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By: Josh Fuller

COLUMBUS – After two straight Peach Belt Conference wins on the road, the Columbus State University volleyball team will return home to host Flagler and Armstrong State this weekend.
 
The Lady Cougars will play Flagler on Friday at 7 p.m. while taking on Armstrong on Saturday at 2 p.m. Both matches will take place inside the Lumpkin Center.
 
Last Time Out
 
Columbus State improved to 9-4 and 2-3 inside the PBC after a sweep of Montevallo Tuesday. The Lady Cougars took the sets 25-14, 25-15 and 25-23 while hitting .237 during the match. Mary McCarty led the team with 12 kills with Zoemy Barreto Pereira adding 10. Abby King had a double-double with 31 assists and 14 digs.
 
Cornett on the Weekend
 
"This is one of the toughest weekends we face in conference play every year. Both Flagler and Armstrong are very talented and execute their plays well. We have to continue improving and just worry about the things that we can control."
 
Series Histories
 
Columbus State will be searching for its first victories over both Flagler and Armstrong this weekend. CSU is 0-6 against both programs.
 
About Flagler
 
The Saints are currently 6-4, but hold a perfect 2-0 PBC record after a pair of wins last weekend. Flagler swept Lander 3-0 before taking down defending PBC champions USC Aiken 3-1.
 
Reigning PBC Player of the Week, Sara Davis, is having an outstanding season ranking third in the conference with a .356 hitting percentage. She averages 3.28 kills per set, which ranks sixth in the PBC. Davis is also inside the top five in solo blocks (11) and total blocks (42). 
 
Tara Savisky also won PBC honors last week after being named the Specialist of the Week. Savisky averages 10.92 assists per set and also adds 2.45 digs per set.  Last weekend, the setter had 39 and 45 assists in the two wins.
 
About Armstrong
 
Armstrong currently boasts the best overall record in the PBC going 12-1 through the early portion of the season. Like Flagler, the Pirates defeated USC Aiken (3-0) and Lander (3-0) at home last weekend.
 
Raegan Grooms will enter the Lumpkin Center averaging 3.39 kills per set, the fifth-best mark in the conference. Grooms also has 17 service aces while chipping in 2.85 digs per set.
 
One of the best setters in the league, Carley Eiken currently leads the league in assists per set (11.39). Eiken is just one of two players currently to have over 500 assists in the PBC. The sophomore also adds 2.11 digs per set.
 
CSU Notes
 
Abby King has tallied over 30 assists in nine straight matches for CSU, including going over the 45 mark three times during the span. The sophomore is currently sixth in the PBC averaging 9.57 assists per set.
 
Zoemy Barreto Pereira has been on fire for Columbus State registering double digits kills in each of the past three matches. She is now averaging 2.57 kills per set.
 
As a team, CSU leads the PBC in service aces with 101. The Lady Cougars rank 19th in the nation in the same stat.
 
Caytlin Merritt is fifth in the PBC in digs per set. The senior is currently averaging 4.38 per set.