MONTGOMERY, Ala. | After winning five of their last six matches, the Alabama State University volleyball team begins defense of its conference championship from a season ago as they open play at the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Roundup hosted by Texas Southern University this weekend.
 
Alabama State (7-7) enters the weekend off a road victory over UAB on Tuesday night in which three players recorded double-doubles in the match – Ni'yesha Brown, Bayle' Bennett and Kori Kutsch. The Lady Hornets have won five of their last six matches, with three of those coming away from home including Tuesday night.
 
The Lady Hornets open conference play, and put a 20-match conference winning streak on the line, Friday afternoon when they face Southern at 3 pm. They will also play Grambling State on the opening day of the Roundup, with that match beginning at 5:30 pm. The weekend continues on Saturday with another pair of matches beginning at 10 am against Prairie View A&M, and again at 7 pm against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Lady Hornets conclude the weekend against Texas Southern at 10 am on Sunday morning.
 
Brown leads the Lady Hornets this season with 164 kills through 14 matches, averaging 3.37 kills per set. She is second in the conference, but first in those that have played 30 or more sets in total kills and kills per set. Briana Dorsey is second on the team in kills with 131, while Krysta Medearis has added 109 and Payten Clark 87 this season.
 
Kori Kutsch, the reigning SWAC Setter of the Week, went over 1,400 assists for her career this season and currently sits at 300 – averaging 5.56 assists per set. Justus Tuiolosega has added 205 assists, averaging 3.87 assists this season.

Defensively, Asha Daniels has taken over the libero role this season and has recorded 172 total digs and earned the SWAC Defensive Player of the Week last week. She is averaging 3.58 digs per set to lead a contingent of three other Lady Hornets in triple figures with digs. Kutsch has recorded 117 digs, Brown 112 and Bennett 109 thus far this season.
 
Dorsey leads Alabama State in blocks with 62 total, averaging 1.15 blocks per set, while Clark has added 47. Candace Martin has recorded 29 total blocks in 49 sets of play, while Medearis has added 28.

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