ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University volleyball team is slated to open a three-match South Atlantic Conference road swing, beginning at Catawba, Tuesday night. First-serve versus the Indians is set for 7 p.m. at Goodman Gym.

The Trojans
Anderson (9-3, 3-1 SAC) is riding a four-match win streak after posting three consecutive sweeps last week, while knocking off Erskine, Newberry and Coker is successive order to equal its longest win streak of the season. The Black and Gold reeled off six consecutive victories from late October through early November last season, while the last time AU had nine victories through 12 matches was during the 2014 campaign. Each of the last four, and six of the last seven Trojan squads have posted wins in three of their first four conference matchups.  
   
The Trojans lead the conference in assists (532), while ranking second in kills (552), kills per set (13.46/set), hitting percentage (.227), assists per set (12.98), aces (74) and aces per set (1.80/set).

Sophomore setter Emily Conlin has led the conference in both digs and digs per set through the first three weeks of the season and shares third place in the rankings with 16 service aces on the season. Despite playing only nine sets, the Glendale, Ariz., native recorded more than 90 assists  last week and equaled a season-high with four aces in the sweep of the Flying Fleet.  

Senior outside hitter Marissa Mitter posted 29 kills (3.22/set) and still ranks third in the SAC in total kills (146) and fourth in kills per set (3.56) on the season. A native of Redondo Beach, Calif., Mitter is tied for fourth place in the conference with 16 aces on the season. She needs just five more kills to become the 11th player in school history to reach 1,000 career kills.
 
Senior Rachel Burts posted a .419 hitting percentage last week, while recording 20 kills in the three wins and is second on the team with 100 kills on the season. She is fourth in the league with 38 blocks and is also fourth in the SAC with a team-high .370 hitting percentage. Junior Jayln Knight continued her stellar all-around play last week, collecting 10 kills, a pair of service aces, five blocks and 25 digs over the three-match span. Senior Serena Jackson has 86 kills on the season is tied for sixth in the league with 39 total blocks. The Charlotte, N.C. native notched a .425 hitting percentage last week, while recording 21 kills, nine digs and seven blocks.   

Sophomore Kathryn Hughes added 16 kills in two of the three victories, including five kills without an error in eight attempts in the sweep of Newberry, with junior libero Emily Conard leading the Trojans with 148 digs on the year.

The Lady Indians
Catawba (3-6, 1-4 SAC) opened the season by winning three of its first five outings, but has dropped its last four matches and is coming off a 3-0 (24-26, 26-28, 20-25) loss two days ago at Carson-Newman.

Catawba was tabbed eighth in the SAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, after posting a 16-13 overall record and a 13-9 mark in league action a season ago.

The Series vs. Catawba
The Trojans and Lady Indians have met just 14 times, all as members of the South Atlantic Conference. AU holds a 9-5 advantage in the overall series, and had won seven straight over Catawba before the Lady Indians swept AU in the second regular-season matchup in Salisbury two years ago. Anderson had swept both regular-season matchups from 2012-14 after Catawba swept both meetings during the 2011 season. The teams split the regular-season matchups during Anderson's inaugural season in the league in 2010.

Despite double-doubles from junior Mitter and Conlin, the Trojans dropped a 3-1 decision at Catawba in last season's first meeting. Burts led the Trojans with 14 kills, while adding seven total blocks on the night. Mitter recorded 12 kills and 14 digs, with  Conlin sharing match-high honors with 41 assists and coming up with 19 digs. Conard posted 17 digs, with sophomore Megan Embry notching 10 digs.

AU avenged the loss by sweeping the Lady Indians in the November rematch, as Mitter led all players with 13 kills on the night, while adding 14 digs. Burts tallied 12 kills and five total blocks, while  Hughes added nine kills and a pair of digs. Jackson notched seven kills and three block assists, with Conlin handing out 45 assists and recording 10 digs. Conard posted a team-high 22 digs.