Alabama State University's volleyball team already has the East Division Championship of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) wrapped up, but there are still a couple of home games on hand this weekend to end the regular season.

The Lady Hornets will host Mississippi Valley State on Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night, Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m., and end the regular season hosting Alcorn State Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. Before the Alcorn State game, the senior class will be introduced.

There are several things the Lady Hornets are looking to do this weekend, with the most pressing issue trying to be playing at their best when the conference tournament begins and this weekend could help the team in reaching that expectation.

"All teams want to be playing at their peak when the conference tournament begins and it is no different for us," Head Coach Penny Lucas-White said. "We have played well at times this season, but there were always times we didn't reach our potential and we have continued to work to get there."

ASU (19-14/6-0 SWAC) also wants to enter the conference tournament as the lone undefeated team in the SWAC. It will not come easy as ASU has already played both teams and each team presented tough games for the Lady Hornets.

"When we played these teams earlier in our SWAC season, they both provided us with great challenges during those contests," Lucas-White said. "We know we have our work cut out for us and we know since we are at the top of the division, we are carrying the bull's eye for the other teams to come in and beat us. We are expecting to face the best both of these teams have and we must be ready to meet the challenge."

One of the other challenges the Lady Hornets are looking forward to will be winning the 20^th and 21^st games of the season. ASU presently has 19 wins which are the most wins since the 1990 team won 21 games. Two more wins would even the 1990 team, giving ASU a chance to surpass it during the conference tournament.

Before Friday's game, the Lady Hornets will hold their Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night. It is an opportunity for the volleyball program to show their appreciation to the ASU faculty and staff who have worked with the team and supported them during their season. Each team member has invited a faculty or staff member to escort them to the court before the game.

On Saturday, the Lady Hornets will celebrate Senior Night where the members of the 2013 senior class will be honored before the game. Those seniors are Angelica Gillespie, LaToya Ellington and Luiza Griz.

"These are always special nights for our team," Lucas-White said. "The faculty and staff here are second to none. They have worked with our team, especially when we have been on the road for those long trips and have missed class times. They have always helped the girls with their work during these challenging times and we want to take time to show how much we appreciate it."

"Senior nights are always emotional and I'm sure this one will be no different. This team is a close knit group that not only plays volleyball together; they spend a lot of time with each other off the court. I think that is one of the main reason's this team has played so well together. These seniors are a major reason we are the East Division Champs."