SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate volleyball team remains at home on Saturday afternoon when it hosts the Georgia Southern Eagles in a non-conference match at 4 p.m. from Eddie and Ann Payne Arena inside the G.B. Hodge Center.
USC Upstate (0-4) opened its home schedule on Tuesday evening falling 3-2 to the Limestone Saints. Emily Russell led three Spartans in double-figures with a team-high 14 kills and seven total blocks. Gloria Ikenegbu and Mackenzie Lauer both contributed 12 kills while Scout Hoffmeier dished out a career-high 30 assists. Four different USC Upstate players recorded 10 or more digs led by a career-high 29 from Mackenzie Marcum. McKenna Kirkpatrick posted a career-best 17 digs while Mikenzie Young-Mullins and Courtney Coffy, playing in her first collegiate match, had 11 apiece.
The Spartans also had a season-high 12.0 total blocks in the five-set match.
Kirkpatrick leads USC Upstate this season with 32 kills for a 2.13 kills per set average. Hoffmeier has dished out a team-leading 86 assists while Marcum contributes 52 digs. Defensively, Ikenegbu and Russell both have 12.0 total blocks.
Georgia Southern enters the weekend with a 1-2 overall record picking up a 3-0 win over Campbell in the season opener at the Mercer Bears Classic. Maddie Bryant leads the Eagles offensively with 35 kills while Madison Brown has dished out 97 assists. Defensively, Landon Jones contributes a team-leading 35 digs and Christina Walton 13 total blocks. Georgia Southern is under the direction of first-year head coach Chad Willis.
The Spartans are facing the Eagles for the third time in program history with Georgia Southern leading the all-time series 2-0.
Fans can follow the action on www.upstatespartans.com via live stats. Updates will also be posted on the USC Upstate volleyball Twitter page (@UpstateVB).
The Spartans host Tusculum on Tuesday evening at 7 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).
