Complete Notes | Stats
The 2018 American Athletic Conference volleyball season proved to be a historic year, as the league’s 12 teams combined to set an impressive 28 records. Cincinnati and Tulane accounted for 23 of the 28 all-time American marks set in 2018.
Six conference teams received postseason bids with No. 25 UCF (27-4, 18-0) and Cincinnati (26-8, 15-3) earned spots in the NCAA Tournament field, while USF (20-12, 9-9), Tulane (29-9, 13-5), Tulsa (19-12, 11-7) and Wichita State (14-18, 8-10) were each selected to compete in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). The league’s six postseason bids were the most in conference history. The American’s two NCAA Tournament bids were the most since 2016 when SMU and Cincinnati each were participants in the NCAA field.
UCF earned the conference’s automatic NCAA Championship bid, but fell in a five-set heartbreaker to Florida Gulf Coast while hosting the first and second rounds of the tournament for the first time in program history. Cincinnati collected its second at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2016 and became the third conference team in as many campaigns to advance to the second round, following a 3-0 win over Illinois State. After earning one of seven automatic bids to the NIVC, Tulane hosted the first four rounds, defeating its foes in New Orleans and advanced to the championship for a shot at the title. However, the Green Wave’s postseason run ended in a loss at Iowa State. Wichita State fell in the second round of the NIVC, while USF and Tulsa each saw their 2018 seasons come to an end against host teams in the opening round of the tournament.
Boasting five top-100 RPI teams, The American ended the year with the seventh-best RPI ranking in the NCAA. In the final report, UCF came in at No. 11, Cincinnati at No. 24, Tulane at No. 52, Wichita State at No. 83 and Tulsa at No. 84. The American’s teams combined to end the year with a .634 winning percentage against nonconference opponents.
Cincinnati outside and right side hitter Jordan Thompson became the American Athletic Conference’s first American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Third Team honoree, while UCF freshman outside hitter McKenna Melville and senior libero Jordan Pingel were each tabbed AVCA Honorable Mention All-Americans.
UCF head coach Todd Dagenais earned his second American Coach of the Year accolade, while Melville picked up the Knights’ first conference Freshman of the Year honor. Cincinnati also received a pair of major awards with Thompson collecting her second-career unanimous Player of the Year accolade and senior setter Jade Tingelhoff earning her second-career Setter of the Year honor. Thompson and Tingelhoff also both earned these same awards in 2016. In its second season as a member of The American, Wichita State earned its fifth major award with sophomore libero Giorgia Civita voted Libero of the Year.
Winning its second conference title in five years, UCF rode the longest winning streak in conference history (24 matches) into the postseason and became the third conference team to go undefeated through conference play. The Knights are the second conference team in as many years to host a NCAA regional, earning the conference’s highest national seed at No. 13. UCF averaged 11.4 blocks per match, 13.8 kills and 13.1 assists per set, while holding conference teams to hitting below .170 through its 18 conference wins in 2018.
UCF ended the year setting the league’s all-time single-season record averaging 2.72 blocks per set in 2018. It marked the first time in program history for the Knights to receive a national ranking, as they remained in the AVCA coaches’ poll for the final seven weeks of the season. Melville and Pingel were instrumental in guiding the Knights to their first NCAA Tournament national seed and AVCA national ranking.
A four-time American Offensive Player of the Week, Melville had a tremendous rookie campaign. Leading the conference with 22 double-doubles, she ended the year ranked 13th in the nation in kills (529), 14th in points (586.5), 15th in kills per set (4.51) and 15th in points per set (5.01). Pingel finished her senior season ranked second all-time in conference history with 2,262 career digs. She ended the year ranked 34th in total digs (597) and 39th in digs per set (5.10)—each stat good for setting UCF’s single-season record. She was named The American’s Defensive Player of the Week four times.
Cincinnati’s wealth of conference records in 2018 were fueled by Thompson, who emerged as one of the top hitters in the country. A three-time conference Preseason Player of the Year and two-time unanimous Player of the Year, Thomson set 11 American Athletic Conference records this season. A two-time AVCA National Player of the Week, three-time VolleyMob National Player of the Week and eight-time conference Offensive Player of the Week this season, Thompson led the NCAA in kills (827), points (909), kills per set (6.27) and points per set (6.89) since the second week of the season. She set The American’s single-season and career records in each of these categories, while recording the most kills in three (26), four (32) and five-set (44) matches in conference history. Her kills per set rank the highest in NCAA volleyball since the 25-point scoring format began in 2008. No one in the country has had a higher average since the 2006 season. The last time any player in the nation had more than 800 kills in a season was in 2004, with one player totaling 823 and the other 842—that was during the 30-point scoring format. The most kills any player has had prior to Thompson this year in the current 25-point scoring format is 6.23 kills per set and 715 total kills.
Two more conference records fell at the hands of the Bearcats, as Tingelhoff ended her career with 4,180 assists, while senior outside hitter Carly Nolan ended hers with 114 service aces—each good for ranking No. 1 all-time in American history. Cincinnati’s assists (1,750), kills (1,860) and hitting percentage (.274) each ended the year ranked top 12 nationally.
Picked to finish 10th in The American’s preseason coaches’ poll, Tulane exceeded expectations and clinched third place in the conference’s standings. The Green Wave became the first American team to play for a postseason championship after making its first postseason appearance since 2009. Through its five NIVC matches, Tulane set six American Athletic Conference single-season records, ending the year with a conference-high 1,869 assists, 1,952 kills, 350 blocks, 2,305 digs, 18 home wins and 38 matches played.
The Green Wave’s assists, blocks, digs and kills each ended the year ranked top 10 in the NCAA. Tulane’s 29 wins also tied for the most in American history, while junior libero Kaylie McHugh (63 service aces) set a single-season record and senior middle blocker Dayna Kern (134 matches played) established a career record. Tulane also knocked down 15.5 blocks in a 3-0 win at SMU on Nov. 4 to break a single-match conference record. McHugh’s aces finished the year ranked fifth nationally.
Tulsa and Wichita State made trips to Denton, Texas, after earning at-large bids to the NIVC, as North Texas defeated both teams to end their seasons. Tulsa finished fourth in American standings, while Wichita State, the conference’s favorite in the preseason coaches’ poll, finished seventh. The Golden Hurricane made its first postseason appearance since 2013 under head coach Ryan Wills. Wichita State made its fourth-straight postseason appearance.
The Shockers and Golden Hurricane set an American record in the opening set of their match on Sep. 29 when they combined for the most points in a single set in conference history (41-39). Tulsa defeated Wichita State in five sets on that day to hand the Shockers their first conference loss since joining The American, which ended a 22-match conference winning streak. Civita also finished the season with a league-high 728 digs, which rank second all-time in American history. Her career 5.51 digs per set rank No. 1 all-time in The American. Her 728 digs led the league and finished the year ranked fourth nationally.
USF tied for fifth place in American standings and received an at-large bid to the NIVC, earning its first postseason appearance since 2002. USF went 7-2 in three-set matches and earned seven five-set victories in 2018, posting its first 20-win season since 2002.
Memphis (11-19, 4-14) set a conference record on Sep. 8 when it registered 14 service aces in a sweep over North Alabama. Natalie Benson accounted for six of the Tigers’ aces. It marked the inaugural season for first year head coach Sean Burdette.