(7W) ULM (7-24 overall, 0-16 Sun Belt Conference) vs. (6E) Marshall (9-19 overall, 3-13 Sun Belt Conference)
5 p.m. Wednesday, November 16, 2022 | Foley Sports Complex | Foley, Alabama
WATCH: ESPN+ | LIVE STATS
MATCH NOTES
MONROE, La. - The ULM volleyball team opens play in the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Championship at 5 p.m. Wednesday against Marshall at the Foley Sports Complex. ULM is the seventh seed from the West Division while Marshall is the sixth seed from the East Division. It is the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
The Warhawks (7-24 overall, 0-16 Sun Belt Conference) closed the regular season with a pair of losses at Georgia State last Thursday and Friday, falling by 3-1 scores each day. Graduate Madeline Williams continues to lead the Warhawks with 345 kills (3.17 per set), which ranks two kills behind Callie Assaley's single-season kills record in the 25-point rally scoring era, which was set last season. Williams also leads the team with 68 blocks (0.62 per set). Freshman Bailey Roberson leads ULM with 785 assists (7.41 per set) and is tied for the team lead with sophomore Cameron Rogers with 32 aces. Rogers paces the team in digs at 423 (3.62 per set).
Marshall (9-19 overall, 3-13 SBC) finished the regular season with a pair of wins, taking two games from Arkansas State. The Thundering Herd won 3-2 on Friday before taking a 3-1 decision on Saturday. Macy McElhaney leads MU with 318 kills (3.06 kills per set). She also leads the team with 26 service aces. She has 249 digs and 44 blocks. Kaitlyn Gehler paces the Herd with 384 digs (4.17 per set). Essence Clerkley leads the team with 76 blocks. Brynn Brown paces the way with 730 assists (7.93 per set).
FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS -
Links to live video and stats for all matches are available on ULMWarhawks.com. Navigate to the volleyball schedule page and select that day's opponent. All matches from the SBC Championship will stream on ESPN+.
RECAP -
Only a few things separated ULM and Georgia State volleyball Thursday night as the match was even in so many categories, but the Panthers took the 3-1 win (24-26, 25-18, 22-25, 10-25) at the GSU Sports Arena. Kills, attacks and service aces were almost identical and the digs total was in ULM's favor, but the Warhawks had double the attack errors (24-12) which hindered its chances to win.
Georgia State's Julianna Truscott and Erin Wyatt teamed up with 16 and 15 kills, respectively, while Livy Kowalkowski dug out a game-best 19 balls. The Panthers hit .312 for the match while the Warhawks had their second-best outing in Sun Belt Conference action with a .204 hitting percentage and totaled 53 kills and 52 assists in the four-set match, their second-highest totals in league play.
Logan Jeffus posted the Warhawks' highest kills total with 12 with Tessa Gerwig adding 10. Callie Humphrey led ULM again in the digs category as the Warhawks repeatedly fought back against the Panthers.
ULM continued to show determination and persistence in the regular-season finale with a 3-1 loss (25-18, 21-25, 21-25, 23-25) to Georgia State Friday at the GSU Sports Arena. The Warhawks showed their grit, winning the first set and falling with a four-point margin in sets two and three and two points in the final set. The four-set match had 26 ties and 13 lead changes in the back-and-forth battle. Taylor Thomas and Jeffus each had eight kills for ULM, but Truscott of GSU had the match high with 17.
SERIES HISTORY -
Wednesday's match marks the first-ever meeting between ULM and Marshall in volleyball.
WARHAWKS IN STAT RANKINGS –
ULM ranks inside the Top-50 nationally in team total attacks at 4,297 (fifth in NCAA Division I, leads Sun Belt Conference), team digs at 1,753 (26th NCAA I, first SBC) and team attacks per set at 36.73 (34th NCAA I, first SBC).
Individually inside the Top 100, Cameron Rogers is 95th in total digs at 423 (fifth SBC).
A LOOK AHEAD -
The winner of Wednesday's match between ULM and Marshall will play at 5 p.m. Thursday, November 17 against the third seed from the West Division, South Alabama, at the Foley Sports Complex.
