Monday, September 08, 2008

MACON, Ga. - USC Upstate sophomore Sandra Campbell led the Spartans attack for the second consecutive weekend, and sparked the Upstate sweep past Hampton with a .467 hitting percentage. On Monday, the sophomore landed her first career Player of the Week honor, the conference office announced.

The middle blocker earned her second all-tournament team honors of the year at the Upstate Volleyball Classic as she hit .364 or better in all four matches during the weekend and hit more than .450 three times. The physical education major posted three double-digit kill matches, including 11 against Wofford, 15 to go with a .480 hitting percentage against Radford and 10 kills and a .474 hitting percentage against UNC Asheville. This is the first weekly honor for the USC Upstate volleyball program since joining the A-Sun in 2007.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers
Jennica Hagberg, Stetson (Fr. – S – Niceville, Fla. – Biology) – Hagberg was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Holiday Inn Stetson Invitational this weekend after recording two double-doubles in three matches.

Krista Hurley, Mercer (So. – MB – La Verne, Calif. – Communications) – In three contests Hurley totaled 23 kills on just 41 attempts (.415 hitting percentage) and recorded seven block-assists.

Roberta Santos, Florida Gulf Coast (Sr. – S – Recife, Brazil – Hospitality Management) – Santos nearly recorded a triple double in FGCU's matches against Houston and Utah.

A-Sun Weekly Notes
After a rough start to the 2008 season, the Eagles return home to a place where they have had a ton of success. FGCU owns a 32-1 record and 24 straight wins at Alico Arena. New Head Coach Dave Nichols was the head coach of the only team (Barry) to beat FGCU in Alico Arena. The Bucs handed FGCU a 3-1 loss during FGCU’s inaugural season in 2004.

Taking home all-tournament honors for the first time in her collegiate career, Campbell sophomore Caitlin Bendy led the Camels to a 1-2 overall record on the weekend with 20 kills, eight aces and five block assists. The Stony Brook, N.Y. native accounted for a whopping 30.5 points in the tournament.

USC Upstate head coach Jennifer Calloway and Belmont coach Deane Webb have more in common than coaching in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Calloway, with 248 career wins, is the youngest coach at the Division I level with at least 200 wins and Webb, two months older than Calloway, is the youngest coach at the Division I level with 250 career wins, as he heads into the week with 258.

The Lady Bisons play their first Atlantic Sun match of the season Tuesday night at Allen Arena when Belmont makes the short trip to campus. The last time the two teams met was during the Atlantic Sun Tournament in Macon, Ga. The Lady Bisons won that semifinals match 3-2 and went on to beat Jacksonville in the championship game.

Jacksonville sophomore outside hitter Aidan Yeager was named to the Campus USA Credit Union Invitational All-Tournament team after leading the Dolphins with 13 kills, a 2.17 kills per set average and four blocks while hitting .333 (13-3-27) in two matches.