Lady Jackets Open Season on High Note (8/26/05)
Box Score vs. FVU
Box Score vs. ATU

RUSSELLVILLE, AR -  The Lady Jacket volleyball team is off to a 2-0 start to their season having wins over Fort Valley State and host Arkansas Tech in the Arkansas Tech Invitational Friday in Russellville.  The Jackets went the distance winning 3-2 with 33-31, 31-29, 26-30, 19-30, 15-7 against the Golden Suns in the 7 p.m. match.

Junior Ali Watson (Jr., OH, Calgary, AB) had a team leading 20 kills and a .119 hitting percentage.  Teammate Alexis Sandru (Jr., OH, Twin Bridges, MT) followed Watson with 17 kills.  Junior setter Natalie Bills (Jr., Provo, UT) had a double-double with 53 assists and 12 digs in Friday’s late game.  Alicia Cazemier (So., MB, Vauxhall, AB) had a convincing .226 hitting percentage with 14 kills and 3 solo blocks on the night.  The Lady Jackets had a blistering .375 hitting percentage in game five to .077 put up by the Golden Suns.

The Golden Suns split wins Friday winning 3-0 over Texas A&M Kingsville earlier in the day.  The Suns were led by Kelly Allums with 20 kills with a .183 hitting percentage.  Allums had 18 digs.  Kayla Allison had 50 assists with 17 digs on the night.

Against Fort Valley State the Yellowjackets won easily in three games, 30-9, 30-14, 30-17.  Watson led all players with 15 kills, adding 13 digs.  Sandru knocked down 10 kills with just one error on 15 attempts (.600 attack percentage).  The Yellowjacket defense held FVSU to just a .089 team hitting percentage. 

The Lady Jackets finish the tournament Saturday with an 11 a.m. match against Missouri Western and a 3 p.m. match against Texas A&M-Kingsville.