Spartanburg, S.C. - After going 2-1 last week, the USC Upstate volleyball team hits the road for a pair of A-Sun matches this weekend when the Spartans travel to Mercer on Friday and Kennesaw State on Saturday.

Upstate claimed a 3-1 win on the road at North Carolina A&T and a 3-1 victory at home against Bethune-Cookman. The Spartans' only loss of the week came at the hands of A-Sun foe Florida Gulf Coast, a 3-0 victory for the Eagles.

Upstate will open the week at Mercer in Macon, Ga., Friday night at 7:00. The Spartans are 1-4 all-time against the Bears. Mercer swept the double round robin last year from Upstate. The Spartans will travel to Kennesaw, Ga., just outside of Atlanta Saturday afternoon for a 3:00 start. The Spartans are 2-3 all-time against the Owls. KSU swept the double round robin from the Spartans last year after trailing, 2-1, in the series over the first three matches. Live stats will be available for both matches via the official Athletics websites of Mercer and Kennesaw State at www.mercerbears.com and www.ksuowls.com.

Closing Out A Career
For seniors Katie Downey and Megan Healey, not only is the season coming to a close, but so are their collegiate careers. Both have left their mark on the program and look to use the three final matches to put an exclamation point on their careers.

Downey will finish her career as the program's all-time leader in solo blocks. She currently has 262 in her career. She also stands seventh all-time with 343 total blocks and 10th in both points (1,210) and total attacks (2,266).

Healey will finish her career no lower than third on Upstate's all-time digs list. She currently has 1,469 digs. She also ranks in the top 10 with 1,579 serves (3rd), 3.42 digs per set (7th), 138 aces (9th) and 429 sets played (10th). She is also the program's Division I leader in several statistical categories.

Sanders Double Dips Last Week
Sophomore setter Emily Sanders notched her team-high 15th and 16th double-doubles of the season last week. She tallied 25 assists and 10 digs against Florida Gulf Coast (Oct. 29) and 39 assists and 14 digs in the win over Bethune-Cookman (Oct. 30). Freshman Cori Harris ranks second on the team with seven double-doubles.

Healey Third All-Time In Digs
Senior libero Megan Healey has been a strong defensive player since stepping onto the court at Upstate. She has now moved into sole possession of third place on Upstate's all-time digs list. She currently owns 1,469 digs in her four years. She trails Kristin Korte (1,688) and Mandy Rupert (1,520) on the all-time list at Upstate.

Spartans Own The MEAC
With Upstate's 3-0 win at North Carolina A&T (Oct. 27) and the 3-1 win against Bethune-Cookman (Oct. 30), the Spartans improved to a perfect 5-0 this season against schools from the MEAC. The Spartans claimed sweeps of Norfolk State (Sept. 10), Savannah State (Oct. 14), North Carolina Central (Oct. 20), A&T before its 3-1 win over BCU.

Sanders Moving Up Assists List
Though just a sophomore, Emily Sanders has already moved past Upstate head coach Jennifer Calloway and into eighth on Upstate's all-time assists list with 1,486. Her 7.32 assists per set average ranks fifth all-time at Upstate.

Mercer Notes
Mercer enters Friday night's match against Upstate with a 12-16 overall record and a 4-3 mark in the A-Sun. The Bears are in fifth place in the A-Sun and are battling for a spot in the Six-team A-Sun Tournament.

Mercer owns a .151 hitting percentage for the year with Amiee Frutchey leading the team with 228 kills. Bridget Sheerin and Carly Iannarino share setting duties with Sheerin leading the team with 567 assists and Iannarino tallying 336 assists. The Bears have recorded 1,609 digs and 204 total blocks on the year.

After recording a five-match winning streak, Mercer has lost two of its last three matches. However, the Bears are 6-2 in their last eight contests.

Spotlight Player: Libby Hansch and Krista Hurley
Senior middle blockers Libby Hansch and Krista Hurley lead the Mercer attack. They are a strong tandem in the middle. Hansch has recorded 151 kills with a team-high 86 blocks on the year. Hurley ranks second on the team with 192 kills and 80 total blocks. The pair account for 166 of Mercer's 204 total blocks on the year.

Kennesaw State Notes
Kennesaw State enters the weekend with a 14-9 overall record and a 6-1 mark in the A-Sun. The Owls stand tied for second in the league standings and have secured a spot in the six-team A-Sun Tournament.

KSU is riding a six-match winning streak and has won eight of its last nine contests. The only blemish during that span was a 3-0 loss to league-leader Lipscomb.

KSU hits at a .203 percentage with 1,003 kills on the year. Sabritha Gulley leads the team with 298 kills. Sara Metroka leads the Owls as the setter with 754 assists on the year. She also tops the club with 16 aces. Baylee Strachan and Holly Knight have combined for 108 of the Owls' 134 total blocks.

Spotlight Player: Sabritha Gulley
Senior outside hitter Sabritha Gulley has been Kennesaw State's go-to player throughout the season. She tops the Owls with 298 kills. However, she is not just an offensive force. She ranks fourth on the team with 151 digs and 34 total blocks.