Tuesday's MatchUP
September 13, 2022 | 7:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (1-8; 0-0 Big South) at Alabama A&M (1-9; 0-0 SWAC)
Elmore Gymnasium | Huntsville, Ala.
 
Series History
Upstate and Alabama A&M have met just once on the court in the Spartans' Division I era (2007-pres.), competing against one another on Sep. 20, 2019, at the G.B. Hodge Center. The Spartans took the match 3-1, reeling off three straight set victories to close the match with three Spartans finishing with double-digit kills.
 
Last Time Out
September 9, 2022: Clemson 3; USC Upstate 0
September 9, 2022: Georgia State 3; USC Upstate 1
September 10, 2022: ETSU 3; USC Upstate 1
 
Players to Watch
Upstate: Earning All-Tournament Team honors following back-to-back career matches to close the Buccaneer Classic, sophomore outside hitter Ashleigh Nicoll led Upstate offensively last weekend. Against Georgia State, she posted a then career-high 12 kills while adding nine digs as she neared her first career double-double. Closing the weekend, she put down a career-high 18 kills with a .289 hitting percentage, adding eight digs and four total blocks.
 
Alabama A&M: Freshman outside hitter Bailey Duckett leads the Bulldogs offensively throughout the early portion of the season, leading Alabama A&M in kills, kills per set, and points. She's accumulated 82 kills, averaging 2.65 per set this season while adding 70 digs (2.26 per set), seven service aces, and seven total blocks.
 
Quotable (Sophomore Outside Hitter Ashleigh Nicoll)
On what her All-Tournament Team honor at the Buccaneer Classic means to her…
"I'm just excited to get the season started and excited to get into conference [play]. I think that we are finding our groove and I'm starting to figure out what I need to do offensively to be able to score. So, I think that we're going to keep working towards that as the game goes on, especially this week."

On the team's excitement level to be back in the gym against Alabama A&M…
"I think the team is really excited. I think we're really motivated after we saw what we were capable of doing Saturday and that we came out with really high energy after those tough matches on Friday. So, I think we're excited to get back at it this week, especially against some teams closer and a home game to end the week."
 
UP Next for the Spartans
Coming off the team's longest road trip of the season, the Spartans return back to the Upstate for a pair of matches later this week. Upstate travels to Furman Thursday at 6 p.m. ET before returning to the G.B. Hodge Center Saturday against Marshall (2 p.m.).
 
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