MATCH 21: vs. ULM (12-12, 2-7 SBC)
Friday, Oct. 23 • 6:00 p.m. CDT
Convocation Center • Jonesboro, Ark.
Series: A-State leads 34-5
Live Stats: AStateStats.com; Live Video: Red Wolves Digital Network ($)
QUICK HITS
The Red Wolves improved to 19-1 overall and 10-0 in Sun Belt Conference play after winning home matches over South Alabama (3-0) and Texas State (3-2). The 19-1 record to open the season is the best since the 1988 season when that team went 41-1.
The 10-0 record to begin SBC play is the best start for an Arkansas State team ever after having five teams from 1992-1996 go 9-0 in the Sun Belt Conference. The 10-0 mark to begin a conference season is the best since the 1988 and 1989 teams went 10-0 in the American South Conference.
Arkansas State picked up three more weekly awards from the Sun Belt Conference in week 8 with Carlisa May earning her sixth straight Freshman of the Week award (seventh overall), Markie Schaedig collecting her third Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week award, and Mallory Warrington claiming her second Setter of the Week accolade this season.
Arkansas State leads the league with 13 weekly awards this season and is the only team with double-digit accolades in the SBC. Appalachian State is next closet with nine.
Arkansas State remained No. 22 in the PrepVolleyball.com Poll, received 12 points in the AVCA Poll to rank what would be 33rd, and moved up five spots to No. 13 in the latest NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) ranking.
A-State holds a 970-498-5 record all-time in volleyball and is in its 41st season of play after beginning the sport in 1975.
A-State vs. ULM Series History
The Red Wolves lead the all-time series with the Warhawks by a count of 34-5 after defeating ULM in Monroe, La., back on Oct. 4 by a score of 3-0.
The first three meetings between the two schools occurred in 1980 with A-State winning both regular-season meetings by scores of 2-0. The two squads met again in the postseason at the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Region IV Tournament in Huntsville, Texas with Arkansas State claiming a 2-0 victory in that matchup as well.
The two teams were members of the Southland Conference from 1982-1986 with the Red Wolves earning wins in the first four meetings in 1982 and 1983. However, ULM, then called Northeast Louisiana, won five straight meetings from 1984-1986 for its only five victories in the series.
The Red Wolves have won all 19 meetings between both schools as Sun Belt Conference members. Additionally, A-State has won 27 straight matches against the Warhawks.
A-State head coach David Rehr improved to 7-0 against ULM in his tenure after the 3-0 win on Oct. 4 at Monroe, La.
A-State Claims Three Weekly Awards
Arkansas State had three players claim weekly awards from the Sun Belt Conference for their performances in week eight of the season. Carlisa May won Freshman of the Week, Markie Schaedig was awarded Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week, and Mallory Warrington was Setter of the Week.
The three awards for A-State marks the second time this season the team has claimed three of the four weekly awards and is the only team in the SBC to accomplish that feat.
The FOW award for May is her sixth consecutive and seventh overall. It is her eighth overall award as she also has one SBC Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week honor under her belt. She led the team with 31 kills in two matches last week, including a 13-kill performance on a .619 hitting percentage against South Alabama.
The Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week award is Schaedig's third this season and eighth of her career. She led the team with 48 digs (6.00 per set) in last week's action.
The Setter of the Week honor for Warrington was her second of the season and third of her career. She dished out 93 assists for an 11.62 average, including an outstanding 41 (13.67 per set) in last Friday's 3-0 win over South Alabama.
Red Wolves in the Polls
The Red Wolves didn't move at all in the PrepVolleyball.com Poll this week by staying No. 22.
A-State was made a debut in the PrepVolleyball Poll a few weeks ago at No. 33 and has gradually worked its way to No. 22.
A-State made an appearance in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll for the second time this season by receiving 12 points. If counted past the Top-25, the 12 points would put the Red Wolves at No. 33 in the country.
Arkansas State moved up to 13th in the NCAA's Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) report that was released Monday.
The Red Wolves are the highest-ranking Sun Belt school in the RPI with Appalachian State coming in next at No. 74. Friday's opponent ULM checks in at No. 250 in this week's RPI.
Digging with Schaedig
Junior libero Markie Schaedig leads the team with 375 digs for a 5.21 per set average that ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference and 15th in the nation.
The Little Rock, Ark., native led the team with 48 digs in the two matches last weekend for a 6.00 per set average. She tallied 20 against South Alabama and 28 versus Texas State.
Schaedig has won three SBC Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week award this year after picking up another one for week eight in addition to her earlier awards in weeks one and three. She has eight career Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week awards in her career now.
Additionally, Schaedig has the second-most assists on the team with 84 and also has six service aces and five kills.
Carlisa's Killing It
A-State true freshman Carlisa May earned another SBC Freshman of the Week award for her performance over the past week against South Alabama and Texas State. She tallied 13 kills on a .619 hitting percentage against the Jaguars and added 18 more against the Bobcats.
The FOW award was May's seventh this year, which keeps extending her school record. Jessica Uke had the record after picking up three Freshman of the Week awards a season ago.
Week three of the season was special for May as she won the SBC Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week, the SBC Freshman of the Week, and was one of PrepVolleyball.com's outside hitters of the week. The Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week award and PrepVolleyball.com award were the first of her career. She was also named to the Golden Hurricane Classic All-Tournament team during that week.
For the season May leads the team in kills (247) and kills per set with a 3.63 average, which also ranks as fourth best in the conference and 105th in the country. She is hitting at a .321 clip, second best on the team and sixth highest in the Sun Belt Conference. Additionally, she has contributed 37 digs and 20 blocks defensively.
Warrington Shares the Wealth
A-State setter Mallory Warrington has been instrumental in the team's offensive success this season. She has dished out 820 assists with the second-best assists per set (11.39) mark in the conference. The 11.39 per set average ranks as 13th best in the country.
Warrington is the team's leader in double-doubles with 12 after picking up one against Texas State with 52 assists and 18 digs Saturday. She led the team with 23 double-doubles a season ago.
The Lake St. Louis, Mo., native has proven to be a valuable all-around player in 2015. In addition to her setting numbers, she is second on the team in digs with 209 (2.90 per set) and is second on the team with 16 service aces. She's also added 67 kills and 22 blocks.
Warrington earned her first career all-tournament accolades and MVP honor at the Golden Hurricane Classic Sept. 11-12. She earned the Sun Belt Conference Setter of the Week award for week six and won again in week eight for her first two weekly awards of the season. She has four weekly awards in her career.
Keeping Up With Drew Jones
A-State sophomore Drew Jones is second on the team in kills with 236 (3.28 per set) and has the team lead in service aces with 22 against only eight service errors. The kills per set mark is ranked sixth in the Sun Belt Conference and she leads the SBC in attacks per set with an 11.25 average that also ranks as 42nd most in the nation. She has an aces per set mark of 0.31 that ranks as ninth best in the Sun Belt Conference. She is third on the team in blocks (38) and fourth in digs (147).
The Fort Smith, Ark., native is the only other player for the Red Wolves, aside from Mallory Warrington, to register a double-double this season with four of her own, the most recent happening Oct. 7 versus Little Rock with 17 kills and 17 digs.
A Side of Reis
Junior middle blocker Kelsey Reis, tied for the tallest player on the team with Anna Murphy at 6-3, is making her presence felt in the blocking game as she leads A-State with 86 total blocks on the year, including 24 block solos.
She is averaging 1.19 blocks per set on the year, which is tied for the Sun Belt Conference lead and is also 65th highest in the nation. She had 14 in the two wins over South Alabama and Texas State.
The Smithton, Ill., native only has three block errors on the season and is fourth on the team with 124 kills.
Additionally, Reis is hitting .441 in SBC matches, which is the best mark in the conference. She also has a 1.38 blocks per set average in conference matches, also tops in the SBC.
Graff Adjusting Nicely
Redshirt junior Darby Graff has had little trouble transitioning to the Red Wolves after transferring from Texas A&M in the offseason. She leads the team with a .342 hitting percentage and is third on the team with 219 kills (3.08 per set) after tallying 20 kills in the wins over South Alabama and Texas State. The .342 hitting percentage ranks third in the conference and 112th in the nation.
The Hallsville, Texas native is second on the team with 50 blocks, including 10 block solos, and she has also tallied 32 digs on the defensive side.
Team Rankings
The Red Wolves rank in the top three in the conference in every major statistical category except for service aces, but they are first in aces in SBC only matches with 1.35 per set.
A-State is first in opponent hitting percentage (.150) and digs (15.93 per set) in the SBC. The team is second in hitting percentage (.271), assists (13.25 pet set), and kills (14.08 per set), along with third in blocks (2.38 per set).
A-State ranks in the top-65 in the NCAA in all per set catergories except aces. The opponent hitting percentage ranks 10th and hitting percentage is 18th. The assists per set mark is 20th in the nation, while kills per set ranks 29th. The digs per set and blocks per set marks are 62nd and 63rd, respectively.
