Lipscomb and JU Look to Extend Volleyball Win Streaks

Lipscomb (15) and Jacksonville (12) enter the week looking to extend double-digit win streaks. No other conference in the country features two schools with concurrent win streaks of at least 10 matches.

One of the preseason goals for the Lady Bisons (18-3, 13-0 A-Sun) - to end the season in the top 50 in the national RPI ratings - moved within reach. The Lady Bisons placed 57th in the NCAA RPI rankings, up 14 places, representing the highest ranking in team history. The Lady Bisons enter the week with a 15-match winning streak overall and a perfect 13-0 Atlantic Sun record.

Featured in The City Paper’s “Triple threat's been a treat for LU volleyball team,” three of Lipscomb’s top players hail from the “Show Me State.” Missouri natives Alex Kelly, Stefine Pease and Meghan Hinemeyer played club volleyball together for three years before they embarked on their respective college careers. Kelly and Pease came to Lipscomb as freshmen and have played in integral role in the program’s steady rise, which now is in its seventh season under head coach Brandon Rosenthal. Hinemeyer transferred from Clemson in the spring and immediately added a devil-may-care attitude as well as a devilish ability to attack.

In 12 of those 15 victories, including each of the first eight, they won without dropping a set. Led by that trio, the Lady Bisons carry their 15-match win streak into this weekend. The Lady Bisons are at home this weekend, hosting FGCU at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday night and Stetson at 2:00 p.m. CT on Saturday afternoon at Allen Arena.

After being shut out in straight sets against Belmont and Lipscomb to open A-Sun play, Jacksonville (15-5, 11-2 A-Sun) has won 12 straight matches. The winning streak represents the longest under head coach Shaun Kupferberg, as well as the longest winning streak for the Dolphins since joining the A-Sun in 1998.

The Dolphins have also won 13 straight home matches, the longest streak in the Division I era (1985-current). Jackson¬ville’s 6-0 mark at home this season accounts for the best start since the Dolphins joined the A-Sun. The Dolphins have won six consecutive road matches and boast a perfect 3-0 record in five-set matches as compared to a 0-5 mark last year.

Senior outside hitter Brooke Singleton was a major factor in extending Jacksonville’s winning streak to a record 12 straight matches, earning her first A-Sun Player of the Week honor for her efforts in a 3-0 week on the road. The Roseville, Ill. native joins senior libero Shelley Walroth (Sept. 8) in receiving the weekly honor this year. The duo are the first multi-award winners for the Dolphins since outside hitter Radka Dimitrova earned the accolade in consecutive weeks during the 2002 season.

Walroth, a Cincinnati native, holds single season and career dig marks at Jacksonville, surpassing Cheryl Rothwell (43 at Stetson - Nov. 12, 1996) for the program’s single match record (46 – Oct. 17). Walroth moved into 16th place on the NCAA all-time digs list with 2,267 and needs seven to move into the top 15 and 77 to crack the top 10. The psychology major also earned a Top Performer selection from the Collegiate Volleyball Update for her performance this past week. Jacksonville will return to action on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. as the Dolphins travel to USC Upstate.