2017 ASUN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
SITE: Allen Arena, Lipscomb University | Nashville, Tenn.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After finishing the ASUN Conference regular season with a 12-2 record, Jacksonville University volleyball earned the number two seed in the 2017 ASUN Tournament and will play in the second semifinal match Friday, Nov. 17 at Allen Arena on the campus of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn. at 8:30 pm EST. The Dolphins will face the winner of Thursday's match between #3 Florida Gulf Coast and #6 USC Upstate. All of the matches will be broadcast on ESPN3.

All-ASUN Honors

After an outstanding career, senior Mackenzie Swan was named the ASUN Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Swan led the league with 264 digs in conference action and was second in the league with 484 total digs. She also became just the eighth Dolphin in JU's 46-year program history to record over 1,000 career digs.

Joining Swan on the All-ASUN First Team is sophomore Mallory Mattingly. Mattingly led the ASUN with 1,150 attacks and ranks third in kills per set (3.46), service aces, (30), points (401.5), and points per set (4.0).

Senior Olga Nushtayeva and sophomores Amarrah Cooks and Alleah Stamatis were named to the All-ASUN Second Team. Nushtayeva hit .314 against league opponents and finished the season with 75 blocks to rank fourth all-time at JU with 292 blocks. Stamatis ranks second in the ASUN with 1,002 assists, and had 50 or more assists in seven matches, including 60 or more assists twice. Cooks hit .300 or better in 9 of 14 ASUN matches and led the team with 84 total blocks (55 vs. ASUN teams).

Kendall Murr earned a spot on the ASUN All-Freshman Team after she totaled double-digit digs in eight matches while vying for time on the court with Swan. She also posted 10 service aces, good for third on the team.

2017 ASUN Tournament

The Dolphins were neck-and-neck with Kennesaw State atop the ASUN standings heading into the final weekend in the regular season. The Dolphins earned the #2 seed after the Owls defeated both Stetson and FGCU to earn the #1 seed. Subsequently, FGCU took the #3 seed, the tournament hosts Lipscomb received the #4 seed, and North Florida and USC Upstate round out the field as the #5 and #6 seeds, respectively.

Lipscomb and UNF face off in the tournament opener Thursday, Nov. 16 at 6 pm EST, while FGCU and USC Upstate battle in the 8:30 pm EST quarterfinal. The Owls take on the winner of the Lipscomb/UNF match at 6 pm EST the following day, Friday, Nov. 17, and JU faces the winner of the FGCU/USC Upstate match in the 8:30 pm EST match. The two remaining teams battle for the ASUN Title Saturday, Nov. 18 at 6:00 pm EST.

Last Time Out – vs. NJIT and USC Upstate

The Dolphins closed out the regular season at home with victories over NJIT and USC Upstate. Jacksonville opened the weekend with a 3-1 win over NJIT as the Dolphins hit above .200 in each of the four games, including an astonishing .536 in the final set. The following day, JU rallied from a 1-0 deficit, and later, a 2-1 deficit, to earn a come-from-behind win against the Spartans. Amarrah Cooks totaled 28 kills and 11 blocks, while Mallory Mattingly finished the weekend with 33 kills, 31 digs, and five blocks. Cristina Finan added 25 kills, 47 digs, and four blocks, including a career-high 29 digs against USC Upstate. Alleah Stamatis posted 110 assists – including a 61-assist performance against the Spartans – and 22 digs, while Mackenzie Swan totaled 46 digs.

Where They Rank …

Jacksonville earned the second seed in the 2017 ASUN Conference Tournament, behind first place Kennesaw State. Statistically, the Dolphins rank in the top three in the ASUN in several categories tracked by the NCAA including:

• Digs per set (16.78) – first (39th nationally)
• Team digs (1,779) – first (54th nationally)
• Team attacks per set (37.17) – second (49th nationally)
• Opponent hitting percentage (0.184) – third (86th nationally)

Individually, several Dolphins also rank in the top 10 in the ASUN:

Mallory Mattingly leads the ASUN in total attacks (1,150, 50th in the nation) and ranks second in attacks per set (11.39, 35th in the nation).

• Additionally, Mattingly is third in the league in kills per set (3.46), points scored (401.5), points per set (4.0), ranks fourth in kills (316), service aces (30), fifth in aces per set (0.30), and is tied for 10th with 12 solo blocks.
• Alleah Stamatis ranks second in the league with 1,002 assists, and fourth with 9.45 assists per set.
• Mackenzie Swan is second in the ASUN in both digs (484, 81st in the nation) and digs per set (4.57, 88th in the nation).
• Amarrah Cooks ranks second in the league with 22 solo blocks, fourth with a .297 hitting percentage (232-84-499), and is tied for fifth with 84 total blocks.
• Olga Nushtayeva ranks sixth in the league with a .282 hitting percentage (231-74-557), is eighth with 14 solo blocks, and is tied for eighth with 75 total blocks.

ASUN Weekly Honors

Three Dolphins have earned ASUN Player of the Week honors this season, with the most recent being senior libero/defensive specialist Mackenzie Swan. The Colorado Springs, Colo. native earned her fourth career ASUN Defensive Player of the Week honor after she totaled 48 digs in the Dolphins' weekend sweep of Stetson (27 digs) and FGCU (21 digs). She was previously named ASUN Defensive Player of the Week Oct. 3 after she amassed 53 digs in three matches. Swan posted back-to-back 20+ dig performances against Bethune-Cookman (21 digs) and Kennesaw State (22 digs) as JU swept the three-game week with victories over the Wildcats, Owls, and Lipscomb.

Sophomore outside hitter Mallory Mattingly earned her second career ASUN Conference Player of the Week honor after posting career numbers over the weekend. The Sanford, Fla. native totaled 10 service aces on the weekend – four at USC Upstate and a career-best six at NJIT – to move into third in the league with 21 aces. Mattingly also posted her seventh double-double of the season with 16 kills and 14 digs against the Spartans. The Dolphins swept the weekend with a 3-2 victory over the Spartans and a 3-0 win against the Highlanders.

Hannah Marchand continued to impress in the league after earning her second ASUN Freshman of the Week honors following her performance at UNF on Sept. 22. The Sturgis, Mich. native posted seven kills, three digs, and led the team with six blocks. Marchand previously earned ASUN Freshman of the Week honors Aug. 28 after an impressive weekend at Clemson's Big Orange Bash. The middle-blocker opened her collegiate career with 11 kills and four blocks against Lamar en route to a .476 hitting percentage.

Nifty 50

Head Coach Julie Darty earned her 50th career victory Oct. 6 with a 3-1 win over Kennesaw State. The fourth-year head coach guided the Dolphins to a sweep last weekend for their sixth straight victory and their first 5-0 start to league play since 2007. Since taking over the program in 2014, the Dolphins have won at least 10 matches in three of four seasons with Darty at the helm, and have amassed a 25-22 record against ASUN opponents.

Home Sweet Home … Back in Swisher

Following the completion of repairs to Historic Swisher Gymnasium in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, Jacksonville University Volleyball returned home to Historic Swisher Gymnasium Oct. 27. JU Athletics and JU Volleyball would like to extend its most sincere gratitude and appreciation to UNF Athletics and Jacksonville Juniors Volleyball Association for graciously opening their facilities for the Dolphins to compete and practice in.

The Dolphins played their first seven home matches of the 2017 season at UNF Arena and held a 5-2 record while playing across town. With a sweep of Stetson and FGCU Oct. 27 and 28, Jacksonville is now 7-2 in Jacksonville.

Up Next

The winner of the 2017 ASUN Tournament receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The selection show is on Sunday, November 26, and first and second round matches are November 30 through December 2 at a site to be determined.