CONWAY, S.C. - First place in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference is at stake this weekend when first-place Coastal Carolina hosts second-place James Madison at the HTC Center on Friday and Saturday. The Chants are the only unbeaten SBC team in league play at 6-0, while JMU is a game back at 5-1. 

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Friday, Oct. 17 vs. James Madison | 6 p.m. | ESPNU | Live Stats

Saturday, Oct. 18 vs. James Madison | 2 p.m. | ESPNU | Live Stats

SERIES VS. THE DUKES | HISTORY
Coastal and JMU will be meeting for the 11th and 12th time overall this weekend, with the Dukes holding a 6-4 lead in the series. The Chants are 3-4 against the Dukes since JMU joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2022. The home team has won all six matches in SBC play (JUM 4-0, CCU, 2-0).

QUICK GLANCE: JMU
• James Madison enters this weekend's two-match series on a five-match winning streak with wins over App State, Georgia State and Marshall.
• JMU is 1-4 in true road games this season with a pair of losses to Florida Gulf Coast
• The Dukes are the best hitting team in the Sun Belt with a .271 hitting percentage. They also lead the conference in assists per set (13.38) and kills per set (14.30).
• Outside hitter Kennedy Louisell is the three-time reigning SBC Offensive Player of the Week. Louisell leads the NCAA with 371 kills and is second with 5.38 kills per set. She has nine matches with 20 or more kills and is hitting .358, sixth in the Sun Belt and second among outside hitters.
• Ayen Nhial and Anna Wilson each ranks among the SBC leaders in blocks per set. Nhial is third with 1.29 and Wilson is seventh at 1.09.
• JMU has three players averaging over four assists per set. Senior Grace Wenrich leads the Dukes with an average of 6.14 assists per set, followed by Rebecca Watkins (5.20) and Jordan Smart (4.26).
• Julia McNeeley is averaging a team-best 3.72 digs per set, and former Chanticleer Sydney Lewis is averaging 2.242 digs per set. Lewis totaled 903 digs (4.07 per set) in two seasons at Coastal Carolina.

LAST TIME OUT
• The Coastal Carolina volleyball team extended its winning streak to a season-long seven matches with a straight-set sweep (25–19, 25–21, 25–22) over UNCW on Wednesday night at the HTC Center.
• The Chants concluded non-conference play with a record of 8-4, equaling its most non-conference victories since 2022.
• The Chanticleers hit .237 as a team and controlled the net with eight total blocks while holding UNCW to a .093 hitting percentage. 
• Junior Jalyn Stout led the Chanticleers with 13 kills, hitting .464 for the match, while adding 13 assists, three digs, and a pair of service aces. 
• Emily Fowler tallied six kills and four blocks, and Anzley Rinard chipped in six kills. Setter Ava Wallis dished out 14 assists to guide the offense, and libero Bailee Earnhardt anchored the defense with a match-high 13 digs.
 
STREAKING CHANTS: The Chanticleers are in the middle of their longest winning streak, seven, since recording 13 consecutive wins in 2023. CCU enters the Friday match having won 18 straight sets and 21 of its last 22. Coastal has dropped just one set in Sun Belt play this season, losing the first frame of its second match against Marshall.

ON THE VERGE OF 1,000 KILLS: Junior Jayln Stout is seven kills shy of becoming the 13th player in school history with 1,000 kills. She has 226 so far this season after collecting 402 as a sophomore and 365 as a freshman.

MORE WINS: With their win over UNCW on Wednesday, the Chants surpassed their win total from the entire 2024 campaign. The Chanticleers have 14 wins in 18 matches this season; a year ago, they played 30 matches and won just 13. 

BLOCK PARTY: Coastal Carolina ranks among the top 10 nationally in total blocks (6th) and blocks per set (10th), leading the Sun Belt in both categories. The Chants have accumulated 186 total blocks, while averaging 2.86 blocks per set. CCU led the Sun Belt in total blocks per set in 2019 (2.21) and 2021 (2.53).

LEAGUE LEADER: Junior Anna Rita leads the Sun Belt in total blocks (96) and blocks per set (1.55) entering the fourth weekend of conference play, ranking among the top 10 nationally. She sits fifth in total blocks and seventh in blocks per set among all NCAA Division I players.