MATCH 11: ULM WARHAWKS (3-7) vs. SOUTHEASTERN LIONS (6-3)
1:30 p.m., Friday, September 15, 2023 | Prather Coliseum | Natchitoches, Louisiana
LIVE STATS: NSUDemons.com
MATCH 12: ULM WARHAWKS (3-7) vs. SOUTHERN JAGUARS (1-4)
4 p.m., Friday, September 15, 2023 | Prather Coliseum | Natchitoches, Louisiana
LIVE STATS: NSUDemons.com
MATCH 13: ULM WARHAWKS (3-7) vs. NORTHWESTERN STATE DEMONS (2-7)
12 p.m., Saturday, September 16, 2023 | Prather Coliseum | Natchitoches, Louisiana
LIVE STATS: NSUDemons.com
MATCH NOTES
MONROE, La. - The ULM volleyball team competes in its last non-conference tournament before conference play begins in the Battle for the Boot. The Warhawks begin play on Friday when they take on Southeastern at 1 p.m. before having a rematch with Southern at 4 p.m. They play Northwestern State at 12 p.m. Saturday.
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.
ROBERSON TOPS 1,000 ASSISTS -
Sophomore setter
Bailey Roberson made history last weekend when she passed 1,000 career assists, only the fifth Warhawk ever to do so in the 25-point rally scoring era (2008-present). She currently stands at 1,034 career assists (6.80 per set), which places her fourth all-time in the 25-point rally scoring era. She leads the team in overall assists in 2023 with 199 (4.85 per set). The Decatur, Texas, native had 835 assists as a true freshman in 2022, the fourth-most for ULM in a single season since the start of the 25-point rally scoring era.
JEFFUS MVP, ROGERS AND ROBERSON NAMED TO UNO INVITE ALL-TOURNEY TEAM -
Three ULM players were named to the All-Tournament team for the New Orleans Invitational.
Logan Jeffus was named the MVP. In the tournament, she produced nine kills versus Southern and 16 kills against New Orleans.
Cameron Rogers was named Libero of the Tournament with 32 total digs across two games.
Bailey Roberson was also named to the team with her 40 assists throughout two matches.
JEFFUS HAS INCREDIBLE WEEKEND AT NEW ORLEANS INVITATIONAL -
Middle blocker
Logan Jeffus has been one of the most productive players on the team in 2023. Aside from leading the team in kills with 99 (2.41 per set), she has been named to two All-Tournament teams this season. She was named Most Valuable Player of the New Orleans Invitational last weekend after leading the team with nine kills and two blocks vs. Southern on Friday, Sept. 8, and added a career-high matching 16 kills with two blocks on Saturday at UNO. She hit a career high .615 (9-1-13) against Southern before topping it against UNO at .652 (16-1-23). Her .652 hitting percentage against UNO broke her own school hitting percentage record for a four-set match in the 25-point rally scoring era.
She has reached double digit kills five times in 2023, including in three of the last four matches.
Jeffus was named to the All-Tournament Team at the EIU Panther Invitational to open the season on Aug. 25-26. She had 25 kills over three matches, including a career-high 16 in the five set win against Akron on Aug. 25.
Jeffus has four matches with double-digit kills, including three of the last four matches with 10 vs. Indiana State on Sept. 1, 12 vs. Austin Peay on Sept. 2 and 13 at Jackson State on Sept. 5.
She ranks fourth on the career block solos list in the 25-point rally scoring era with 40, passing
Alix Christie (2017-20) with three block solos at Jackson State on Sept. 5.
ROGERS DIGGING HER WAY TO SBC LEADERS LIST -
Junior defensive specialist/libero
Cameron Rogers is the team leader in digs. She ranks fifth in the Sun Belt Conference in digs per set with 4.23 and second in the conference in total digs with 165. She also has played in the most sets with 39 sets played. She has reached double-figure digs in each of the last seven matches, and topped 20 digs in three of those matches. She totaled a career-high 27 digs in ULM's five-set win over Akron on Aug. 25.
Rogers has totaled 832 digs over her two-plus seasons at ULM. Her 442 digs last season ranked as the fourth-most in a single season in ULM's 25-point rally scoring era.
BOTKIN EARNS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONORS AT LINDENWOOD INVITATIONAL -
ULM sophomore outside hitter
Brynn Botkin was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Lindenwood Invitational. Botkin totaled 30 kills (2.3 per set) and 29 digs (2.2 per set) in the three-match event. She opened the tournament with 12 kills and a season-high 17 digs against Indiana State last Friday. She added seven kills and 11 digs against Lindenwood on Friday night before capping the tournament with 11 kills and one dig against Austin Peay last Saturday. Botkin added 15 kills and five digs at Jackson State on Sept. 5 and chipped in 10 more kills with nine digs last Saturday at New Orleans.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU? -
ULM freshman outside hitter
Ariana Brown leads the team with 85 kills and is averaging 2.43 kills per set. She has reached double-digit kills in five matches, including a season-high 14 kills in the five-set win over Akron on Aug. 25. She tallied 12 kills and a season-high eight digs at Grambling on Aug. 29 and added 13 kills and seven digs vs. Austin Peay on Sept. 2.
ROAD WARRIORS -
The 2023 season will involve a good amount of time on the team bus. The Warhawks travel on the road for the first 16 games of the season and will not make an appearance in Fant-Ewing Coliseum until September 28 vs South Alabama. A similar scenario happened last season when ULM only played one home game in 14 non-conference games.
KEARNS TAKES CONTROL -
Head coach Matt Kearns will make his head coaching debut Friday afternoon. Kearns was a graduate assistant coach and assistant coach for six seasons for Northern Kentucky. While he was there, the Norse posted a 108-69 record. Before that, he was a student coach and technical advisor at Xavier from 2013-2017.
JEFFUS, THOMAS, ROBERSON, ROGERS HEADLINE RETURNERS -
Top returners for the Warhawks include middle blocker
Logan Jeffus, outside hitter
Taylor Thomas, setter
Bailey Roberson and defensive specialist/libero
Cameron Rogers.
Jeffus had 24 block solos in 2022, which ranks third-most in a single season for ULM in the 25-point rally scoring era (since 2008). Her 33 career block solos rank fifth in the same time span. She also finished third in single season hitting percentage last season at .284
Thomas recorded 186 kills, which ranked third on the team, and 278 assists, the second highest in the club in 2022.
Roberson racked up 835 assists in 2022, which ranks fourth in a single season in the 25-point rally scoring era for ULM.
Rogers tallied 442 digs as a sophomore in 2022, which is fifth-most in a single season for ULM in the 25-point rally scoring era.
DEPTH PROVIDED BY BIG RETURNING GROUP -
In addition to the four returners highlighted above, ULM has six more returners on the roster. Outside hitter
Emily Adams returns after playing in 52 sets over 25 matches last season. Outside hitter/right side
Brynn Botkin piled up 181 kills last year while playing in 106 sets over 31 matches. Defensive specialist
Callie Humphrey saw time in 108 sets over 31 matches, picking up 210 digs. Outside hitter/right side
Lydia Mesusan saw increased playing time late in the 2022 season, playing in 36 sets over 18 matches. Outside hitter/defensive specialist
Sandlin Short saw limited action, playing in nine sets over six matches. Right side/middle blocker
Madeline Villarreal returns after playing in 38 sets over 14 matches. Villarreal missed the last six weeks of the 2022 season with an injury.
TALL FRESHMEN GROUP LOOKS TO MAKE IMMEDIATE IMPACT -
Matt Kearns will work with eight freshmen newcomers in 2023. Seven of the eight players stand 6-0 or taller, including middle blocker
Kenzie Behl (6-0), outside hitter
Ariana Brown (6-0), right-side hitter
Addison Chapman (6-3), setter
Morgan Howard (6-0), outside hitter
Maddie Peterson (6-0), middle blocker
Hannah Redrow (6-2) and middle blocker
Kylie Stehlin (6-2). Only defensive specialist/libero
Olivia Sanchez (5-9) stands under 6-0. Six of the eight newcomers also come from Texas, while Peterson comes to ULM from Florida and Stehlin is from Missouri.
A LOOK AHEAD -
The Warhawks play their last match of the non-conference slate when they travel to Lake Charles, Louisiana, to take on McNeese at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. ULM opens Sun Belt Conference play on Thursday, Sept. 21, with the first of two matches at Texas State.
