week October 20 after leading ASU to a 3-0 week against
New Orleans, Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe.
Senior defensive specialist Heather Bowman (5’8” Forth Smith, Ark.)
posted 338 digs to rank second on the team in 2008. She added 15
service aces, 30 assists and nine kills on the season.
Senior outside hitter Mandy DeWalt (5’8” Houston, Texas) finished the
2008 season with 185 kills. She recorded a career high 17 kills twice
in the same day, setting the mark September 13 against Southern
Illinois and again later in the day against Western Illinois. DeWalt
also posted 175 digs, 21 blocks, 21 service aces and 17 assists on
the year.
“Mandy is a big contributor,” Ingram added. “She's a passing
left-side hitter. She plays all the way around and will have the
ability to play for us a significant amount of time, because she can
do more than one thing pretty well. She can pass well. She can
attack at a pretty high level, and she can also do some of the little
things that end up to be big things on the court. She has experience
within the Sun Belt Conference.”
Senior outside hitter Konae Purcell (5’11” Aiea, Hawaii) led the Red
Wolves with 296 kills despite missing eight matches in 2008 due to
injury, averaging 3.89 kills per set. Her average ranked her third in
the Sun Belt. She added 35 blocks to finish third on the team and was
named to the all-tournment team at the Southern Illinois-Hampton Inn
Saluki Invitational. Purcell was named MVP of both the Texas Southern
Season-Opening Tournament and the Western Carolina Catamount Clash.
“Konae is coming back from an ACL surgery. She had that done in
December and is currently on track to begin her jumping. Hopefully,
we can get her full-out match play soon. She has been participating
in our practices, but I think her role will change throughout the
course of the season. I think we'll count on her more as the season
progresses. She's still in the beginning stages of coming back. It's
a bit of a process,” ASU head coach Justin Ingram explained.
HEAD COACH JUSTIN INGRAM: Arkansas State University Director of
Athletics Dr. Dean Lee announced Friday, April 17 that Justin Ingram
was named head coach of the Red Wolves volleyball team.
"We are very excited to name Justin Ingram as our new women's
volleyball coach," said Lee. "Justin has obviously been associated
with some outstanding programs at Kansas State and Houston. He comes
with a tremendous reputation as a great trainer and as a great
recruiter. He started as one of our top candidates and remained there
until the end."
Ingram becomes the sixth head coach in ASU volleyball history after
serving eight years as an assistant coach at Kansas State.
During his time at Kansas State, he served as the recruiting
coordinator and offensive coordinator for the Wildcats who posted a
171-79 record and made seven NCAA tournament appearances during his
time with the program.
While at Kansas State, the Wildcats earned American Volleyball
Coaches Association top-25 final rankings six different seasons
including a No. 11 final ranking in 2003. The Wildcats also had seven
20-win seasons in his time there, including a 30-win season and a
first-place finish in the Big 12 in 2003. Kansas State's final RPI
ranked in the top-30 nationally during seven of Ingram's eight seasons
with the Wildcats.
Ingram served the previous two years as an assistant coach at the
University of Houston. He served as a junior college recruiting
coordinator, travel coordinator and assistant director of camps. The
Cougars posted a 42-24 record and made back-to-back NCAA tournament
appearances and posted consecutive 20-win seasons in 1998 and 1999.
The Cougars were the Conference USA National Division Runners-up in
1998 and C-USA National Division Champions in 1999.
During his career, Ingram has helped lead teams to nine NCAA
Tournament appearances including a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2003.
He has coached eight All-America selections, 22 All-Big 12
selections, 55 Academic All-Big 12 players, six All-Conference USA
selections, four Big 12 Libero of the Year winners, a Big 12 Player of
the Year, a Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and a C-USA Player of the
Year.
Ingram earned his bachelor's degree in Community and Regional
Planning from Iowa State University in 1995 and a master's degree in
City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1998.
"Arkansas State is a tremendous university with an excellent
volleyball program and I'm thrilled to be here," said Ingram. "I
think the program is heading in a very positive direction and I'm
excited to be part of its future. Not only does ASU have a strong
volleyball program, it's in a strong conference and has great support
from the community. So, this is a great situation and opportunity and
I look forward to the challenges ahead."
ASSISTANT COACH JULIE ALLEN: Julie Allen joined the Arkansas State
volleyball staff as an assistant coach on April 1, 2008, after two
seasons at Georgetown.
Allen joined the Georgetown program in August 2006 after spending
nearly two years at California State University at Chico as the
assistant women’s volleyball coach and head men’s club coach.
“I am truly excited that Julie agreed to come to Arkansas State and
our volleyball program,” ASU former head coach Craig Cummings said.
“She brings with her a wealth of experience from the Big East
Conference, training the setters and coordinating the offense at
Georgetown University during the last couple of seasons. With some
very talented candidates in the pool, Julie stood out as the best,
allowing our program to take advantage of her experience and expertise
and help us climb back to the top of the Sun Belt Conference.”
After graduating from the University of Portland in 2002, Allen was
the head volleyball coach at Tualatin High School in Tualatin, Ore.
until 2003. She was a lead coach for the Empire Volleyball Club in
Santa Rosa, Calif. from 2000-2004.
Allen is also a graduate of the NCAA Women’s Coaches Academy, which
is designed for women coaches who are ready and willing to increase
their individual effectiveness through learning advanced skills and
strategies that directly affect their personal and team success.
A four-year setter at Portland, Allen stands at fifth on the Pilots’
all-time career assists list with 2,042.
“Julie is a bright young lady with a lot of energy and has an
outside-the-box mentality towards developing new ways to train the
team,” Cummings said. “She will coordinate our recruiting efforts as
well as handle the video systems throughout the year.”
2008- A SEASON OF CHANGE FOR ARKANSAS STATE: The 2008-2009 season
proved to be one of many up's and down's for the Arkansas State
volleyball program. A new mascot, 21 wins and honors along the way
highlighted the 2008 season.
In finishing the regular season at 21-11 and 10-8 in league play,
Arkansas State posted its highest winning percentage (.656) since the
2004 season, when ASU finished 25-7 (.781) and tied for first place in
the Sun Belt East Division.
Following regular season play, freshman Cayla Fielder was named to
the All-Sun Belt Conference second team and selected as the SBC
Freshman of the Year. After just one season, Fielder has etched her
named in the ASU record book with the sixth best single-season hitting
percentage.
Junior Libero Erin Neeley staked her claim on the ASU career digs
chart, ranking fourth with 1,323 digs with a season to play still
ahead.
Junior Laura Bennett also moved into the record rankings, posting
1,224 assists on the year and earning the seventh spot on the single
season chart.
ASU entered the Sun Belt Conference Tournament as the No. 7 seed,
taking on second-seeded Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders ended
ASU's postseason play, topping the Red Wolves 3-0.
Over the season, the team posted four win streaks of four wins or more.
With its 4-0 start, ASU got off to its best start since the 2004
season when it started 5-0. The team posted wins over Mississippi
Valley State, Texas Southern and The Citadel in the Texas Southern
Season-Opening Tournament followed by a win over UT-Martin at the
Convocation Center September 2. The Red Wolves did not lose a set in
their first four matches. Junior Konae Purcell was named MVP of the
tournament and Neeley was named the tournament's outstanding defensive
specialist, while Fielder was selected to the all-tournament team.
The second streak began in the last game of the Hampton Inn Saluki
Invitational September 13 when Arkansas State defeated Western
Illinois 3-1. The Red Wolves then won three straight matches at the
Western Carolina Catamount Clash over Presbyterian, Western Carolina
and Norfolk State. Purcell was also named MVP of the Catamount Clash,
while now-departed senior Mafo Joelle earned all-tournament honors.
Back-to-back home wins over Louisiana-Lafayette September 26 and
Louisiana-Monroe September 28 started the third win streak, followed
by road wins over South Alabama and Troy. The Red Wolves also topped
Memphis 3-1 at home October 7, before losing to Middle Tennessee and
Western Kentucky.
The last win streak started with a road-swing through the state of
Louisiana beginning October 16. ASU defeated New Orleans 3-0,
Louisiana-Lafayette 3-1 and Louisiana-Monroe 3-0 over the weekend.
Neeley was named SBC Defensive Player of the Week following the
weekend sweep. The Red Wolves returned home to top Florida Atlantic
October 24 before falling to Florida International the next day.
Arkansas State won its last two matches on the road, winning at UALR
3-2 and North Texas 3-0.
The end of the 2008 season also marked the end of head coach Craig
Cummings’ time at Arkansas State. Cummings announced his resignation
in February 2009 after 13 years at ASU, and Justin Ingram was named
head coach in April.
Red Wolves Volleyball Falls at Middle Tennessee: MURFREESBORO, Tenn.
(10/9/09) - The Arkansas State volleyball team (14-6, 4-2) fell to
Middle Tennessee in five sets (25-23, 23-25, 25-18, 15-25, 13-15)
Friday night in Murfreesboro.
"The team was well-prepared for this match," said ASU head coach
Justin Ingram. "We understood the game plan at a high level and
executed it well throughout the entire match. We competed. We fought
for points, and there were a lot of positives that came out of this
match."
Freshman Brittany Hoag pounded out 15 kills to lead the Red Wolves,
while sophomore Cayla Fielder added 13 kills. Senior libero Heather
Bowman posted 21 digs, and freshman Kelsie Hodges tallied a team-high
five blocks on the night. Junior Laura Bennett recorded 42 assists
and joined Bowman with two service aces each.
Tied at 23, the Red Wolves came away win the 25-23 win in set one on
a Blue Raider attack error and a service ace from senior Erin Neeley.
MTSU took the second set 25-23, and Arkansas State broke away from an
early tie to take set three 25-18.
In the fourth set, ASU jumped out to an early 6-1 lead, but Middle
Tennessee rallied to take the set 25-15. Down by two and out of a
timeout, a kill by MTSU's Stacy Oladinni stretched the lead to 14-11.
The Red Wolves battled back with kills from sophomore Charlyn Ursell
and freshman Taylor Coughlin, but a ASU attack error put the set away
at 15-13 in favor of the Blue Raiders.
Arkansas State will be back in action Saturday afternoon when they
travel to Western Kentucky to take on the Lady Hilltoppers at 3:00
p.m.
ASU Volleyball Drops SBC Match at Western Kentucky: BOWLING GREEN,
Ky. (10/10/09) - The Arkansas State volleyball team (14-7, 4-3)
dropped its third Sun Belt Conference match to Western Kentucky (14-6,
3-2) in four sets (25-20, 25-19, 24-26, 25-22) in Bowling Green, Ky.
Saturday afternoon.
"We played tired today," said ASU head coach Justin Ingram. "Last
night's match against Middle Tennessee really took a lot out of our
tanks. Although the turnaround was short, we needed to handle the
adversity better than we did. WKU is a talented team, and we needed
to play well for longer in order to come out with a win."
Sophomore Cayla Fielder led the Red Wolves with 16 kills, followed by
freshman Taylor Coughlin with 11 kills. Senior libero Heather Bowman
led the team with 11 digs, while sophomore Charlyn Ursell and freshman
Kelsie Hodges each posted four blocks.
The Lady Hilltoppers rolled past ASU taking the first two sets 25-20
and 25-19 before the Red Wolves rallied in set three. Tied at 24 in
the third set, kills from Fielder and freshman Brittany Hoag swayed
the set 26-24 in ASU's favor.
The Red Wolves battled back in the fourth set to tie WKU at 22, but
two Lady Hilltopper kills and an ASU attack error lifted Western
Kentucky over ASU 25-22.
The Red Wolves return to the hardwood Friday, Oct. 16 when they take
on Louisiana-Lafayette in a 7:00 p.m. matchup at the ASU Convocation
Center. ASU will also play host to New Orleans Oct. 17 and
Louisiana-Monroe Oct. 18.
Louisiana-Lafayette Oct. 16 7:00 p.m.
New Orleans Oct. 17 3:00 p.m.
Louisiana-Monroe Oct. 18 1:00 p.m.
SERVING IT UP: Arkansas State will play host to Louisiana-Lafayette,
New Orleans and Louisiana-Monroe this weekend. The Red Wolves will
meet the Ragin’ Cajuns at 7:00 p.m. Friday night before taking on the
Lady Privateers at 3:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon. ASU will face the
ULM in a 1:00 p.m. matchup Sunday afternoon.
THE TEAMS: ASU returns to Jonesboro after two road losses at Middle
Tennessee and Western Kentucky last weekend. The Blue Raiders topped
the Red Wolves in a five-set thriller, and the Lady Toppers won in
four sets.
Louisiana-Lafayette will meet Arkansas State at 6-15 overall and 1-6
in Sun Belt Conference matches. The Ragin’ Cajuns dropped both their
matches last weekend at South Alabama 2-3 and at Troy 0-3, but the
team bounced back to top ULM 3-1 Monday night.
UNO will travel to Jonesboro after losing to South Alabama 0-3 and
topping Troy 3-0 last weekend on the road. The Lady Privateers stand
at 12-6 on the season and 5-1 in SBC action. UNO will play at UALR
Friday night before taking on the Red Wolves Saturday afternoon.
Louisiana-Monroe stands at 3-19 overall and 0-8 in SBC play. The
Warhawks dropped two weekend matches at Troy 0-3 and South Alabama 0-3
before falling to Louisiana-Lafayette 1-3 Monday night on the road.
THE Louisiana-Lafayette SERIES: Arkansas State holds a strong 36-9
lead in the all-time series against Louisiana-Lafayette. The two
teams met earlier this season in Lafayette when the Red Wolves topped
the Ragin’ Cajuns in three straight sets. The last Ragin’ Cajun win
was during the 2002 season when they topped ASU 3-0.
THE New Orleans SERIES: Arkansas State stands at 32-12 in the all-time
series versus New Orleans. ASU dropped a 1-3 decision to UNO earlier
this season in New Orleans.
The Louisiana-Monroe Series: ASU is 22-5 all-time against ULM. The
Red Wolves topped the Warhawks earlier this season 3-0 in Monroe. The
Red Wolves are riding a 15-match win streak against the Warhawks only
dropping three sets along the way. The last ULM win came during the
1986 season at the Oral Roberts Invitational when the Warhawks topped
A-State 3-0.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Red Wolves are 5-0 at the Convocation Center so
far this season. ASU swept UAPB, Jackson State and Houston Baptist
during the ASU Classic, and the Red Wolves topped South Alabama and
Troy in their first home conference matches of the year Oct. 2 and 3.
During the 2008 season, Arkansas State posted a 5-7 record at home,
and overall the Red Wolves are 227-62 in the Convocation Center.
UTA HALTS ASU’S TEN-MATCH WIN STREAK: ASU’s ten-match win streak came
to an end after the Red Wolves fell to tournament host UT-Arlington
3-2 Sept. 18 at the UT-Arlington Hilton Invitational. A-State dropped
to 10-4 on the season after suffering losses to UTA, Tulsa and Texas
Christian at the tournament.
Bowman Earns Second Consecutive SBC Defensive Player of the Week
Honors: JONESBORO, Ark. (9/21/09) – Arkansas State senior libero
Heather Bowman was named Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the
Week for the second consecutive week Monday, as voted on by the
league’s 13 head coaches.
Bowman earned her third straight all-tournament honor last weekend at
the UT-Arlington Hilton Invitational. She was named “Libero of the
Tournament” and tallied a team-high 94 digs on the weekend, averaging
6.27 digs per set.
She surpassed her career-high for a third time this season with 35
digs against UT-Arlington Friday night. Bowman led the Red Wolves in
all four matches on the weekend, posting 31 digs against Texas
Christian and 14 digs against both Texas Southern and Tulsa. She also
added five assists and four service aces on the weekend.
Bowman continues to lead the league with her 286 total digs and has
helped the Red Wolves top the conference in the same statistical
category. Behind Bowman’s 5.96 digs per set, the Red Wolves have
registered 783 digs so far this season, for their conference-best
15.66 per set average.
Bowman and the Red Wolves will begin Sun Belt Conference play
Thursday, Sept. 24 when they travel to New Orleans for a 7:00 p.m.
contest against the Lady Privateers.
19-SET STREAK ENDS: The Red Wolves’ 19-set win streak came to an end
against Mississippi State at the MSU Bulldog Invitational. ASU took
the first set against MSU 25-14, but the Lady Bulldogs bounced back to
take set two 25-23. The Red Wolves recovered to win the match, then
defeated Eastern Michigan and Northwestern State Saturday to close out
the tournament.
fielder, bowman sweep sun belt conference weekly awards: JONESBORO,
Ark. (9/14/09) - Arkansas State sophomore middle blocker Cayla Fielder
and senior libero Heather Bowman were named the Sun Belt Conference
Volleyball Player and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, as
voted on by the league's 13 head coaches Sept. 15. The award marks the
first for both student-athletes this season and the first time a
school has swept the awards since Denver during the 2007 season.
"I think it's a great honor to receive any conference award," said
ASU head coach Justin Ingram. "I think it's a credit to how we've
been playing as a team and how strong we've been this past week. I
think overall our effort was strong."
Fielder earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors for the second
consecutive weekend at the Mississippi State Bulldog Invitational,
leading the Red Wolves to an undefeated week and their ninth
consecutive win. Fielder pounded out a team high 43 kills on the
weekend, averaging 3.91 kills per set. She led the Red Wolves with 14
blocks over the three-match tournament. In ASU's 3-0 win over
UT-Martin Tuesday night, Fielder led the team with four blocks and
added 11 kills, hitting .400 in the match.
On the season, Fielder has recorded a league-best 48 total blocks -
1.45 per set - along with 111 kills and a .366 hitting percentage. The
local Jonesboro product has put ASU atop the Sun Belt in blocks and
opponent hitting percentage, as the Red Wolves lead the league with 94
blocks -- a 2.69 per set average -- while limiting their competitors
to just a .114 hitting percentage.
Bowman notched a career-high 31 digs in ASU's 3-1 win over Eastern
Michigan Saturday in the Mississippi State Bulldog Invitational.
Bowman earned her second all-tournament honor of the 2009 season over
the weekend with her 70 digs, four service aces and six assists. She
also led the Red Wolves with 20 digs Tuesday night in ASU's 3-0 win
over UT-Martin.
Bowman also leads the league with 192 total digs and has helped ASU
top the conference in the same statistical category. Behind Bowman's
5.82 digs per set, the Red Wolves have registered 572 digs so far this
season, for their conference-best 16.34 per set average.
"Offensively, Cayla was tremendous at the Mississippi State
tournament and Bowman was very strong defensively," added Ingram. "I
give a lot of credit to those two players. They're playing great for
us, and we have to keep it going this weekend at UT-Arlington."
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: Sophomore middle blocker Cayla Fielder pounded
out 12 kills and added four blocks to lead the Red Wolves to a 3-0
victory over the Huskies of Houston Baptist in the championship game
of the ASU Classic. Fielder won tournament MVP honors after hitting a
team-high .550 to notch 23 kills and six blocks over the three-game
tournament. She earned her second MVP honor at the MSU Bulldog
Invitational, pounding out a team-high 43 kills on the weekend,
averaging 3.91 kills per set. She also led the Red Wolves with 14
blocks over the three-match tournament.
Freshman Brittany Hoag also earned all-tournament honors at the ASU
Classic for the second time this season after leading the team with 26
kills, and senior libero Heather Bowman earned all-tournament honors
as well after leading the Red Wolves with 61 digs. Bowman earned her
second all-tournament honor of 2009 at the MSU Bulldog Invitational,
tallying 70 digs, four service aces and six assists. At the
tournament, she surpassed her career-high for the second time this
season, posting 31 digs in ASU’s 3-1 victory over Eastern Michigan.
Sophomore Charlyn Ursell became the fourth Red Wolf to earn
all-tournament honors this year. At the UT-Arlington Hilton
Invitational, Ursell led the Red Wolves on the weekend with 51 kills,
averaging 3.40 kills per set.
MAKING A DEBUT: Freshman outside hitter Brittany Hoag was named to
the all-tournament team at the Memphis Invitational Aug. 28-29 after
leading the Red Wolves to a 2-1 record at the tournament. Hoag
finished the weekend with 35 kills, including a high of 14 against
Evansville to help rally the Red Wolves from a two-set deficit and
earn the five-set victory. Hoag averaged a team-high 2.92 kills per
game and also led the Red Wolves with 44 digs and added 10 blocks.
Freshman Kelsie Hodges played in all 12 sets of her first weekend in
the Red Wolves’ lineup. She posted 25 kills, a team-high .303 hitting
percentage and 18 blocks over the three matches at the Memphis
Invitational.
Freshman Taylor Coughlin led the Red Wolves in their first weekend of
SBC play in Jonesboro with a total of 24 kills against South Alabama
and Troy. Coughlin also posted 18 digs, a service ace and an assist
in the two matches.
NEW CAREER-HIGHS: Junior setter Laura Bennett posted a career-high
five blocks to go along with 42 assists and 11 digs in ASU’s season
opener against SEMO at the Memphis Invitational. Bennett broke her
own record the next day against Evansville, finishing the match with
seven blocks, then added six more in just three sets in ASU’s victory
over Memphis to close out the tournament.
Sophomore middle blocker Cayla Fielder surpassed her previous
career-high of eight blocks twice at the Memphis Invitational, opening
the season with a 10-block effort against SEMO before adding nine
blocks in ASU’s second match against Evansville. Fielder notched five
more blocks in just three sets of action against Memphis. Fielder
was responsible for more than 50 percent of ASU’s 46 blocks on the
weekend and also averaged 2.83 kills per set.
Senior libero Heather Bowman surpassed her career-high for the third
time this season, posting 35 digs against UT-Arlington at the
UT-Arlington Hilton Invitational Sept. 18.
Fielder and Bowman both surpassed their career-highs in service aces
in ASU’s 3-0 victory over ULM. Fielder notched four service aces,
while Bowman tallied five. As a team, the Red Wolves tied their
season-high with 14 service aces in the match. The team posted 14
earlier this season against Texas Southern at the UT-Arlington Hilton
Invitational.
ASU IN SEASON OPENERS: The Red Wolves are 22-12 all-time in season
openers. Arkansas State fell to SEMO 3-1 in the 2009 season opener at
the Memphis Invitational. The Red Wolves topped Mississippi Valley
State in the 2008 season opener at the Texas Southern Season Opening
Tournament. Following that win, ASU won its next three matches to get
off to the best start since it went 5-0 to start the 2004 season.
FIELDER NAMED 2009 PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE: Arkansas State
sophomore middle blocker Cayla Fielder has been named to the 2009
All-Sun Belt Conference Preseason Volleyball Team, the league
announced Aug. 25. Fielder was the only sophomore selected for the
team as voted on by all 13 head coaches from across the Sun Belt
Conference.
Florida International outside hitter Yarimar Rosa was named the
league's Preseason Player of the Year, while Denver libero Kacie
Wikierak was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Fielder earned All-SBC second-team honors and was named SBC Freshman
of the Year following the 2008 season after seeing action in all 33
matches as a true freshman. She led the Red Wolves with 103 blocks on
the year and was second on the team with 291 kills, averaging 2.47
kills per set. She also posted a hitting percentage of .363 at the
end of regular season play to rank fourth in the Sun Belt and 36th
nationally. Fielder ended the season with a .356 hitting percentage
that ranks sixth in the ASU record book, and she was named to the
Texas Southern and UMKC Kangaroo Klassic All-Tournament teams during
the season as well.
"I think Cayla earning preseason all-conference is a great reward,"
said ASU head coach Justin Ingram. "She has proven to be one of the
best players in the conference, and hopefully we can use this as
momentum for our team going into this first weekend."
SENIORS READY FOR FINAL CAMPAIGN: “There are four seniors this year.
Two of them are defensive specialist/libero candidates,” said Ingram.
“I think whoever can serve-receive best will be utilized in the libero
position. That is the first thing I will look at, and then how they
defend and how they serve. Those three things will make up that
position. Both Heather Bowman and Erin Neeley have had playing
experience last year. They both played significant amounts and
contributed for the team last year, and I see both of them
contributing again this year.”
Senior defensive specialist Erin Neeley (5’5” Jonesboro, Ark.) led
the Arkansas State squad for the third consecutive season with 441
digs and enters the 2009 season ranked fourth on the ASU career digs
chart with 1,323 digs. She was named Sun Belt Conference Defensive
Player of the Week October 20 after leading ASU to a 3-0 week against
New Orleans, Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe.
Senior defensive specialist Heather Bowman (5’8” Forth Smith, Ark.)
posted 338 digs to rank second on the team in 2008. She added 15
service aces, 30 assists and nine kills on the season.
Senior outside hitter Mandy DeWalt (5’8” Houston, Texas) finished the
2008 season with 185 kills. She recorded a career high 17 kills twice
in the same day, setting the mark September 13 against Southern
Illinois and again later in the day against Western Illinois. DeWalt
also posted 175 digs, 21 blocks, 21 service aces and 17 assists on
the year.
“Mandy is a big contributor,” Ingram added. “She's a passing
left-side hitter. She plays all the way around and will have the
ability to play for us a significant amount of time, because she can
do more than one thing pretty well. She can pass well. She can
attack at a pretty high level, and she can also do some of the little
things that end up to be big things on the court. She has experience
within the Sun Belt Conference.”
Senior outside hitter Konae Purcell (5’11” Aiea, Hawaii) led the Red
Wolves with 296 kills despite missing eight matches in 2008 due to
injury, averaging 3.89 kills per set. Her average ranked her third in
the Sun Belt. She added 35 blocks to finish third on the team and was
named to the all-tournment team at the Southern Illinois-Hampton Inn
Saluki Invitational. Purcell was named MVP of both the Texas Southern
Season-Opening Tournament and the Western Carolina Catamount Clash.
“Konae is coming back from an ACL surgery. She had that done in
December and is currently on track to begin her jumping. Hopefully,
we can get her full-out match play soon. She has been participating
in our practices, but I think her role will change throughout the
course of the season. I think we'll count on her more as the season
progresses. She's still in the beginning stages of coming back. It's
a bit of a process,” ASU head coach Justin Ingram explained.
HEAD COACH JUSTIN INGRAM: Arkansas State University Director of
Athletics Dr. Dean Lee announced Friday, April 17 that Justin Ingram
was named head coach of the Red Wolves volleyball team.
"We are very excited to name Justin Ingram as our new women's
volleyball coach," said Lee. "Justin has obviously been associated
with some outstanding programs at Kansas State and Houston. He comes
with a tremendous reputation as a great trainer and as a great
recruiter. He started as one of our top candidates and remained there
until the end."
Ingram becomes the sixth head coach in ASU volleyball history after
serving eight years as an assistant coach at Kansas State.
During his time at Kansas State, he served as the recruiting
coordinator and offensive coordinator for the Wildcats who posted a
171-79 record and made seven NCAA tournament appearances during his
time with the program.
While at Kansas State, the Wildcats earned American Volleyball
Coaches Association top-25 final rankings six different seasons
including a No. 11 final ranking in 2003. The Wildcats also had seven
20-win seasons in his time there, including a 30-win season and a
first-place finish in the Big 12 in 2003. Kansas State's final RPI
ranked in the top-30 nationally during seven of Ingram's eight seasons
with the Wildcats.
Ingram served the previous two years as an assistant coach at the
University of Houston. He served as a junior college recruiting
coordinator, travel coordinator and assistant director of camps. The
Cougars posted a 42-24 record and made back-to-back NCAA tournament
appearances and posted consecutive 20-win seasons in 1998 and 1999.
The Cougars were the Conference USA National Division Runners-up in
1998 and C-USA National Division Champions in 1999.
During his career, Ingram has helped lead teams to nine NCAA
Tournament appearances including a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2003.
He has coached eight All-America selections, 22 All-Big 12
selections, 55 Academic All-Big 12 players, six All-Conference USA
selections, four Big 12 Libero of the Year winners, a Big 12 Player of
the Year, a Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and a C-USA Player of the
Year.
Ingram earned his bachelor's degree in Community and Regional
Planning from Iowa State University in 1995 and a master's degree in
City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1998.
"Arkansas State is a tremendous university with an excellent
volleyball program and I'm thrilled to be here," said Ingram. "I
think the program is heading in a very positive direction and I'm
excited to be part of its future. Not only does ASU have a strong
volleyball program, it's in a strong conference and has great support
from the community. So, this is a great situation and opportunity and
I look forward to the challenges ahead."
ASSISTANT COACH JULIE ALLEN: Julie Allen joined the Arkansas State
volleyball staff as an assistant coach on April 1, 2008, after two
seasons at Georgetown.
Allen joined the Georgetown program in August 2006 after spending
nearly two years at California State University at Chico as the
assistant women’s volleyball coach and head men’s club coach.
“I am truly excited that Julie agreed to come to Arkansas State and
our volleyball program,” ASU former head coach Craig Cummings said.
“She brings with her a wealth of experience from the Big East
Conference, training the setters and coordinating the offense at
Georgetown University during the last couple of seasons. With some
very talented candidates in the pool, Julie stood out as the best,
allowing our program to take advantage of her experience and expertise
and help us climb back to the top of the Sun Belt Conference.”
After graduating from the University of Portland in 2002, Allen was
the head volleyball coach at Tualatin High School in Tualatin, Ore.
until 2003. She was a lead coach for the Empire Volleyball Club in
Santa Rosa, Calif. from 2000-2004.
Allen is also a graduate of the NCAA Women’s Coaches Academy, which
is designed for women coaches who are ready and willing to increase
their individual effectiveness through learning advanced skills and
strategies that directly affect their personal and team success.
A four-year setter at Portland, Allen stands at fifth on the Pilots’
all-time career assists list with 2,042.
“Julie is a bright young lady with a lot of energy and has an
outside-the-box mentality towards developing new ways to train the
team,” Cummings said. “She will coordinate our recruiting efforts as
well as handle the video systems throughout the year.”
2008- A SEASON OF CHANGE FOR ARKANSAS STATE: The 2008-2009 season
proved to be one of many up's and down's for the Arkansas State
volleyball program. A new mascot, 21 wins and honors along the way
highlighted the 2008 season.
In finishing the regular season at 21-11 and 10-8 in league play,
Arkansas State posted its highest winning percentage (.656) since the
2004 season, when ASU finished 25-7 (.781) and tied for first place in
the Sun Belt East Division.
Following regular season play, freshman Cayla Fielder was named to
the All-Sun Belt Conference second team and selected as the SBC
Freshman of the Year. After just one season, Fielder has etched her
named in the ASU record book with the sixth best single-season hitting
percentage.
Junior Libero Erin Neeley staked her claim on the ASU career digs
chart, ranking fourth with 1,323 digs with a season to play still
ahead.
Junior Laura Bennett also moved into the record rankings, posting
1,224 assists on the year and earning the seventh spot on the single
season chart.
ASU entered the Sun Belt Conference Tournament as the No. 7 seed,
taking on second-seeded Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders ended
ASU's postseason play, topping the Red Wolves 3-0.
Over the season, the team posted four win streaks of four wins or more.
With its 4-0 start, ASU got off to its best start since the 2004
season when it started 5-0. The team posted wins over Mississippi
Valley State, Texas Southern and The Citadel in the Texas Southern
Season-Opening Tournament followed by a win over UT-Martin at the
Convocation Center September 2. The Red Wolves did not lose a set in
their first four matches. Junior Konae Purcell was named MVP of the
tournament and Neeley was named the tournament's outstanding defensive
specialist, while Fielder was selected to the all-tournament team.
The second streak began in the last game of the Hampton Inn Saluki
Invitational September 13 when Arkansas State defeated Western
Illinois 3-1. The Red Wolves then won three straight matches at the
Western Carolina Catamount Clash over Presbyterian, Western Carolina
and Norfolk State. Purcell was also named MVP of the Catamount Clash,
while now-departed senior Mafo Joelle earned all-tournament honors.
Back-to-back home wins over Louisiana-Lafayette September 26 and
Louisiana-Monroe September 28 started the third win streak, followed
by road wins over South Alabama and Troy. The Red Wolves also topped
Memphis 3-1 at home October 7, before losing to Middle Tennessee and
Western Kentucky.
The last win streak started with a road-swing through the state of
Louisiana beginning October 16. ASU defeated New Orleans 3-0,
Louisiana-Lafayette 3-1 and Louisiana-Monroe 3-0 over the weekend.
Neeley was named SBC Defensive Player of the Week following the
weekend sweep. The Red Wolves returned home to top Florida Atlantic
October 24 before falling to Florida International the next day.
Arkansas State won its last two matches on the road, winning at UALR
3-2 and North Texas 3-0.
The end of the 2008 season also marked the end of head coach Craig
Cummings’ time at Arkansas State. Cummings announced his resignation
in February 2009 after 13 years at ASU, and Justin Ingram was named
head coach in April.
Red Wolves Volleyball Falls at Middle Tennessee: MURFREESBORO, Tenn.
(10/9/09) - The Arkansas State volleyball team (14-6, 4-2) fell to
Middle Tennessee in five sets (25-23, 23-25, 25-18, 15-25, 13-15)
Friday night in Murfreesboro.
"The team was well-prepared for this match," said ASU head coach
Justin Ingram. "We understood the game plan at a high level and
executed it well throughout the entire match. We competed. We fought
for points, and there were a lot of positives that came out of this
match."
Freshman Brittany Hoag pounded out 15 kills to lead the Red Wolves,
while sophomore Cayla Fielder added 13 kills. Senior libero Heather
Bowman posted 21 digs, and freshman Kelsie Hodges tallied a team-high
five blocks on the night. Junior Laura Bennett recorded 42 assists
and joined Bowman with two service aces each.
Tied at 23, the Red Wolves came away win the 25-23 win in set one on
a Blue Raider attack error and a service ace from senior Erin Neeley.
MTSU took the second set 25-23, and Arkansas State broke away from an
early tie to take set three 25-18.
In the fourth set, ASU jumped out to an early 6-1 lead, but Middle
Tennessee rallied to take the set 25-15. Down by two and out of a
timeout, a kill by MTSU's Stacy Oladinni stretched the lead to 14-11.
The Red Wolves battled back with kills from sophomore Charlyn Ursell
and freshman Taylor Coughlin, but a ASU attack error put the set away
at 15-13 in favor of the Blue Raiders.
Arkansas State will be back in action Saturday afternoon when they
travel to Western Kentucky to take on the Lady Hilltoppers at 3:00
p.m.
ASU Volleyball Drops SBC Match at Western Kentucky: BOWLING GREEN,
Ky. (10/10/09) - The Arkansas State volleyball team (14-7, 4-3)
dropped its third Sun Belt Conference match to Western Kentucky (14-6,
3-2) in four sets (25-20, 25-19, 24-26, 25-22) in Bowling Green, Ky.
Saturday afternoon.
"We played tired today," said ASU head coach Justin Ingram. "Last
night's match against Middle Tennessee really took a lot out of our
tanks. Although the turnaround was short, we needed to handle the
adversity better than we did. WKU is a talented team, and we needed
to play well for longer in order to come out with a win."
Sophomore Cayla Fielder led the Red Wolves with 16 kills, followed by
freshman Taylor Coughlin with 11 kills. Senior libero Heather Bowman
led the team with 11 digs, while sophomore Charlyn Ursell and freshman
Kelsie Hodges each posted four blocks.
The Lady Hilltoppers rolled past ASU taking the first two sets 25-20
and 25-19 before the Red Wolves rallied in set three. Tied at 24 in
the third set, kills from Fielder and freshman Brittany Hoag swayed
the set 26-24 in ASU's favor.
The Red Wolves battled back in the fourth set to tie WKU at 22, but
two Lady Hilltopper kills and an ASU attack error lifted Western
Kentucky over ASU 25-22.
The Red Wolves return to the hardwood Friday, Oct. 16 when they take
on Louisiana-Lafayette in a 7:00 p.m. matchup at the ASU Convocation
Center. ASU will also play host to New Orleans Oct. 17 and
Louisiana-Monroe Oct. 18.
