Lady Demon Volleyball | 10/27/2017 11:20:00 AM
NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State volleyball team was tested physically Thursday night in a win that handed Sam Houston State its first Southland Conference loss.
As NSU readies for Saturday's 1 p.m. visit from Southland foe Abilene Christian, the test will be as much mental as it will be physical.
Admission to all NSU volleyball matches is free thanks to the sponsorship of Red River Mill Credit Union.
The Lady Demons (13-13, 8-3) have won seven of their past eight matches, including Thursday's 3-1 victory against the Bearkats, who had won their first nine conference matches. Northwestern State's surge has pushed it into a fourth-place tie in the conference and put more of a proverbial target on its collective back.
"That game was really big," said defensive specialist
Megan Lohmiller, who delivered 18 digs in Thursday's win. "We knocked off the undefeated team, so teams are looking at us as one of the top dogs. Celebration is a great thing, but we've got to be focused to take on Abilene Christian. That's where our focus is."
Abilene Christian (8-14, 4-6) and Northwestern State were picked to finish sixth and seventh in the preseason poll of league coaches and sports information directors.
After a 2-5 start to conference play, the Wildcats picked up a pair of homecourt victories, defeating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 3-2, on Oct. 19 and Incarnate Word, 3-1, on Oct. 21 before falling to Central Arkansas on Thursday.
"ACU is good," third-year head coach
Sean Kiracofe said. "They have a lot of returners and some pretty good freshmen who have played well. You can't be stuck on this last win (against Sam Houston State) and (play well) in the next few matches."
The Wildcats rank second in the Southland in bocks per set, sitting one-hundredth of a block behind league-leading Houston Baptist (2.52 to 2.51). In conference matches only, Abilene Christian has been the league's top blocking team, posting 2.67 blocks per set.
The Demons will counter ACU's block with the junior tandem of outside hitter
Reagan Rogers and middle blocker
Madeline Drake, who combined for 37 kills against Sam Houston State.
Rogers ranks second in Southland Conference matches with 4.39 kills per set while Drake has been the seventh-most efficient hitter in conference matches, hitting .330. Against Sam Houston State, Drake registered a career-high 16 kills and hit .367 in the process.
Defensively, junior libero
Channing Burleson leads Southland in digs per set in conference matches at 5.44.
For all the statistical success, the Lady Demons understand the importance of the mental side of Saturday's match, which is the middle piece of a three-match homestand that began Thursday.
Following Saturday's match, NSU wraps up its homestand by hosting Central Arkansas on Tuesday night.
"Just stay focused and have a chip on our shoulder," Drake said. "We can't let (Thursday's win) go to our heads. We know our end goal is to win conference."
