STATISTICS
Saturday, September 15 Results:
| Robert Morris 3, Houston 2 |
RECAP |
BOXSCORE |
| Temple 3, New Hampshire 1 |
RECAP |
BOXSCORE |
| UCF 3, Yale 2 |
RECAP |
BOXSCORE |
| St. John's 3, UConn 0 |
RECAP |
BOXSCORE |
| Charlotte 3, USF 2 |
RECAP |
BOXSCORE |
| No. 21 Marquette 3, Tulsa 0 |
RECAP |
BOXSCORE |
| No. 14 Cal Poly 3, Wichita State 1 |
RECAP |
BOXSCORE |
| Tulane 3, Clemson 2 |
RECAP |
BOXSCORE |
| LSU 3, SMU 2 |
RECAP |
BOXSCORE |
| Cincinnati 3, Xavier 1 |
RECAP |
BOXSCORE |
| Temple 3, Princeton 1 |
RECAP |
BOXSCORE |
Highlights
- UCF (9-3) and Tulane (12-3) each completed 3-0 weekend sweeps, as The American’s volleyball teams concluded their 2018 nonconference regular season tournaments on Saturday. Both the Knights and Green Wave are on six-match winning streaks. The conference holds a .641 (93-52) winning percentage against other conferences with only a handful of nonconference matches left to play this season. Nine out of 12 conference teams possess winning records heading into conference play beginning on Friday, September 21. Houston (13-2) has maintained the top record in The American to start the conference action.
Robert Morris 3, Houston 2
Houston battled its way through a five-set match, but was unable to hold on to its 2-0 lead and fell to Robert Morris. Abby Irvine put together her third double-double of the season, finishing the match with 17 assists and 14 digs, while outside hitter Gabi Zelaya also recorded her third of the year with 13 kills and 14 digs. Katie Karbo earned a spot on the RMU Sheraton All-Tournament team. The Cougars will begin conference play against Temple on Friday.
Temple 3, New Hampshire 1 | Temple 3, Princeton 1
Temple snapped a nine-match slide and finished its own Cherry & White Challenge with a day two sweep, as the Owls topped Princeton (3-1) and New Hampshire (3-1). The tournament marked the end of the nonconference season for Temple who went 3-9 against non-league opponents. Iva Deak led all players with 13 kills, while adding seven blocks in the win over the Wildcats. Dana Westfield registered a match-best 18 kills against the Tigers, while Katerina Papazoglou finished with 11 kills and 14 digs for a double-double. The Owls go on the road to begin conference play at Houston on Friday and SMU on Sunday on the American Digital Network.
UCF 3, Yale 2
UCF needed a gritty performance to outlast Yale in its final match of the VolleyKnights Invitational. The Knights earned their second tournament title in as many weeks with a 3-2 victory over the Bulldogs. Mckenna Melville powered the offense with 24 kills at a .222 clip, matching her career-high set on Friday night against Florida Gulf Coast. Kristina Fisher came up big over the final two frames to finish with 14 kills. Melville was named tournament MVP for the second-straight week. The outside hitter totaled 5.36 kills per set at a .333 clip to go along with three digs per set. Jordan Pingel joined her in earning a spot on the All-Tournament team. UCF will open its American Athletic Conference slate next weekend at USF on Friday, as part of the War on I-4 series.
St. John's 3, UConn 0
UConn dropped a 3-0 decision to St. John's in the title game of the 2018 Dog Pound Challenge in Gampel Pavilion. UConn finishes up nonconference play at 8-5 on the season and starts American Athletic Conference action this week against SMU and Houston. Danielle Cabel finished with a team-high nine kills while earning a spot on the All-Tournament team. Classmate Elizabeth Kline also was named to the All-Tournament team and collected 14 digs in the loss.
Charlotte 3, USF 2
USF battled back after dropping sets two and three, nearly completing the comeback, but could not best Charlotte in five sets to close out the USF Classic. The Bulls had a stellar performance from middle blocker Clara Payne, who had 21 kills and hit .439. Middle blocker Jaeden Brown had 11 kills, hitting .450. Senior setter Briana Stowell had a match high 48 assists and added 15 digs. The American slate gets under way Friday night with the first installment of this year's War on I-4. USF and UCF meet inside the Corral at 7 p.m. ET.
No. 21 Marquette 3, Tulsa 0
Tulsa (7-4) fell to host and No. 21 Marquette, 3-0, in its final match of the Marquette Invitational. Moore and Thorson nearly recorded double-doubles in the match, as each tallied nine kills to go along with nine and eight digs, respectively. Tulsa is set to begin conference play next weekend, hosting Memphis (7-5) on Friday.
No. 14 Cal Poly 3, Wichita State 1
No. 14 Cal Poly claimed a 3-1 victory over Wichita State (5-6) in the North Texas Challenge at the North Texas Volleyball Center. Megan Taflinger pounded out 10 kills to go along with two service aces, three blocks and six digs to lead the Shockers. Tabitha Brown was named to the All-Tournament team. Wichita State is scheduled to open American Athletic Conference play Friday at Charles Koch Arena against Tulane.
Tulane 3, Clemson 2
Tulane defeated Clemson in an intense five-set match, earning the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Classic championship title for their 3-0 weekend performance. Lexie Douglas was named Tournament Most Valuable Player, recording 15 kills and a .387 attack percentage against Clemson, while totaling 40 kills in three matches this weekend. Junior libero Kaylie McHugh earned Defensive Most Valuable Player honors, tallying 66 digs against the three opponents, with a current season total of 239. Three players posted double-digit kills, with Douglas adding 15, right side hitter Erika Hansel recording 13 and outside hitter Markenzie Benoit tallying 10. Tulane will start conference play against Wichita State next Friday.
LSU 3, SMU 2
SMU had three chances to win the match before LSU won the fifth set for a 3-2 win in the championship contest of the DoubleTree Invitational in Moody Coliseum. Hannah Jacobs led the Mustangs for the second-straight match, scoring 15 kills, and Brittany Adams added 10 kills with 18 digs for her fourth-straight double-double. LSU’s Taylor Bannister had 36 kills in the win and was named the tournament MVP. Jacobs was named to the All-Tournament team, finishing with 36 kills and a .233 attack percentage. Montana Watts picked up her second Best Libero award, averaging 4.90 digs per set in the two five-set affairs. SMU is at home Friday and Sunday for the first weekend of American Athletic Conference matches. The Mustangs face UConn Friday night, and Sunday's match against Temple will be on the American Digital Network.
Cincinnati 3, Xavier 1
Cincinnati (9-3) bested its crosstown rival Xavier 3-1 in front of a packed crowd in the final match of the Queen City Classic. Jordan Thompson broke her own American Athletic Conference record with 32 kills in the four-set victory. She previously had 31 in a 3-1 win over No. 25 Colorado State this season. Both teams posted attack percentages better than .290, with the Bearcats hitting a season-high .324. Cincinnati has a midweek match at Western Kentucky on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. The Bearcats will then open conference play with a trip to ECU for a 7 p.m. Friday night match.
RESULTS/UPCOMING SCHEDULE
| Tuesday, September 11 |
 |
Memphis |
3 |
 |
Ole Miss |
2 |
|
8 p.m. |
Oxford, Miss |
Recap |
 |
Tulane |
3 |
 |
Southeastern Louisiana |
0 |
|
8 p.m. |
Hammand, LA |
Recap |
| Friday, September 14 |
 |
Eastern Michigan |
1 |
 |
Houston |
3 |
|
10 a.m. |
Moon Township, Pa. |
|
 |
Alabama State |
0 |
 |
UCF |
3 |
|
11 a.m. |
Orlando, Fla. |
|
 |
North Dakota |
0 |
 |
USF |
3 |
|
11 a.m. |
Tampa, Fla. |
|
 |
Stephen F. Austin |
3 |
 |
Wichita State |
1 |
|
Noon |
Denton, Texas |
|
 |
Holy Cross |
0 |
 |
UConn |
3 |
|
12:30 p.m. |
Storrs, Conn. |
|
 |
Eastern Kentucky |
0 |
 |
Cincinnati |
3 |
|
1 p.m. |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
|
 |
Little Rock |
2 |
|
Tulane |
3 |
|
1:30 p.m. |
New Orleans, La. |
|
 |
Morgan State |
|
 |
ECU |
|
|
3:30 p.m. |
Williamsburg, Va. |
Cancelled |
 |
Illinois State |
3 |
 |
Tulsa |
1 |
|
4 p.m. |
Milwaukee, Wis |
|
 |
Maryland |
3 |
 |
Temple |
0 |
|
6 p.m. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
|
|
Wichita State |
3 |
 |
North Texas |
0 |
|
7 p.m. |
Denton, Texas |
|
 |
Indiana |
3 |
|
Cincinnati |
2 |
|
7 p.m. |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
|
 |
Rutgers |
1 |
|
UConn |
3 |
|
7 p.m. |
Storrs, Conn. |
|
 |
Duquesne |
1 |
|
Houston |
3 |
|
7 p.m. |
Moon Township, Pa. |
|
|
Memphis |
|
 |
Georgetown |
|
|
7 p.m. |
Washington, DC |
Cancelled |
 |
New Orleans |
0 |
|
USF |
3 |
|
7 p.m. |
Tampa, Fla. |
|
 |
Abilene Christian |
2 |
 |
SMU |
3 |
|
8 p.m. |
Dallas, Texas |
|
 |
Villanova |
1 |
|
Tulane |
3 |
|
8 p.m. |
New Orleans, La. |
|
 |
Florida Gulf Coast |
0 |
|
UCF |
3 |
|
8 p.m. |
Orlando, Fla. |
|
| Saturday, September 15 |
|
Houston |
2 |
 |
Robert Morris |
3 |
|
10 a.m. |
Moon Township, Pa. |
|
 |
Lehigh |
|
|
ECU |
|
|
10:30 a.m. |
Williamsburg, Va. |
Cancelled |
 |
New Hampshire |
1 |
|
Temple |
3 |
|
11 a.m. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
|
 |
Coppin State |
|
|
Memphis |
|
|
11 a.m. |
Washington, D.C. |
Cancelled |
 |
Charlotte |
3 |
|
USF |
2 |
|
Noon |
Tampa, Fla. |
|
 |
St. John's |
3 |
|
UConn |
0 |
|
1 p.m. |
Storrs, Conn. |
|
 |
Yale |
2 |
|
UCF |
3 |
|
1 p.m. |
Orlando, Fla. |
|
|
Tulsa |
0 |
 |
Marquette |
3 |
|
2 p.m. |
Milwaukee, Wis. |
|
 |
Cal Poly |
3 |
|
Wichita State |
1 |
|
2 p.m. |
Denton, Texas |
|
 |
Clemson |
2 |
|
Tulane |
3 |
|
3 p.m. |
New Orleans, La. |
|
 |
LSU |
3 |
|
SMU |
2 |
|
3 p.m. |
Dallas, Texas |
|
|
Memphis |
|
 |
George Washington |
|
|
3 p.m. |
Washington, D.C |
Cancelled |
 |
Xavier |
1 |
|
Cincinnati |
3 |
|
4:30 p.m. |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
|
|
ECU |
|
 |
William & Mary |
|
|
7 p.m. |
Williamsburg, Va |
Cancelled |
 |
Princeton |
1 |
|
Temple |
3 |
|
7 p.m. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
|
All times Eastern and subject to change