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Game Notes: Volleyball to host Emmanuel, Birmingham Southern
By Matt Green
Oct. 14: Lady Hawks (21-6, 7-3) vs. Emmanuel (14-12, 0-10), 7
Oct. 15: Lady Hawks vs. Birmingham Southern (12-14), 12
ROME -- Winners of four straight, the Shorter volleyball team takes to the Winthrop-King Centre floor on Friday, Oct. 14 against Southern States Athletic Conference foe Emmanuel College at 7 pm before returning to the court on Saturday, Oct. 15 against Birmingham Southern College at noon. The Lady Hawks (21-6, 7-3 SSAC) can move one step closer to locking up a berth in the SSAC Tournament with a win over Emmanuel (14-12, 0-10), whom Shorter defeated 3-0 in Franklin Springs back on Sept. 24. Shorter and Birmingham Southern meet on Saturday to kick off a full day of Homecoming action on the Hill.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Shorter leads the series with Emmanuel 1-0 after the Lady Hawks took the first ever meeting between the schools several weeks ago. Shorter has never beaten Birmingham Southern (0-2) and dropped a 3-1 decision to the Panthers in the last meeting between the teams back on Sept. 12, 2008.
SHORTER RECEIVING VOTES
After fighting for respect in the NAIA Volleyball Top 25 Coaches Poll all season long, Shorter finally made an appearance in the latest edition of the ratings, picking up 31 votes thanks in large part to its sweep of then No. 2-ranked Embry-Riddle. The 31 tallies are the most for the Lady Hawks in over two years despite the team recording five straight 20-win seasons, including a school record 27 wins in 2009 and a 26-6 record last season. Shorter hosts a huge SSAC match next Tuesday, Oct. 18 against No. 4 Lee and a win could put the Lady Hawks into the Top 25 and into position for a possible at-large bid to the NAIA Volleyball National Championship.
COOP NAMED MVP
Senior Jessica Cooper picked up Most Valuable Player honors at the Embry-Riddle Invitational last weekend after averaging 6.8 kills, 1.0 solo blocks and 3.8 block assists per match. Cooper recorded a career-high 11 total blocks in Shorter's win over SCAD-Savannah and led a strong Shorter defensive effort that pestered No. 2 Embry-Riddle in a Lady Hawks' win.
