Thursday, September 18, 2008

MACON, Ga. - ETSU and Jacksonville will face-off Friday evening inside ETSU's Brooks Gym in the Atlantic Sun Match of the Week. Jacksonville finished second in the past two A-Sun championships, eliminating the Lady Bucs en route to the title match on both occasions. Friday night’s clash will be broadcast on A-Sun.TV.

The two schools have met in the semifinals of each of the last two A-Sun championships with the Dolphins claiming both victories. The 2006 match was a five-set classic at Belmont's Curb Event Center that saw fourth-seeded Jacksonville hand the regular-season champion Lady Bucs their only loss against conference competition for the season. ETSU and the Dolphins tangled in 2007 with a trip to the conference title match again on the line, and Jacksonville prevailed in a grueling four-set match.

In the team rankings, JU is first in opponent hitting percentage (.156), second in assists (11.25 aps) and blocks (1.94 bps) and is third in hitting percentage (.210), kills (12.06 kps) and digs (14.16 dps). Individually, junior libero Shelley Walroth is first in digs (182) and digs per set (5.69), sophomore middle hitter Abby Gruenbacher is first in blocks (30) and blocks per set (1.00) and tied for eighth in kills (72), senior outside hitter Sara Bendorf ranks fourth in kills (104) and sophomore setter Hannah Munneke ranks fourth in assists per set (8.72).

A pair of sophomores lead the way offensively for the Lady Bucs, as Whitney Cogburn and Erin Ryan have each totaled 52 kills on the season. Junior Amanda Youell, a transfer from Jacksonville, directs the ETSU attack, dishing out 4.19 assists per set, and freshman Jen Neice shores up the back row, digging out 3.73 balls frame.

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.