STATISTICS
Friday, September 21 Results:
Highlights
- Wichita State highlighted the opening night of American play after extending its conference winning streak to 21-straight matches, while snapping Tulane’s six-match streak in a five-set thriller. UCF, Cincinnati, SMU, Temple and Tulsa joined the Shockers in starting off their conference slates with victories. The league returns to action on Sunday, September 23, with four more conference matches, including SMU hosting Temple on the American Digital Network.
Cincinnati 3, ECU 0
Jordan Thompson, Carly Nolan and Erica Kostelac each had a double-double, while hitting over .390, as Cincinnati used a strong offense to sweep ECU and open conference play with a victory on the road. Nolan led the way with 19 kills and 10 digs, while Jordan was just behind with 18 kills and 10 digs. Kostelac also had 10 digs and 13 kills. Jordan led the way with a .548 hitting percentage to fuel her team’s .417 clip. ECU was held to a .126 hitting percentage. Both teams wrap up their opening-weekend action, as they prepare for Week 2 of conference play.
UCF 3, USF 2
The 2018 War on I-4 series started in an exciting fashion with UCF outlasting USF on the road in front of a packed crowd at The Corral. McKenna Melville and Erin Olson each had double-doubles in the win, as the Knights picked up their 2nd-straight five-set victory, extending their winning streak to seven matches. Down 2-1 in the match, UCF found the final two points in the fourth set to win 25-23 and force a fifth. The Knights refused to look back from there, clinching the final set, 15-10. Melville had 21 kills and 16 digs, as Briana Garcia and Nerissa Moravec hit .314 and .692, respectively, in the win. Four players reached double-digit kills for USF, as the Bulls led the match with a .229 hitting percentage. UCF has the rest of the weekend off, while USF will head to North Florida for a Sunday nonconference match on ESPN+.
Wichita State 3, Tulane 2
Wichita State battled back to capture a victory in its home opener, defeating Tulane 3-2 for its third five-set victory of the season. The Shockers remain undefeated in conference play since joining The American last season with 21-straight league wins. The Shockers and Green Wave exchanged sets until Wichita State won the final three points in the fifth (15-12) to claim the victory. Megan Taflinger led Wichita State with a double-double, including a career-high 17 kills and 13 digs. Tabitha Brown joined her in double-digit kills with 11. Libero Giorgia Civita had 27 digs, while setter Kalie Eaken paced the offense with 29 assists and three service aces. Lexie Douglas and Erika Hansel combined for 30 kills to lead the Green Wave. The Shockers have Memphis at home on Cox Yurview Sunday, while Tulane heads to Tulsa, who remains undefeated at the Reynolds Center this year.
Tulsa 3, Memphis 0
Tulsa remains perfect at home with a 4-0 record, as the Golden Hurricane swept Memphis in the two teams’ conference opener, ending the Tigers’ five-match winning streak. Maggie Hembree had 10 kills without an error, hitting .556 to lead the Golden Hurricane. Teammate Rachel Moore also had 10 kills to join her in double-digits. Memphis was led by Hannah Flowers who recorded her fourth double-double of the year with 11 kills and 11 digs. Tulsa puts its undefeated home record on the line when it welcomes Tulane to the Reynolds Center, while Memphis will head to Wichita State on Sunday.
Temple 3, Houston 2
Trailing 2-1, Temple battled back to claim the final three sets, including a 15-13 fifth set victory, on the way to starting of its American slate with a 3-2 win at Houston. The Owls will take on SMU in Moody Coliseum on Sunday in the first match streamed on the American Digital Network this season. Temple has won three in a row and was led by Irem Asci, Katerina Papazoglou and Tyler Lindgren, who each recorded doubled-doubles. Katie Krebs, Megan Duncan and Abby Irvine each had double-doubles for Houston. The Cougars will host UConn on Sunday.
SMU 3, UConn 1
Setter Kendall Patterson guided SMU’s offense to hitting .241, as the Mustangs opened their conference slate at home with a 3-1 win over UConn. Patterson and Brittany Adams each recorded a double-double. Adams had 14 kills and 13 digs for her team-leading seventh double-double of the year, while Patterson recorded 23 assists and 14 digs. Lexi Nordmann and Eva Linden each had nine kills, while hitting over .315. Freshman Caylee Parker led the Huskies with 12 kills and 15 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. SMU welcomes Temple to Moody Coliseum on Sunday for the first American Digital Network match of the season. UConn will look to bounce back at Houston.
RESULTS/UPCOMING SCHEDULE
| Tuesday, September 18 |
 |
Cincinnati |
1 |
 |
Western Kentucky |
3 |
|
7 p.m. |
Bowling Green, Ky. |
Recap |
| Friday, September 21 |
|
Cincinnati |
3 |
 |
ECU |
0 |
 |
7 p.m. |
Greenville, N.C. |
|
 |
UCF |
3 |
 |
USF |
2 |
|
7 p.m. |
Tampa, Fla. |
|
 |
Tulane |
2 |
 |
Wichita State |
3 |
|
8 p.m. |
Wichita, Kan. |
|
 |
Memphis |
0 |
 |
Tulsa |
3 |
|
8 p.m. |
Tulsa, Okla. |
|
 |
Temple |
3 |
 |
Houston |
2 |
|
8 p.m. |
Houston, Texas |
|
 |
UConn |
1 |
 |
SMU |
3 |
|
8 p.m. |
Dallas, Texas |
|
| Sunday, September 23 |
|
USF |
|
 |
North Florida |
|
|
1 p.m. |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPN + |
|
Temple |
|
|
SMU |
|
|
1:05 p.m. |
Dallas, Texas |
Live Stats Live Video TV:American Digital Network |
|
Tulane |
|
|
Tulsa |
|
|
2 p.m. |
Tulsa, Okla. |
Live Stats Live Video |
|
Memphis |
|
|
Wichita State |
|
|
2 p.m. |
Wichita, Kan. |
Live Stats Live Video Live Audio TV:Cox Yurview |
|
UConn |
|
|
Houston |
|
|
2 p.m. |
Houston, Texas |
Live Stats Live Video |
All times Eastern and subject to change