Temple Volleyball Hosts a Pair of Conference Matches this Weekend

Friday, October 10

McGonigle Hall

7:00 PM

Temple University

Cincinnati

Photo by: Mitchell Leff

Temple Volleyball Hosts a Pair of Conference Matches this Weekend

10.9.14 | Women's Volleyball

Game Notes (PDF) | Live Stats | Live Video

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Temple volleyball will play host to a pair of American Athletic Conference Opponents this weekend at McGonigle Hall. The Owls (11-5, 2-2) will welcome Cincinnati (11-5, 3-1) on Friday at 7:00 p.m. and then will host Memphis (13-5, 3-1) on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

Temple went 1-1 in a pair of American Athletic Conference matches last week. On Sunday, the Owls defeated USF for the first time in 11 tries, hitting .364 in a three-set sweep (25-20, 25-14, 25-20). Sophomores Kirsten Overton and Tyler Davis each posted 10 kills and five blocks in the win. Earlier in the week, UCF topped the Owls, 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-16). Junior setter Sandra Sydlik contributed a double-double with 24 assists and 11 digs in Friday's loss.

Overton leads Temple with a .409 hitting percentage, ranking her third in the conference and 23rd in NCAA Division I. Sophomore outside hitter Caroline Grattan is averaging a team-best 3.80 kills per set, while Sydlik averages 10.24 assists per set.

Friday night's match is "Hawaiian Night" for the Owls, a tradition that started because of former team member Gabriella Matautia '14, who hailed from Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Temple will be handing out Hawaiian-themed giveaways, donated by the Matautia family, during the match. Qdoba will also provide free food to all students prior to the match.

Temple leads the series against Cincinnati, 4-2, including a pair of American Athletic conference wins last season. The Bearcats are led by Emma Roberson's 3.58 kills per set, while Jamie Netisingha averages 4.75 digs per set. Cincinnati is coming off a 3-0 sweep of Tulsa last Sunday.

The Owls have won both previous meetings against Memphis, as the teams met for the first time ever in last year's American Athletic Conference regular season. The Tigers are coming off a sweep of SMU on Sunday and are led by Kate Gibson and Lauren Wright who both average over 2.85 kills per set. Memphis's Aleksandra Petronijevic averages 5.51 digs per set, leading the American in the category.

OF NOTE...
• Temple is 11-5 overall this season, carrying a 2-2 mark against American Athletic Conference opponents.
• The Owls split a pair of American Athletic Conference matches last weekend, falling to UCF (3-0) on Friday and topping USF (3-0) on Sunday.
• The Owls rank in the top three in the conference in digs per set (2nd - 16.26), hitting percentage (3rd - .242), and opponent hitting percentage (.186).
• Sophomore middle Kirsten Overton currently ranks 23rd among all players in NCAA Division I with a hitting percentage of .409, which is third in the American.
• Junior libero Alyssa Drachslin is 50th among all players in NCAA Division I, averaging 4.72 digs per set. Those numbers rank her fourth in the American.
• Temple's 3-0 sweep over USF on Sunday snapped a 10-match losing streak against the Bullets, dating back to 1986.
• Cincinnati enters Friday's game with an 11-5 overall record, including a 3-1 mark in the American.
• The Bearcats rank in the top four in the conference in blocks per set (2.19), assists per set (12.62) and hitting percentage (.233).
• Memphis is 3-1 in the American, with a 13-5 overall mark.
• The Tigers lead the American in five categories - digs per set (17.20), opponent hitting percentage (.147), aces (96), blocks (153.5), and total kills (924). They also rank in the top-20 nationally in - digs per set (12th), total assists (873 - 19th), and opponent hitting percentage (19th).
• The Tigers' Aleksandra Petronijevic was named the American's Defensive Player of the Week, averaging 7.00 digs/set for Memphis in a 2-0 weekend with wins over Tulsa and SMU.
• Friday night's match is "Hawaiian Night" for the Owls, a tradition that started because of former team member Gabriella Matautia '14, who hailed from Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Temple will be handing out Hawaiian-themed giveaways, donated by the Matautia family, during the match.
• Temple won three of the four tournaments it competed in this season, taking team titles at the Syracuse Invitational, its own Temple Invitational, and the Big 5 Tournament hosted by Penn.
• Junior setter Sandra Sydlik was named the Big 5 Tournament MVP, and was also named Under Armour OwlSports.com Athlete of the Week recognition.
• Drachslin was named the Tournament MVP of the Temple Invitational, and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by senior Jennifer Iacobini and freshman Dara Peric.
• Overton was named the Tournament MVP of the Syracuse Invitational, and was also named to the All-Tournament Team and the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll.
• Head Coach Bakeer Ganes is now in his fourth year at the helm of the program, with an overall record of 54-47... His record for the last two seasons (2012 and 2013) was 37-23.