STATISTICS
Friday, November 9, Results:
Highlights
- Three American Athletic Conference volleyball teams remain in contention for The American title with each program left to play four matches. No. 22 UCF and Cincinnati each have a shot at clinching the outright champion designation, while Tulane could still win a portion. After defeating Cincinnati in an exciting five-set battle for the second time this season, a weekend sweep for UCF would give the Knights a portion, as well as The American’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament.
UConn, SMU and USF joined the Knights in winning in five sets on Friday night, while Houston and Tulane collected four-set victories. UCF and Tulane are riding double-digit winning streaks, as the Knights have won 20-straight, while the Green Wave is on a 10-match swing.
USF 3, ECU 2
With a 2-0 lead, the USF volleyball team held off ECU for its seventh five-set win this season. Middle blockers Clara Payne and Jaeden Brown each hit over .400, combining for 23 kills and eight stuffs in the win. USF had a season-high 70 kills. USF will face Cincinnati in a big match on Sunday. ECU setter Shelby Martin came close to another triple double, recording nine kills, 43 assists and 15 digs. The Pirates will travel to No. 22 UCF on Sunday.
No. 22 UCF 3, Cincinnati 2
It was a rematch between the top two teams in The American, as UCF came back to defeat Cincinnati in five sets for the second time this season, claiming the season series against the Bearcats. The Knights extend their winning streak to 20, while staying unbeaten at home with a 13-0 mark and in conference play at 14-0. UCF is one win away from clinching a portion of The American title, as a victory over ECU Sunday would also give the Knights the conference’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament. Freshman McKenna Melville connected on 26 kills from 85 attempts for a .200 clip to go along with 20 digs for her conference-high 19th double-double of the year. UCF totaled 15 rejections, led by Anne-Marie Watson and Kathryn Wesolich with eight apiece.
Despite being held under a .200 hitting clip, the nation’s leader in kills and points, Cincinnati outside and right side hitter Jordan Thompson, reached the 30-kill mark for an eighth time this year, finishing the night with 31 kills and 20 digs. Outside hitter Maria Mallon had 17 kills on a .412 clip, while setter Jade Tingelhoff had 53 assists. Senior Carly Nolan set an American record with two service aces, as her 102 career aces rank No. 1 all-time in American history. It marked the ninth conference record set by the Bearcats this season with Thompson accounting for eight of them. If UCF wins on Sunday, Cincinnati will need to match with a victory over USF in order to remain in contention for the conference title.
Tulane 3, Temple 1
Tulane has been successful in stifling opponents’ attack during its 10-match winning streak, as it held Temple below the .200 line in a 3-1 win. Makala Heidelberg and Yvette Burcescu reached double-figure kills, while hitting over .350 to fuel the Green Wave’s .331 hitting clip in the win. Tulane looks to extend its streak into Sunday against UConn, while Temple looks to get back on track against Memphis.
Houston 3, Wichita State 1
Houston’s first conference road victory of the year was a big one, as the Cougars clinched the season series against the Shockers in a 3-1 win inside Charles Koch Arena. There were 30 ties and eight lead exchanges in the match, as Houston improves to 10-0 on the year when winning the first two sets. Outside hitter Megan Duncan tallied her team-high 11th double-double of the season, finishing Friday night with a match-high 15 kills to go along with 16 digs. Houston faces Tulsa next, while Wichita State looks for vengeance against SMU in an American Digital Network match on Sunday.
SMU 3, Tulsa 2
Both sides placed four hitters in double-digit kills, as SMU pulled away for a 3-2 victory at Tulsa. Meryn Kennedy knocked down 11 kills without an error for a .579 hitting percentage. Montana Watts had 38 digs, while Lily Heim had 50 assists. Tulsa’s Callie Cook pummeled 10 kills on a .529 hitting clip and five blocks to lead the Golden Hurricane. SMU heads to Wichita State, looking to sweep the season series after defeating the Shockers 3-2 in October. Tulsa welcomes Houston to the Reynolds Center on Sunday.
UConn 3, Memphis 2
UConn picked up its second-straight win in an exciting five-set battle against Memphis. The Huskies earned their redemption after falling to Memphis 3-2 back in October. The match consisted of 28 ties and 12 lead changes, as UConn ended the night with three hitters in double-digits kills. Daniel Cabel recorded a .600 hitting percentage with 12 kills, as freshman Caylee Parker earned a double-double of 23 kills and 12 digs. The Tigers also put three players in double-digit kills with Anna Palmer registering a team-high 14. UConn looks to make it three-in-a-row on Sunday at Tulane, while Memphis hosts Temple.
RESULTS/UPCOMING SCHEDULE
| Friday, November 9 |
 |
ECU |
2 |
 |
USF |
3 |
 |
7 p.m. |
Tampa, Fla. |
|
 |
Cincinnati |
2 |
 |
UCF |
3 |
|
7 p.m. |
Orlando, Fla. |
|
 |
Temple |
1 |
 |
Tulane |
3 |
|
8 p.m. |
New Orleans, La. |
|
 |
Houston |
3 |
 |
Wichita State |
1 |
|
8 p.m. |
Wichita, Kan. |
|
 |
SMU |
3 |
 |
Tulsa |
2 |
|
8 p.m. |
Tulsa, Okla. |
|
 |
UConn |
3 |
 |
Memphis |
2 |
|
8 p.m. |
Memphis, Tenn. |
|
Sunday, November 11 |
|
ECU |
|
|
UCF |
|
|
1 p.m. |
Orlando, Fla. |
Live Stats Live Video |
|
Cincinnati |
|
|
USF |
|
|
1 p.m. |
Tampa, Fla. |
Live Stats Live Video |
|
Temple |
|
|
Memphis |
|
|
1 p.m. |
Memphis, Tenn. |
Live Stats Live Video |
|
UConn |
|
|
Tulane |
|
|
2 p.m. |
New Orleans, La. |
Live Stats Live Video |
|
Houston |
|
|
Tulsa |
|
|
2 p.m. |
Tulsa, Okla. |
Live Stats Live Video |
|
SMU |
|
|
Wichita State |
|
|
2 p.m. |
Wichita, Kan. |
Live Stats Live Video Live Audio TV:American Digital Network |
All times Eastern and subject to change