Temple University Athletics
Friday, October 2
McGonigle Hall
7:00 p.m.
Temple University
vs
Memphis
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Volleyball Hosts Memphis on Hawaiian Night on Friday
9.30.15 | Women's Volleyball
PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple volleyball team opens the home portion of the 2015 American Athletic Conference schedule this weekend, hosting Memphis and Cincinnati at McGonigle Hall.
THE WEEKEND
The Owls will take on Memphis on Friday at 7:00 p.m, and will play Cincinnati on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
HAWAIIAN NIGHT
Friday night is Hawaiian night for the Owls! There will be free pizza and Hawaiian leis for students and the match will feature Hawaiian Music and Hawaii T-shirt tosses.
LAST TIME OUT: TEMPLE
Temple went 2-0 to start the American Atletic Conference Schedule, posting back-to-back sweeps, topping USF and UCF, both on the road.
On Friday, the Owls topped USF, 3-0, (25-17, 25-14, 25-23) backed by junior Kirsten Overton, who racked up a team-high 12 kills. She recorded only one error to hit .611 in the mtach. Sophomores Izzy Rapacz and Irem Asci each recorded 10 kills, with Rapacz hitting .471. On Sunday, Temple hit .378 as a team to record a 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-16, 25-12) over UCF, the first sweep against the Knights in program history. Irem Asci notched 12 kills, while hitting .435, while Rapacz added 11 kills and junior Kirsten Overton picked up 10. Senior Sandra Sydlik dished out 36 assists, while adding three aces.
CONFERENCE LEADERS
After just the first weekend of conference play, the Owls are the only undefeated team in The American. In two conference matches, Temple hit .355 as a team, racking up 14.6 kills per set, 12.8 assists per set, and 12.00 digs per set. The Owls are first in the league in kills per set, assists per set, and hitting percentage.
Individually, Overton leads The American in hitting percentage (.466) and is third in blocks per set (1.09). Asci is second in the conference in kills per set (4.21), while Sydlik is second in assists per set (11.40).
AMERICAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Overton became Temple's first Player of the Week of the season, earning American Offensive honors on Monday. The junior hit a remarkable .594, averaging 3.67 kills per set to help the Owls' to a pair of sweeps. Against USF on Friday, she posted 12 kills with just one error, hitting .611 with four blocks. On Saturday, Overton followed it up with 10 kills on just 14 swings, hitting .571 with a block as Temple took down defending American Athletic Conference champion, UCF.
AMERICAN HONOR ROLL
Senior Alyssa Drachslin earned a spot on the American Weekly honor roll, her first of the season and the fourth for the Owls. Drachslin anchored Temple's defense in the two wins last week. The libero averaged 5.17 digs per set, recording match-highs in digs in both victories. On Friday against USF, Drachslin tallied 11 digs, also recording three assists in a sweep. On Sunday, she tallied 20 digs in a sweep over UCF, also recording an ace and a pair of assists.
OWL LEADERS
Asci has racked up a team-leading 4.21 kills per set, while Tyler Davis (2.84) and Rapacz (2.73) also bolster the Temple attack. Overton leads the team in hitting percentage, attacking at a .466 clip. Sydlik runs the offense, dishing out 11.2 assists per set. Defensively, Alyssa Drachslin has racked up 230 total digs, averaging 4.89 per set. Overton leads the Owl blockers, with 51 total, while Rapacz has racked up 44 and sophomore Janine Simmons has 42, including a team-leading seven solo.
NATIONALLY-RANKED
Temple appears in the top-20 in three national stat categories this week. The Owls are 8th in the nation hitting percentage (.297) and rank 12th in kills per set (14.38). Temple is also 20th in the nation in assists per set (13.28). Individually, Overton ranks 4th in the nation in hitting percentage (.466), while Sydlik ranks 17th nationally in assists per set (11.40). Elsewhere, Asci is 33rd in Division I with 4.21 kills per set and Drachslin is 38th in digs per set with 4.89.
SCOUTING MEMPHIS
Memphis is 10-5 overall, 1-1 in The American. The Tigers are coming off a win over Cincinnati (3-2) and a loss to ECU (3-1). OH Catlin Lilly leads the Tigers' offense with 3.2 kills and 0.41 aces per set. Oluchi (2.61 k/s) and McKenzie Hayse (2.59 k/s) also bolster the Memphis attack. Veronica Zimmerman runs the Tigers' offense, putting up 9.28 assists per set. Lindsey Purvis heads the Tigers' defense with 174 total digs (3.16/set). Summer Morgan leads the Tigers with 52 total blocks, including 12 solo blocks.
SCOUTING CINCINNATI
Cincinnati is 9-4 overall with a 1-1 mark in The American. The Bearcats opened conference with a five-set loss to Memphis, but rebounded with a 3-1 win over ECU. Jordan Thompson leads Cincinnati with 3.40 kills per set, hitting .299, while Emma Roberson has added 2.83 kills per set. Jade Tingelhoff (5.92 a/s) and Parker Shepherd (5.12 a/s) split setting duties. Abby Williams leads the Bearcat's defense, tallying 206 digs at an average of 4.29 per set. At the net, Maya Muldrow had racked up 49 total blocks, while Cortnee Bowser leads the team with nine solo blocks.
OWLS AGAINST THE FIELD
Temple is 4-1 all-time against Memphis. The teams split the season series in 2014, with both teams winning on the road. Temple is 6-2 all-time against Cincinnati, having won four in a row. The Owls won both matches against the Bearcats last season.
NEXT UP
Temple hits the road for a pair of American matches. The Owls play at SMU on Friday, October 9 at 7:00 p.m. and will play at Tulsa on Sunday, October 11, at 1:30 p.m.
Match Notes (PDF) | Live Stats | Live Video
THE WEEKEND
The Owls will take on Memphis on Friday at 7:00 p.m, and will play Cincinnati on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
HAWAIIAN NIGHT
Friday night is Hawaiian night for the Owls! There will be free pizza and Hawaiian leis for students and the match will feature Hawaiian Music and Hawaii T-shirt tosses.
LAST TIME OUT: TEMPLE
Temple went 2-0 to start the American Atletic Conference Schedule, posting back-to-back sweeps, topping USF and UCF, both on the road.
On Friday, the Owls topped USF, 3-0, (25-17, 25-14, 25-23) backed by junior Kirsten Overton, who racked up a team-high 12 kills. She recorded only one error to hit .611 in the mtach. Sophomores Izzy Rapacz and Irem Asci each recorded 10 kills, with Rapacz hitting .471. On Sunday, Temple hit .378 as a team to record a 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-16, 25-12) over UCF, the first sweep against the Knights in program history. Irem Asci notched 12 kills, while hitting .435, while Rapacz added 11 kills and junior Kirsten Overton picked up 10. Senior Sandra Sydlik dished out 36 assists, while adding three aces.
CONFERENCE LEADERS
After just the first weekend of conference play, the Owls are the only undefeated team in The American. In two conference matches, Temple hit .355 as a team, racking up 14.6 kills per set, 12.8 assists per set, and 12.00 digs per set. The Owls are first in the league in kills per set, assists per set, and hitting percentage.
Individually, Overton leads The American in hitting percentage (.466) and is third in blocks per set (1.09). Asci is second in the conference in kills per set (4.21), while Sydlik is second in assists per set (11.40).
AMERICAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Overton became Temple's first Player of the Week of the season, earning American Offensive honors on Monday. The junior hit a remarkable .594, averaging 3.67 kills per set to help the Owls' to a pair of sweeps. Against USF on Friday, she posted 12 kills with just one error, hitting .611 with four blocks. On Saturday, Overton followed it up with 10 kills on just 14 swings, hitting .571 with a block as Temple took down defending American Athletic Conference champion, UCF.
AMERICAN HONOR ROLL
Senior Alyssa Drachslin earned a spot on the American Weekly honor roll, her first of the season and the fourth for the Owls. Drachslin anchored Temple's defense in the two wins last week. The libero averaged 5.17 digs per set, recording match-highs in digs in both victories. On Friday against USF, Drachslin tallied 11 digs, also recording three assists in a sweep. On Sunday, she tallied 20 digs in a sweep over UCF, also recording an ace and a pair of assists.
OWL LEADERS
Asci has racked up a team-leading 4.21 kills per set, while Tyler Davis (2.84) and Rapacz (2.73) also bolster the Temple attack. Overton leads the team in hitting percentage, attacking at a .466 clip. Sydlik runs the offense, dishing out 11.2 assists per set. Defensively, Alyssa Drachslin has racked up 230 total digs, averaging 4.89 per set. Overton leads the Owl blockers, with 51 total, while Rapacz has racked up 44 and sophomore Janine Simmons has 42, including a team-leading seven solo.
NATIONALLY-RANKED
Temple appears in the top-20 in three national stat categories this week. The Owls are 8th in the nation hitting percentage (.297) and rank 12th in kills per set (14.38). Temple is also 20th in the nation in assists per set (13.28). Individually, Overton ranks 4th in the nation in hitting percentage (.466), while Sydlik ranks 17th nationally in assists per set (11.40). Elsewhere, Asci is 33rd in Division I with 4.21 kills per set and Drachslin is 38th in digs per set with 4.89.
SCOUTING MEMPHIS
Memphis is 10-5 overall, 1-1 in The American. The Tigers are coming off a win over Cincinnati (3-2) and a loss to ECU (3-1). OH Catlin Lilly leads the Tigers' offense with 3.2 kills and 0.41 aces per set. Oluchi (2.61 k/s) and McKenzie Hayse (2.59 k/s) also bolster the Memphis attack. Veronica Zimmerman runs the Tigers' offense, putting up 9.28 assists per set. Lindsey Purvis heads the Tigers' defense with 174 total digs (3.16/set). Summer Morgan leads the Tigers with 52 total blocks, including 12 solo blocks.
SCOUTING CINCINNATI
Cincinnati is 9-4 overall with a 1-1 mark in The American. The Bearcats opened conference with a five-set loss to Memphis, but rebounded with a 3-1 win over ECU. Jordan Thompson leads Cincinnati with 3.40 kills per set, hitting .299, while Emma Roberson has added 2.83 kills per set. Jade Tingelhoff (5.92 a/s) and Parker Shepherd (5.12 a/s) split setting duties. Abby Williams leads the Bearcat's defense, tallying 206 digs at an average of 4.29 per set. At the net, Maya Muldrow had racked up 49 total blocks, while Cortnee Bowser leads the team with nine solo blocks.
OWLS AGAINST THE FIELD
Temple is 4-1 all-time against Memphis. The teams split the season series in 2014, with both teams winning on the road. Temple is 6-2 all-time against Cincinnati, having won four in a row. The Owls won both matches against the Bearcats last season.
NEXT UP
Temple hits the road for a pair of American matches. The Owls play at SMU on Friday, October 9 at 7:00 p.m. and will play at Tulsa on Sunday, October 11, at 1:30 p.m.
Match Notes (PDF) | Live Stats | Live Video
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
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