SEARCY – The Harding volleyball team continues Great American Conference action on Saturday as they host Southern Nazarene at 2 p.m., at the Rhodes Field House. The Lady Bisons head into the match with a 7-4 overall record and a 2-1 GAC record.
Harding
Harding looks to continue its home winning streak on Saturday. The Lady Bisons have won 25 straight home matches, dating back to the 2011 season.
Harding is 2-0 overall at home this season and 1-0 in GAC play. The Lady Bisons defeated Arkansas-Fort Smith 3-1 and GAC foe Southern Arkansas 3-0.
Harding is coming off a tough 3-2 loss at Arkansas Tech on Tuesday. The loss snapped a 32 match GAC win streak and a 13 match road win streak. Harding was led by senior outside hitter Erica Heim who had 13 kills and 16 digs to capture her second double-double of the season. Senior outside hitter Marindia Turner had 12 kills and 17 digs.
The Lady Bisons are led on the season by Turner who averages 3.12 kills which ranks second in the GAC. Senior middle blocker Sara Smith leads the GAC in hitting with a .377 percentage. Harding's offense is spearheaded by senior setter Taryn Eubank who leads the GAC in assists, averaging 10.07 per set.
The Lady Bisons defense is led by sophomore defensive specialist Anna Leigh Cargile who averages 3.97 digs per set, ranking her seventh in the conference. Senior middle blocker Liv Savage ranks tied for first in the GAC in blocks, averaging 1.15 per set. She also ranks second in conference in service aces (0.47 per set).
As a team, Harding ranks first in the GAC in digs (17.67 per set) and service aces (1.67 per set). The Lady Bisons rank second in assists (12.05 per set) and kills (13.20 per set).
Harding is coached by Meredith Fear who is in her third season at the helm.
Southern Nazarene
Southern Nazarene heads into the match with an 8-3 overall record and a 2-0 GAC record. The Crimson Storm will play at Arkansas Tech on Friday before facing Harding on Saturday.
Southern Nazarene has won five of its last six matches. The Crimson Storm's GAC wins came at East Central 3-2 and at home against Southwestern Oklahoma 3-0. This season, Southern Nazarene is 2-0 on the road.
The Crimson Storm is led by senior middle blocker Taylor Jacobs who leads the GAC in kills, averaging 3.70 per set and ranks tied for first in blocks with a 1.15 per set average. The Southern Nazarene defense is led by sophomore defensive specialist Abbey Bell who averages 4.63 digs per set, ranking her third in the GAC. Senior setter Kaylee Piatt ranks second in GAC in kills, averaging 9.90 per set.
Southern Nazarene leads the GAC in blocks, averaging 2.27 per set.
The Crimson Storm is coached by Kevin Ingram who is in his 14th season as head coach.
Series
Harding leads the series between the two teams 2-0. When the two teams met last season, the Lady Bisons won 3-2 in Bethany, Okla. Marindia Turner had 13 kills and seven digs in the match. Taryn Eubank had 53 assists and 10 digs.
The Lady Bisons defeated the Crimson Storm 3-0 in 2012 which was the last meeting in Searcy.
