Conway – After getting the conference season underway on the road last week, the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears are set for their first two matches in the Prince Center this season. Central Arkansas will play host to a pair of teams with perfect records so far in Southland Conference play, welcoming the Northwestern State Lady Demons tonight at 6:00 PM, before hosting the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders at noon on Saturday.

Central Arkansas (8-7, 2-1 SLC) comes into the match with Northwestern State having won five of its past six matches. The Sugar Bears picked up a pair of identical 3-1 wins last weekend, defeating Southland foes Nicholls and McNeese on the road. On the year, the Central Arkansas attack is led by sophomore Haley Tippett, who averages 2.77 kills per set to rank eighth in the Southland and 0.33 aces per set. Sophomore Samantha Anderson has added 2.60 k/s, while junior Megan Nash (2.25) and senior Rachel Sharp (2.20) each average over two kills per set. Freshman Elizabeth Armstrong ranks seventh in the Southland with an average of 8.17 assists per set, though she has increased that average to 11.6 a/s over the Sugar Bears' last six matches. Defensively, Central Arkansas ranks second in the Southland in blocks with an average of 2.38 per set. Nash currently sits at fourth in the league in the category, averaging 1.09 per set, while sophomore Savanah Allen is even better at 1.21, a number that would lead the league if not for Allen missing time due to injury. Sophomore Amanda Dimon ranks ninth in the SLC with an average of 3.44 digs per set, while Tippett has chipped in 3.16.

Northwestern State (7-10, 2-0 SLC) picked up back-to-back wins at McNeese and Nicholls last weekend, defeating the Cowgirls 3-0 on Thursday before taking out the Colonels 3-1 on Saturday. Offensively, the Lady Demons lean on freshman Alexis Warren, who ranks ninth in the SLC with an average of 2.77 kills per set. Senior Natalie Jaeger is the leagues' third-most prolific setter, handing out 8.63 assists, while ranking sixth in NSU history with 124 career aces. Defensively, sophomore Channing Burleson ranks second in the conference and 19^th nationally with an average of 5.24 digs per set. At the net, sophomore Madelyn Drake leads the way for the Lady Demons, averaging 0.84 blocks per set. Central Arkansas holds a 16-4 lead in the all-time series with the Lady Demons, including a 3-0 win in Natchitoches, Louisiana last season.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (7-6, 2-0 SLC) opened the SLC slate with a pair of wins last weekend, defeating Sam Houston State 3-0 on the road before downing Abilene Christian 3-0 at home. Junior Brittany Gilpin leads the Islander charge, ranking fourth in the Southland with an average of 3.25 k/s, while fellow junior Kristyn Nicholson ranks fourth in assists, averaging 8.38 per set. The Islanders lead the league in blocking at 2.38 blocks per set, led by sophomore Madi Fitzsimmons, who is third in the SLC with 1.14 blocks per set. Junior Kate Klepetka is third in the Southland at 5.08 digs per set. UCA leads the all-time series with the Islanders by an 11-4 margin, though TAMUCC won both meetings between the teams last season.