Weekend MatchUPs
Friday, August 27 | 11:00 a.m. EST
USC Upstate (0-0, 0-0 Big South) vs. Mississippi Valley State (0-0, 0-0 SWAC)
Friday, August 27 | 6:30 p.m. EST
USC Upstate (0-0, 0-0 Big South) vs. Louisiana (0-0, 0-0 SBC)
Saturday, August 28 | 1:00 p.m. EST
USC Upstate (0-0, 0-0 Big South) at Southern Miss (0-0, 0-0 CUSA)
Reed Green Coliseum | Hattiesburg, MS
TV: CUSA.tv (with a paid subscription)
Series History
This weekend will be the first-ever meeting between USC Upstate and Southern Miss, Louisiana, and Mississippi Valley State.
Last Time Out
Currently riding a six-match win streak, the Spartans are coming off a record-breaking season in which Upstate broke three different Division I program records. The Spartans closed out the season by winning six straight matches to set a DI program record for conference wins in a row. Within that span, Upstate took five straight sweeps and won 18 straight sets, which are also DI program records.
In the last match of the spring 2021 season, head coach Ronda Shirley notched her 600th career win as a head coach. Shirley is entering her third season at the helm of the Spartan program with first-year assistant coach Trey May.
Ones to Watch
The Spartans returned 12 players from last season, including spring 2021 All-Freshman selection Nikki Deslatte. Deslatte earned Freshman of the Week honors twice last season and ended the year with the eighth-best hitting percentage in the conference at .282. She ranked second on the team in total kills with 90, and put up a team third-best 30.0 blocks.
Also returning for Upstate is last season's leading attacker, senior outside hitter Kelly Wiedemann. Wiedemann started all 14 matches for the Spartans in the spring and totaled a team-high 97 kills and 19 service aces.
Upstate also added seven newcomers including senior setter Allie Hamsher, a transfer from Stephen F Austin.
UP next for the Spartans
The Spartans continue on the road next weekend as they head to the Sunshine State to compete in the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament. Upstate will face Florida A&M Friday, Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. before taking on Florida International Saturday, Sept. 4 at 2 p.m. followed by Florida Gulf Coast that night at 7 p.m.
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