Temple University Athletics
Temple University
Rutgers
Final Road Matches of the Season Take Volleyball to Rutgers and UConn
11.21.13 | Women's Volleyball
Live Stats (Rutgers)
Live Stats l Live Video (UConn)
PHILADELPHIA - The final two road matches of the season will take Temple volleyball to Rutgers and UConn this weekend, before the Owls return home next week for their last two games of the year. The Owls (17-9, 8-6) will play Rutgers (4-24, 0-14) at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, before heading to UConn (12-17, 3-11) for a 2:00 p.m. match on Sunday, Nov. 24.
Temple swept both Rutgers and UConn earlier this season, during a five-match win streak in October. The Scarlet Knights are still looking for their first American Athletic Conference win, and the Huskies have also struggled, winning just one of their last six matches.
The American will not have a conference tournament for volleyball. Louisville, the preseason favorite, has clinched the regular season title and will earn the league's automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The Cardinals are 20-7 overall and have gone undefeated in conference play at 15-0 so far. The Owls currently stand in sixth place but could finish much higher, with second and sixth being separated by just three wins heading into this weekend.
Temple ranks third in the league in three statistical categories- opponent hitting percentage (.173), service aces per set (1.3) and digs per set (15.91).
Senior Gabriella Matautia is third in the American in kills per set (3.47), sophomore Sandra Sydlik is second in aces per set (0.34), sophomore Alyssa Drachslin is fifth in digs per set (4.38) and junior Jennifer Iacobini is fifth in hitting percentage (.301).
Matautia's 333 total kills are over 100 more than anyone else on the team, and she has now amassed an impressive 1,206 kills in her career.
With two wins this weekend, the Owls would tie their total of 19 wins from a year ago, which was the most for the program since 2005. Temple will close out its season by hosting USF and UCF next Wednesday and Friday, currently the fourth and third place teams in the conference, respectively. The Owls will celebrate Senior Day at Friday's match, honoring Matautia, Elyse Burkert and Emily Carlin prior to the start of the contest.
