Volleyball Suffers a 3-1 Loss at Rhode Island

Saturday, November 5

Kingston, R.I.

7:00 PM

Temple University

7-19, 3-10 A-10

Rhode Island

14-13, 6-7 A-10

Temple

Rhode Island

Elyse Burkert

Photo by: Mitchell Leff

Volleyball Suffers a 3-1 Loss at Rhode Island

11.5.11 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Owls will play final two regular season matches at home next weekend

Box Score (PDF)

KINGSTON, R.I. - For a second night in a row, the Temple volleyball team had some strong comebacks that failed to result in a win as the Owls lost 3-1 at Rhode Island. The Rams (14-13, 6-10) won the first set 25-17 before Temple took the second, 25-23, but the final two neck-and-neck sets were won by URI in extra points, 26-24 and 29-27.

Elyse Burkert and Collin Wallace led the Owls (7-19, 3-10) with 14 kills apiece, with Wallace also recording a double-double with 14 digs. Chelsea Tupuola led Temple with 15 digs and Tiffany Connatser recorded 45 assists. Rhode Island's Kayla Wilson led her team with a match-best 22 kills along with 13 digs.

Temple never got much going in the first set, falling behind early on and continuing to trail the Rams the rest of the way. The second set looked to be headed in the same direction, as the Owls trailed by as many as eight, and still trailed by six when the Rams reached 20.

The Owls then began to chip away with runs of two and three points at a time, and when down 23-20, they rallied in a big way to score the final five points of the set. Wallace had two kills in the run while Gabriella Matautia and Emily Frazer recorded one kill apiece in that final stretch, as Temple evened the match at 1-1.

The fourth set was the most disappointing for Temple, who led late in the set by four on a few occasions, including a 23-19 advantage that slipped away. The Owls never got to set point before Rhode Island did, but held off a set point once the Rams got it. After evening the score at 24-24, Temple could not score again as URI got a kill and a block to end the set and go up 2-1 in the match.

Temple led yet again for much of the fourth set, but the Rams kept it close the whole way. There were 11 ties and six lead changes in the set, but it was the Owls who had to fight off two set points before getting one of their own on a block by Frazer and Burkert. Once the Rams evened the score yet again with a kill from Wilson, they used an ace and then a final kill by Wilson to win the set and the match.

Temple will conclude the regular season at home next weekend against Duquesne and Xavier. The Owls face Duquesne at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, and will take on Xavier on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 12:30 p.m. for Senior Day.