COMPLETE NOTES
The American will combine for 37 matches this weekend to open its 2017 volleyball season, as all 12 member programs will be taking the court in tournament play.
UConn will leadoff the pack with its season starting at Noon ET against Sacramento State on Friday, August 25 at the St. John’s Invitational. The Huskies led The American with 14.20 kills per set and 13.31 assists per set last season and return Preseason All-Conference selection Kayla Williams at outside hitter. UConn will face New Hampshire at 8 p.m. ET on Friday before taking on St. John’s in an away match on Saturday, August 26 at 5 p.m. ET to wrap up the weekend. Two out of three of the Huskies’ weekend opponents played in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
Coming off a trip to the NCAA Tournament and a 17-3 conference mark under the 2016 American Coach of the Year Molly Alvey, Cincinnati returns last year’s unanimous Player of the Year in Jordan Thompson and Setter of the Year Jade Tingelhoff. Thompson ranked among the top of the nation and led the conference with 4.95 kills per set and 5.57 points per set and was also named the unanimous 2017 Preseason Player of the Year for the second straight season. Tingelhoff, who finished second in The American with 11.11 assists per set, joined Thompson in the preseason awards with a unanimous Preseason All-Conference honor. The Bearcats will open their season in Lexington, Ky. at the Bluegrass Battle, facing three teams that posted at least 20 wins last season. The Bearcats will start with a match against No. 23 Utah at 1 p.m. ET on Friday. Later on, Cincinnati will face Arkansas State at 6 p.m. ET before its final contest of the weekend against No. 14 Kentucky on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Two-Time conference defending champion SMU will start off the year hosting its DoubleTree Invitational in Dallas, Texas. The Mustangs return six to the court under 22nd year head coach Lisa Seifert (365-288), including two Preseason All-Conference choices in Katie Hegarty and Kendall Patterson. SMU notched a program record 18-2 slate in conference play last season before becoming the first American team in league history to win an NCAA Tournament game when the Mustangs swept Texas A&M in the first round. SMU begins the 2017 season against Mississippi State at 1 p.m. ET on Friday before playing host to Rice later that night at 8 p.m. ET. On Saturday, SMU will take on Texas A&M – Corpus Christi at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Tulane was originally scheduled to begin its season with three matches at the tournament on the campus of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, but due to Hurricane Harvey, the Green Wave will now play a doubleheader against Louisiana on Friday at Earl K. Long Gym in Lafayette, La. to start the 2017 regular season. First serve for the matches is set for 3 p.m ET. and 8 p.m. ET. Then on Saturday, the Green Wave will host South Alabama in a doubleheader. The Green Wave return eight players to their roster under second year head coach Jim Barnes, including libero Katie McHugh who was named to the Preseason All-Conference team. Tulane tied for fifth last year in conference standings and enters 2017 coming off an 18-14 overall mark.
Temple will begin its season at the Maryland Invitational, where it will see three opponents. Picked third in The American Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the Owls went 15-5 in conference play last season with a 22-8 overall record. Temple returns outside hitters Irem Asci and Izzy Rapacz to the net, who were each unanimously selected to the Preseason All-Conference team. The Owls will face Northeastern (4 p.m. ET) on Friday, UMBC (1 p.m. ET) on Saturday, and Maryland (7 p.m. ET) on Sunday.
Memphis will take part in the EIU Panther Classic in Charleston, Ill. to start off the year with three matches. The Tigers enter their 10th year under head coach April Jauregui. Among the four returning starters is Regan Comperry who ranked third in The American with 0.31 aces per set last year. Memphis will face Bradley, on Friday at 5 p.m. ET, followed by Eastern Illinois at 2 p.m. ET and Green Bay at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Houston returns all six starters from last year, as the Cougars look to bounce back in 2017. Under sixth year head coach Kaddie Platt, the Cougars will open their season at 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, facing McNeese State in their first of three matches played at the UT Arlington Tournament. Saturday will feature two more matches for Houston, including Southern (11 a.m. ET) and UT Arlington (8 p.m. ET).
ECU begins its season Friday night at 7 p.m. against William & Mary, while hosting its own Invitational. The Pirates, who began the 2016 season at 10-0, will additionally welcome Georgia State (10 a.m. ET) and Rutgers (7 p.m. ET) to Minges Coliseum on Saturday.
USF is the third conference team to host a tournament this weekend. On Friday, the Bulls will face Northwestern in Tampa, Fla. at 7 p.m. ET to kick off the season. USF posted a 19-13 overall record last year, registering its most wins since 2007. The Bulls led the conference in blocks by opponents (178) and welcomes back three starters. USF will host Arkansas – Pine Bluff (12 p.m. ET), as well as LSU (7 p.m. ET) on Saturday.
Tulsa will start its season on the road at the Mean Green Classic on Friday, as they play host North Texas at 6 p.m. ET. On Saturday, the Golden Hurricane will take on UTEP at 1 p.m. ET, followed by Montana at 4:30 p.m. ET. Tulsa had one of the nation’s best defenses in 2016, finishing second in the country in total digs (2,293) and third in digs per set (18.34), while leading the conference in both statistical categories.
The final American match on Friday will be fought between UCF and Northern Colorado at the UNC Bears/CSU Rams Classic at 9 p.m. ET. The Knights will also face Duke (1 p.m. ET), then Colorado State (10 p.m. ET) the following day. UCF rounded off the top five in this year’s conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll with outside hitter Kia Bright selected to the Preseason All-Conference team. UCF returns four starters after finishing fourth in The American with a 13-7 league record last year.
Wichita State is the final American team to open its season this weekend, as the Shockers take the court for the first time in 2017 at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday against Lipscomb at the LUV Invitational. Wichita State will face two more opponents in the tournament, including East Tennessee State at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday and Belmont at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. Chosen as the favorite in this year’s conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Wichita State joins The American after winning its fourth Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title last year and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Under 18th year head coach Chris Lamb, the Shockers have recorded at least 20 wins in the past 14 consecutive seasons. Four starters return to the court, including Preseason All-Conference selections Emily Hiebert and Abbie Lehman.
Friday, August 25
Sacramento State vs UConn • Noon
No. 23 Utah vs Cincinnati • 1 p.m.
Mississippi State vs SMU • 1:30 p.m.
Tulane at Louisiana • 3 p.m.
Northeastern vs Temple • 4 p.m.
Bradley vs Memphis • 5 p.m.
McNeese vs Houston • 5:30 p.m.
Arkansas State vs Cincinnati • 6 p.m.
Tulsa at North Texas • 6 p.m.
William & Mary vs ECU • 7 p.m.
Northwestern at USF • 7 p.m.
New Hampshire vs UConn • 8 p.m.
Tulane at Louisiana • 8 p.m.
Rice vs SMU • 8 p.m.
UCF at North Colorado • 9 p.m.
Saturday, August 26
Georgia State vs ECU • 10 a.m.
Southern vs Houston • 11 a.m.
UTEP vs Tulsa • 1 p.m.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs USF • Noon
Duke vs UCF • 1 p.m.
UMBC vs Temple • 1 p.m.
Wichita State vs Lipscomb • 1:30 p.m.
Memphis vs Eastern Illinois • 2 p.m.
South Alabama vs Tulane • 2 p.m.
Montana vs Tulsa • 4:30 p.m.
Texas A&M Corpus-Christi vs SMU • 3:30 p.m.
UConn at St. John’s • 5 p.m.
Green Bay vs Memphis • 5 p.m.
East Tennessee State vs Wichita State • 6 p.m.
LSU vs USF • 7 p.m.
Rutgers vs ECU • 7 p.m.
South Alabama vs Tulane • 7 p.m.
Temple at Maryland • 7 p.m.
No. 14 Kentucky vs Cincinnati • 7:30 p.m.
Houston at UT Arlington • 8 p.m.
UCF at Colorado State • 10 p.m.
Sunday, August 27
Belmont vs Wichita State • 3:30 p.m.
All times Eastern and subject to change