Volleyball Preview: Tourney Season Concludes in Alabama

The Eagles play three matches this weekend.

By: Marc Gignac

Alex Beecher needs 46 digs to reach 2,000 for her career.

Volleyball | 9/15/2016 1:28:00 PM

Georgia Southern (6-6) at Hampton Inn Crimson-White Tournament
Live Video (vs. Alabama only) | Live Stats (all matches)
Date: Sept. 16-17
Site: Tuscaloosa, Ala. - Foster Auditorium
TV: SEC+ (match vs. Alabama only)
Probable GS Lineup:
#4 Stephanie Spencer
#6 Lauren Reichard
#8 Alex Beecher
#10 Cathrine Murray
#13 Katie Bange
#14 Kendra Koetter
#21 Reilly Bosworth

Georgia Southern opens a five-match road swing by traveling to Alabama for the Hampton Inn Crimson-White Tournament.

The Eagles will face Presbyterian Friday evening and East Tennessee State and host Alabama Saturday.

The match against Alabama will be broadcast live on the SEC+ network. Fans can tune in at WatchESPN.com.

The Eagles own a 3-1 record against Presbyterian and have won the last two. GS is 11-15 against East Tennessee State and has won the last eight. Alabama won the only meeting against the Eagles, 3-2, at home in 2003.

Georgia Southern has lost its last two and is coming off a 3-1 setback to North Florida at home Tuesday. Eight of the Eagles' last nine matches have been at home, and GS went 6-2.

The Eagles went 2-1 in the SpringHill Suites Invitational, their last tournament. Senior Katie Bange and sophomore Lauren Reichard were named to the all-tournament team.

The Sun Belt Conference named Bange its Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week Monday.

Bange averaged three kills, 2.07 digs, 5.21 assists and 0.71 blocks a set last weekend. The right side/setter hit .420 with 41 kills on 81 swings and just eight errors.

She tallied two triple-doubles on the first day of the tourney, and her four triple-doubles this season are tied for the second-most in the country. Bange recorded 16 kills, 11 digs, 23 assists and two blocks against Buffalo and posted 14 kills, 11 digs, 21 assists and four blocks while hitting .522 vs. Wake Forest. She also notched 12 kills, 29 assists, seven digs and four blocks against South Carolina.

Bange is the first Eagle to win Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week since Georgia Southern joined the conference in 2014.

Reichard averaged 1.64 blocks a set and posted 10 blocks to go along with 10 kills for her first career double-double against Wake Forest. She tallied eight blocks and had 12 kills to go along with two aces against South Carolina and recorded five blocks and eight kills vs. Buffalo. Reichard averaged 2.14 kills per set and hit .390 for the weekend.

Senior Alex Beecher tallied 26 digs against South Carolina and 24 against North Florida and now has 38 career matches with 20-plus digs. Already Georgia Southern's career leader in digs, she needs 46 to reach the 2,000 mark.

Following the weekend, Georgia Southern opens conference play in Louisiana Sept. 23-24. The Eagles take on ULM Friday and UL Lafayette Saturday.

Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by visiting GSEagles.com/tickets.

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Players Mentioned

#13 Katie Bange: S/RS; 6' 4"; Redshirt Senior; A5

#8 Alex Beecher: DS; 5' 9"; Redshirt Senior; Orlando Volleyball Academy

#14 Kendra Koetter: S/DS; 5' 8"; Sophomore; A5 18 Club Team

#10 Cathrine Murray: OH; 5' 11"; Junior; Coast

#6 Lauren Reichard: M; 6' 0"; Sophomore; Yorktowne Volleyball Club

#4 Stephanie Spencer: OH; 6' 1"; Sophomore; Ohio Extreme

#21 Reilly Bosworth: M; 6' 1"; Freshman; Wave

Players Mentioned

#13 Katie Bange
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Senior; A5
: S/RS

#8 Alex Beecher
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Senior; Orlando Volleyball Academy
: DS

#14 Kendra Koetter
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; A5 18 Club Team
: S/DS

#10 Cathrine Murray
: 5' 11"; Junior; Coast
: OH

#6 Lauren Reichard
: 6' 0"; Sophomore; Yorktowne Volleyball Club
: M

#4 Stephanie Spencer
: 6' 1"; Sophomore; Ohio Extreme
: OH

#21 Reilly Bosworth
: 6' 1"; Freshman; Wave
: M

Georgia Southern University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned