Women's Volleyball 9/19/2019 3:40:00 PM

USC Upstate Aims for Second Straight Win on Friday Hosting Alabama A&M

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate volleyball team returns home after a four-match road trip on Friday evening when it hosts the Alabama A&M Bulldogs at 6 p.m. from Eddie and Ann Payne Arena inside the G.B. Hodge Center.

USC Upstate (2-8) picked up its first road win of the season on Tuesday evening with a 3-1 victory at North Carolina A&T. Gloria Ikenegbu was one of four players to collect 10 or more kills after finishing with a team-high 13. McKenna Kirkpatrick had 12 kills while Mackenzie Lauer and Mikenzie Young-Mullins posted 11 each. Annalisa Mendoza tallied her second double-double of the season after compiling 42 assists and a career-high 13 digs.

The Spartans compiled a season-high .310 hitting percentage against North Carolina A&T and recorded double-digit blocks for the fourth time this season with 10.0.

Emily Russell leads USC Upstate this season with 99 kills and 39 total blocks. She is averaging 3.00 kills and 1.18 blocks per set. Mendoza has dished out 198 assists (9.00 per set average) while Mackenzie Marcum contributes a team-leading 143 digs (3.58 per set average).

Alabama A&M (4-7) is coming off a 3-0 loss at home to Middle Tennessee on Tuesday. Alana Cox leads the Bulldogs with 68 kills and 28 total blocks. Megan Evans has dished out a team-leading 231 assists. Defensively, Maci Battle contributes a team-leading 99 digs. Alabama A&M is under the direction of sixth-year head coach Rose Powell.

The Spartans and Bulldogs are facing each other for the first time in program history.

Fans can follow the action on www.upstatespartans.com via live stats. The match is being streamed via paid subscription on ESPN+. Updates will also be posted on the USC Upstate volleyball Twitter page (@UpstateVB).

The Spartans open Big South play next Saturday, September 28, traveling to Asheville, N.C. to face UNC Asheville at 2 p.m.

Follow USC Upstate volleyball on Facebook (UpstateAthletics), Twitter (@UpstateVB), Instagram (@upstatespartans), YouTube (USCUpstateAthletics) and text/e-mail alerts (www.upstatespartans.com/list-signup).