LAKELAND, Fla.—This Friday, Fire volleyball will head to Dayton, Tennessee to participate in their third tournament of the season, the Bryan Bash.
Southeastern will kick off the tournament in a clash with Appalachian Athletic Conference member and tournament host, Bryan College. The Lions are coming off an 18-19 (13-9 AAC) record last year, and will return their leading hitter, sophomore Hannah Smith. Smith tallied double-digit kills in 16 competitions in 2016, while doing so in six straight conference matches.
The Fire will take on Asbury University in their second contest of the tournament. The Eagles, who went 12-3 in the River States Conference last season, have posted a winning record every year dating back to 2007. A trio of seniors highlight Asbury's lineup. Libero Alyssa Molden led the team in aces with 32 last year, setter Rachyl Miller recorded a team-high 577 assists, and middle blocker Kayla Morlan had 331 kills, the most for the squad in 2016.
To begin their second day of competition at the Bash, Southeastern will battle the University of Pikeville. The Bears bring back Savanna Zakman, their leading setter, who had a total of 877 assists last year, and Amari Eadie, who led the team in blocks with 90. Zakman also added 57 service aces for Pikeville, the most in the Mid-South Conference, which ranked her 25
th in the country in that category.
The final matchup of the event features a fixture with Southern States Athletic Conference member Bethel University. After an impressive 29-6 (18-2 SSAC) record in 2016, the Wildcats will look for a repeat performance without their top players from last season. Middle blocker Jessyca Watson is the returning player that is likely to make the biggest impact both offensively and defensively for the Wildcats. Watson registered 238 kills and 76 total blocks in 34 matches as a sophomore last year.
The Fire and the Wildcats met early in the 2016 season, when Bethel took a 3-1 match in last fall's Faulkner Invitational. Bethel out-hit Southeastern .285 to .165 in the contest.
Southeastern started the 2017 season 3-0, picking up wins against Point University, Brewton-Parker College, and Brenau University. However, the Fire dropped their last three matches of the Faulkner Invitational against stout competition to even their record at 3-3.
Offensively, Southeastern ranks third in the country in total kills with 256, led by
Kiana Sawtelle who has recorded 58 kills through six matches. On the defensive side of the ball, the Fire rank third in the NAIA in blocks (46) and fifth in digs (363). Freshman
Emily Boehlein has contributed a team-high 16 total blocks so far this season, while junior
Keniah Rivera Santiago leads the Fire in digs with 102.
The matches on Friday against Bryan and Asbury are scheduled for 10am and 4pm, respectively. On Saturday Southeastern takes on Pikeville at 10am and Bethel at 4pm.
