AMERICAN VOLLEYBALL RELEASE - NOVEMBER 5
THE POSTSEASON PICTURE BEGINS TO TAKE SHAPE
Cincinnati and UCF remained neck and neck in the East Division of The American after the first six weeks of conference play, locking up bids to the American Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship later this month in Orlando, Florida. In the West Division, only two games separate current leader Houston (9-3) from SMU (8-4), Tulsa (7-5) and Tulane (7-5). The top two teams in the West Division standings at season’s end will join Cincinnati and UCF in the conference tournament, with the final two bids decided by way of an inter-division tiebreaker involving teams from both divisions.
THOMPSON’S SENIOR DAY FOR THE AGES
Cincinnati faced a 2-1 deficit to UConn in the midst of Senior Day festivities last Sunday at Fifth Third Arena, but that is precisely when the Bearcats lone senior made her impact. Jordan Thompson logged a career-high 50 kills to lead Cincinnati to a five-set comeback win over the Huskies, 25-18, 24-26, 23-25, 25-14, 15-7. Thompson, who previously held the top American Athletic Conference mark with 44 kills against Wichita State on Oct. 14, 2018, became the first NCAA Division I player with at least 50 kills in a match since Loyola Marymount’s Sarah McFarland logged 52 against Ohio State on Sept. 10, 1999. Thompson’s effort was just the seventh 50-kill match overall in DI volleyball history. Along with the kills total, Thompson hit at a .530 clip with 11 digs in the win for Cincinnati. Thompson was named The American Offensive Player of the Week for the sixth time this season and the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week for the third time in her career in recognition of the performance.
WHERE THE AMERICAN SITS IN THE NATIONAL RANKS
In the ninth full release of NCAA Division I statistics for the 2019 season on Nov. 3, Houston was slotted first in total team attacks, fifth in team digs, team kills and assists and ninth in team blocks; Cincinnati ranked first in kills per set, second in assists per set and sixth in aces per set and hitting percentage; UCF ranked fourth in total team blocks and sixth in blocks per set; and Tulane was sixth in total blocks. Individually Cincinnati’s Jordan Thompson was first in points, points per set, kills per set and total kills, ranking third in attacks per set and total attacks. Houston’s Katie Karbo was third in total digs, with Tulsa’s Taylor Horsfall fifth in that same statistical category. Cincinnati’s Armania Heckenmueller ranked first and SMU’s Lily Heim third in assists per set, while Houston’s Rachel Tullos was third and Tulane’s Kayla Dinkins fourth in total blocks.