After a three-game losing streak in conference play, the SMU volleyball team is on the road again this weekend, hoping to put a spark back into its season.
The Mustangs travel to West Virginia on Friday to take on the Marshall Thundering Herd at 7 p.m. Then SMU travels to North Carolina on Sunday to face the East Carolina Pirates.
SMU enters this weekend winless in conference play. Last weekend, the Mustangs dropped two conference matches against Memphis and the UAB Blazers, Conference USA’s top-ranked team. SMU’s conference record is 3-6, which leaves them in a three-way tie for seventh place with Southern Mississippi and Marshall.
Marshall is coming off a road trip in which it went 1-1, defeating the University of Texas at El Paso and falling to Tulane.
The Mustangs have faced Marshall three times before, losing all three matches, including last year’s season opener, 3-1.
In order to be successful against Marshall, the Mustangs defense must shut down senior powerhouse, middle hitter Jalicia Ross. Ross is ranked first among conference attackers, hitting at a .454 average.
Another player to watch for is freshman setter Elizabeth Fleming, who is ranked fourth in assists in conference.
East Carolina is coming off of an eight-game losing streak in the conference. SMU has faced the Pirates four times in its history and has gone 1-3 in those matches.
East Carolina is ranked last among the conference teams. The only team the Pirates have defeated in conference is Marshall, which they took them down in four sets.
The Mustangs must continue to get strong performances from co-captain Kathryn Wilkerson, who has been averaging 3.16 kills per set this season. She constantly has been stepping up and delivering for SMU’s offense this year.
Freshman setter Kelli Becerra has 465 assists on the season and senior Stefanie Kons has recorded 389 helpers. Sidney Stewart leads the defense with 336 digs this season.