By: Max Chaffin, FM88 Sports
Volleyball Preview
HUNTINGTON, W. Va (WMUL-FM) — Marshall Volleyball is set to face the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Thursday for game one of the final series before the Sun Belt Conference Tournament next week.
The Thundering Herd (14-11, 7-7 SBC) are currently on a four-game losing streak, as they took two series sweeps against Georgia Southern and Appalachian State. The Herd’s most recent outing was a four-set loss against the Mountaineers.
Travelling to Huntington is the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (16-9, 7-7 SBC) who are coming off a two-game series against the South Alabama Jaguars. The Jaguars would win game one, but the Golden Eagles would come back and win game two in straight sets.
The Golden Eagles, coached by Jenny Hazelwood in her fifth season, are led by senior libero Sunni Shepard, who is coming into this matchup with 424 digs on the season. Senior setter Allie Hazelwood is leading the Sun Belt in assists with 991 on the season. The main attacker for the Golden Eagles is senior outside hitter Sadie McAda, who has 371 kills on the season so far.
The Thundering Herd, coached by Heather Stout in her second season, are led by junior outside hitter Maddie Smith, who has thrived with 338 kills in her first season as a member of the Herd. Junior libero Emma Sayre has 356 digs on the season.
Southern Miss has a slight edge over Marshall, as the Golden Eagles lead over the Herd 14-13 all time since 2006. The last matchup came on November 14th, 2025, as the Golden Eagles defeated the Herd 3-1.
Both teams have already clinched spots in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and are looking to improve upon great seasons for both programs.
You can catch the action live on WMUL-FM 88.1, or on Stream 1 at marshall.edu/wmul. FM88 Sports’ Max Chaffin and Lucas Mitchell will have the call of the game. Pregame coverage begins at 7:15 p.m. with first serve at 7:30 p.m.