2019 AMERICAN VOLLEYBALL RELEASE - OCTOBER 1
FIVE TEAMS UNBEATEN AFTER AMERICAN OPENERS
A total of five teams emerged from the opening weekend of American Athletic Conference play with perfect 2-0 league records. Cincinnati swept East Carolina and Wichita State to stake a claim to the lead in the East Division with UCF, who added sweeps of UConn and Temple during the first weekend. Tulane won a pair of five-set decisions against SMU and Memphis as part of a three-way tie atop the West Division. Tulsa downed both Wichita State and East Carolina to join the Green Wave, and Houston rode late comebacks against both SMU and Memphis to kick off conference play undefeated.
HOUSTON OFF TO BEST LEAGUE START IN SEVEN YEARS
Houston logged a 2-0 start in The American for the first time since 2013 with a pair of dramatic wins to open conference play. The Cougars needed all five sets to down both SMU and Memphis in Houston last weekend. Houston clawed back from a 2-0 deficit against SMU to win three straight sets on Friday. The Cougars added a second straight comeback by erasing a 2-1 hole against Memphis to cap the weekend with wins in the final two periods.
THOMPSON SETS UC CAREER KILLS RECORD
Jordan Thompson became Cincinnati’s career leader in kills by passing Bearcat great Julie DuPont’s (2001-04) prior mark of 2,137 kills during a sweep of East Carolina on Friday night. Thompson was ultimately named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll after leading the league with 5.67 kills per set following the first weekend of conference play.
WHERE THE AMERICAN SITS IN THE NATIONAL RANKS
In the fourth full release of NCAA Division I statistics for the 2019 season on Sept. 30, Houston was slotted second in total team attacks and fourth in team kills, team assists and team digs; UCF ranked third in total team blocks and fifth in blocks per set; Cincinnati ranked sixth in kills per set, eighth in assists per set and ninth in team hitting percentage. Individually Cincinnati’s Jordan Thompson was first in points, points per set and total kills, ranking second in kills per set and third in attacks per set. Houston’s Katie Karbo ranked second in total digs, with Tulsa’s Taylor Horsfall sixth in that same statistical category. Houston’s Abby Irvine ranked fourth in team assists while Tulane’s Kayla Dinkins was slotted fifth in total blocks.