LAKELAND, Fla.—After ending last week with a 2-0 trip to South Florida, the Fire volleyball team will begin a three-game homestand by welcoming cross-county rival, Warner, to the Furnace Wednesday night.
GAME INFO:
Southeastern (17-2, 9-1 TSC) vs. Warner University (9-11, 5-4 TSC)
Date: Wednesday, October 10th, 2018
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Lakeland, Fla. (The Furnace)
Game Coverage: Follow @SEUFireVBall on Twitter for in-game updates or watch online at seufire.com/watch
Deadly Defense:
Southeastern (17-2, 9-1 TSC) is off to its best start in program history largely due to tremendous defense. In each of the last five games, the Fire have had at least three players record double-digit dig totals. SEU has tallied three of its top six dig totals as a team in the past six matches, led by the reigning TSC Defensive Player of the Week,
Keniah Rivera Santiago. Rivera Santiago collected 23 digs versus Ave Maria before adding 29 in a sweep of St. Thomas. The senior libero now ranks 21
st in the nation in digs per set (5.43).
Blocking has also played a major role in the Fire's success, as SEU has stuffed at least ten opponent attacks in three of the last four contests, all of which have been victories.
Taylor Gregory, who leads the Sun Conference and ranks seventh in the country in blocks per game (1.33), has rejected five or more attacks in 11 competitions this season.
The Royals:
Despite having an up-and-down year so far, the Royals (9-11, 5-4 TSC) have captured eight of their last 13 matches. In each of those competitions, Warner has won at least one set, playing competitive matches even in losses.
Like SEU, defense has been an important piece of Warner's game. The Royals, who rank 16
th in the NAIA in digs per game, have reached the 80-dig mark as a squad in six contests this season. Senior libero Andrea Lorenz captains the back row as the conference leader in digs per set, with the 12
th-best average nationally (5.79). Lorenz has registered double-digit dig totals in all but one game in 2018.
Previous Meetings:
Warner leads the overall series with a 24-16 record. The Royals had taken the last four regular season meetings between the two schools until the Fire captured both contests last year. Each team has nine victories in the 18 competitions that have been held in the Furnace since 2001.
