Carrollton, GA - The 2013 season has hit the midway point, as the Wolves played matches 14 and 15 of a 28-match schedule this past weekend. Against Christian Brothers and Union, West Georgia had a pair of five-set matches that slipped through their fingers.
Thursday night is a different type of match from the rest of the year, as the Wolves work in their annual Volley Pink match to support breast cancer research. Throughout the night, fans can donate money to breast cancer research and receive a Volley Pink t-shirt as well as much more.
West Georgia is now 9-6 on the year with a 4-4 record in Gulf South Conference play. The Wolves are tied for third place in the GSC standings among eligible schools with Christian Brothers. West Georgia's .600 overall winning percentage is fifth in the GSC.
The Wolves have the best hitting percentage in the GSC at .223 on the season. As a team, UWG has 814 kills in 2,257 attempts with 310 errors. The Wolves are the No. 2 team in assists per set with 11.98 to West Florida's 12.55 and are also second in the GSC in kills per set at 12.92.
Defensively, West Georgia is third in blocks and fourth in service aces with 1.63 blocks per set and 1.37 aces per set. North Alabama leads the conference in digs per set at 16.95, just ahead of the Wolves, a team that checks in at 15.73 digs per set on the year. The Wolves are also the toughest team to block in the GSC, as opponents have 88.5 total blocks on the year at 1.40 per set.
Individually, the Wolves are near the top of the GSC in three categories. Junior setter
Amanda Miller is averaging 9.59 assists per set, which is second in the Gulf South Conference. Senior outside hitter
Emily Reul leads the conference with 32 services aces on the year, an average of 0.51 per set. Senior libero
Melissa Holt is one of two defensive players averaging at or just below five digs per set, with the four-year player averaging 4.98 digs per set.
Senior middle
Lesley Bemis is third in the GSC in hitting percentage on the year at .348. Bemis and Reul are among the top-10 in kills per set, with Reul checking in at fourth with 3.29 per set while Bemis is 10th at 2.60 per set.
Through the first 15 matches of the year, the Wolves longest win streak started at the Georgia College Tri-Match, as UWG reeled off four straight before falling to 21st the road on September 24. In that win streak were the first two conference matches of the year, as the Wolves won 3-1 over both North Alabama and Alabama-Huntsville.
Since the loss to West Florida, the Wolves have gone 2-3 with all matches coming in Gulf South Conference play. West Georgia took down GSC newcomer Lee 3-1 on September 28, then fell to Shorter 3-0 to open the month of October on the 1st second five-set match of the season, 3-2 over Valdosta State. Bemis is also fifth-best in blocks in the GSC with 0.69 blocks
Later that week, the Wolves won their In three set matches this season, West Georgia is 1-1 with a win over Notre Dame in the UWG Invitational and the loss to Shorter. UWG is 2-2 in five-set matches, besting VSU and Georgia College. The past three matches have all gone to five sets. In four-set matches, the Wolves are 7-2 on the year.
West Alabama Preview
Tonight's opponent is the West Alabama Tigers, a program that has met the Wolves on the court as many times as any other opponent in school history. The meeting tonight is the 70th the history of the series, with UWA holding a 43-26 advantage.
In the last 10 meetings, the Tigers have won the bulk of the games, but West Georgia both ends of the two-game series with West Alabama last season, including a 3-0 victory in Carrollton and a 3-2 win in Livingston.
West Alabama comes into the weekend with an 8-8 record overall in the 2013 season and 2-6 in Gulf South Conference action. The Tigers have one of the top front lines in the GSC this season with 109 total blocks, a 1.73 blocks per set average, good for second in the GSC.
