Temple University Athletics
Friday, October 14
McGonigle Hall
7:00 p.m.
Temple University
vs
USF
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
TUVB Hosts Florida-Rivals (USF, UCF) this Weekend
10.12.16 | Women's Volleyball
PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple volleyball team hosts a pair of important conference matches this weekend, welcoming Florida-rivals, USF and UCF to town. The Owls will play the Bulls on Friday at 7:00 p.m. and the Knights on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
FOLLOW
  • Live Stats
  • Live Video (OwlsTV/TUTV)
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PLAY
   Temple opened conference play 1-1 at home, but won back-to-back road trips to move to 5-1. Last time out, Temple won at Tulsa (3-0) and SMU (3-2). Â
DIG PINK
Sunday's match will serve as Temple's "Dig Pink" event for breast cancer awareness. The "Dig Pink" cause benefits the Side-Out Foundation's breast cancer support and research. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the match.  Please donate to the cause online HERE.
LAST TIME OUT: TEMPLE 3, SMU 2 (AMERICAN)
   Temple handed defending conference champion, SMU, a 3-2 loss on their home court on Sunday afternoon. The Owls won 25-19, 25-23, 21-25, 19-25, 15-19 for their fifth win in a row.  and 25-19 wins, forcing a fifth set. In the final frame, Temple won 15-9 to seal the match.
   The Owls had three players in double-digit in kills, led by a 19-kill, 17-dig double-double from junior Irem Asci. Junior Izzy Rapacz and senior Tyler Davis each notched 12 kills, with Rapacz adding nine digs and four blocks. Junior setter Kyra Coundourides tallied the Owls' second double-double of the match with 47 assists and 18 digs, tying a career-best. Also hitting a career-bests were sophomores Mia Heirakuji and Iva Deak and junior Dara Peric. Heirakuji racked up 25 digs, earning match-high honors, while Deak tallied eight blocks, also adding seven kills. Peric tallied 17 digs, a career-high. Elsewhere for the Owls, senior Kirsten Overton notched five kills and three blocks.
LAST TIME OUT: TEMPLE 3, TULSA 0 (AMERICAN)
   Temple swept Tulsa, 3-0, on the road on Friday afternoon, winning the noon showdown, 25-21, 25-20, 25-22.Â
   The Owls got production from all over the court, with Asci notching 14 kills and eight digs, and Davis contributing 10 kills, hitting .429. From the middle, Deak and senior Kirsten Overton were both error-less on the day, as Deak had eight kills, hitting .533 with four blocks, and Overton had six kills, hitting .429 with three blocks. Rapacz added five kills and 15 digs with four blocks, while Coundourides ran the efficient offense with 35 assists. Heirakuji led the defense with a team-best 18 digs.
HEIRAKUJI NAMED AMERICAN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
   Temple sophomore Mia Heirakuji was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the period ending October 9. The libero was Temple's top defensive performer in wins over Tulsa and SMU last week. Heirakuji averaged 5.38 digs per set, recording match-best performances in both outings.Â
SCOUTING THE OWLS
   The Owls' offense is led by Asci, who averages 4.41 kills per set, a number that ranks her 18th in the nation and second in the conference. The junior also adds 2.94 digs per set to her arsenal, while tying for the lead on the team with 23 aces. Rapacz provides more fire-power from the outside, racking up 2.89 kills per set, with Kirsten Overton (1.69 kills/set) and Iva Deak (1.60 kills/set) attacking from the middle. Davis has come on strong since the start of conference play, and now averaged 1.93 kills per set.Â
   Coundourides is Temple's primary setter, averaging 10.65 assists per set overall, 10.81 in conference play. The junior transfer ties for the lead on Owls with 23 aces on the season, while also averaging 2.48 digs per set. Hannah Vandegrift has also seen action in several rotations, adding 3.65 assists and 1.24 digs per set.
   Defensively, Heirakuji leads the Owls with 3.31 digs per set. At the net, Overton and Rapacz both have 64 blocks to lead the team, while Deak is second with 63. The Owls average 2.18 blocks per set, third in The American.
SCOUTING USF
USF is 12-6 overall, 3-3 in the conference, recording splits in all three weeks of the conference season.Â
   The Bulls hit .245 as a team, led by Dakota Hampton's 3.46 kills per set. Three other USF players average over 2.00 kills per set in Denise Belcher (2.54), T'ara Austin (2.33), and Elyse Panick (2.03), while Clara Payne leads the team with a .348 attack, adding 1.88 kills per set.Â
   Alexa Mendoza averages 10.6 assists per set to run the offense, also adding 2.95 digs per set, which ranks third on the team. Amy Van Sant leads the Bulls with 4.27 digs per set, while Panick adds 3.49 digs per set. At the net, Payne tops the team with 67 total blocks, including six solo, while Joli Holland adds 48 total stuffs.Â
   USF holds its opponents to just a .169 attack, while also out-digging and out-blocking teams by a slim margin.Â
OWLS VS. THE BULLS
   Temple is 4-10 all-time against USF, but the Owls have won four-straight in the series. Last season, Temple swept both matches against the Bulls, 3-0. Â
SCOUTING UCF
   UCF enters this weekend with a 13-5 overall record, including a 4-2 mark in conference play. The Knights are coming off a split, sweeping Houston 3-0, but falling to Tulane, 3-0.Â
   Jale Hervey leads the UCF offense with 4.20 kills per set, attacking at a .255 clip. Kia Bright (2.49 kills/set), Alli Sabol (2.38 kills/set) and Taylor Gallart (2.13 kills/set) also aid the Knights' attack. UCF splits setting duties between Miranda Watkins (6.06 assists/set) and Farah Rajaee (5.52 assists/set).
   Defensively, Jordan Pingel leads the back-row with 4.41 digs per set, while Bright adds 3.10. Jeanne Westney tops the team with 82 total blocks, including 18 solo, while Taylor Wickey has added 48 blocks.Â
   As a team, UCF hits .243, holding opponents to a .188 attack.Â
OWLS VS. THE KNIGHTS
   Temple holds a slim 5-4 lead in the all-time series, but have won three in a row. The Owls won both matches against the Knights last season, sweeping them, 3-0.Â
TWO TEMPLE MATCHES TO AIR ON AMERICAN DIGITAL NETWORK
   Two Temple volleyball matches will be part of the American Digital Network's 18-game fall schedule. The Owls will air live on ADN for matches against UCF (away) and SMU (home). ADN is covering a total of three volleyball matches this fall.
Match Notes (PDF)
FOLLOW
  • Live Stats
  • Live Video (OwlsTV/TUTV)
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PLAY
   Temple opened conference play 1-1 at home, but won back-to-back road trips to move to 5-1. Last time out, Temple won at Tulsa (3-0) and SMU (3-2). Â
DIG PINK
Sunday's match will serve as Temple's "Dig Pink" event for breast cancer awareness. The "Dig Pink" cause benefits the Side-Out Foundation's breast cancer support and research. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the match.  Please donate to the cause online HERE.
LAST TIME OUT: TEMPLE 3, SMU 2 (AMERICAN)
   Temple handed defending conference champion, SMU, a 3-2 loss on their home court on Sunday afternoon. The Owls won 25-19, 25-23, 21-25, 19-25, 15-19 for their fifth win in a row.  and 25-19 wins, forcing a fifth set. In the final frame, Temple won 15-9 to seal the match.
   The Owls had three players in double-digit in kills, led by a 19-kill, 17-dig double-double from junior Irem Asci. Junior Izzy Rapacz and senior Tyler Davis each notched 12 kills, with Rapacz adding nine digs and four blocks. Junior setter Kyra Coundourides tallied the Owls' second double-double of the match with 47 assists and 18 digs, tying a career-best. Also hitting a career-bests were sophomores Mia Heirakuji and Iva Deak and junior Dara Peric. Heirakuji racked up 25 digs, earning match-high honors, while Deak tallied eight blocks, also adding seven kills. Peric tallied 17 digs, a career-high. Elsewhere for the Owls, senior Kirsten Overton notched five kills and three blocks.
LAST TIME OUT: TEMPLE 3, TULSA 0 (AMERICAN)
   Temple swept Tulsa, 3-0, on the road on Friday afternoon, winning the noon showdown, 25-21, 25-20, 25-22.Â
   The Owls got production from all over the court, with Asci notching 14 kills and eight digs, and Davis contributing 10 kills, hitting .429. From the middle, Deak and senior Kirsten Overton were both error-less on the day, as Deak had eight kills, hitting .533 with four blocks, and Overton had six kills, hitting .429 with three blocks. Rapacz added five kills and 15 digs with four blocks, while Coundourides ran the efficient offense with 35 assists. Heirakuji led the defense with a team-best 18 digs.
HEIRAKUJI NAMED AMERICAN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
   Temple sophomore Mia Heirakuji was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the period ending October 9. The libero was Temple's top defensive performer in wins over Tulsa and SMU last week. Heirakuji averaged 5.38 digs per set, recording match-best performances in both outings.Â
SCOUTING THE OWLS
   The Owls' offense is led by Asci, who averages 4.41 kills per set, a number that ranks her 18th in the nation and second in the conference. The junior also adds 2.94 digs per set to her arsenal, while tying for the lead on the team with 23 aces. Rapacz provides more fire-power from the outside, racking up 2.89 kills per set, with Kirsten Overton (1.69 kills/set) and Iva Deak (1.60 kills/set) attacking from the middle. Davis has come on strong since the start of conference play, and now averaged 1.93 kills per set.Â
   Coundourides is Temple's primary setter, averaging 10.65 assists per set overall, 10.81 in conference play. The junior transfer ties for the lead on Owls with 23 aces on the season, while also averaging 2.48 digs per set. Hannah Vandegrift has also seen action in several rotations, adding 3.65 assists and 1.24 digs per set.
   Defensively, Heirakuji leads the Owls with 3.31 digs per set. At the net, Overton and Rapacz both have 64 blocks to lead the team, while Deak is second with 63. The Owls average 2.18 blocks per set, third in The American.
SCOUTING USF
USF is 12-6 overall, 3-3 in the conference, recording splits in all three weeks of the conference season.Â
   The Bulls hit .245 as a team, led by Dakota Hampton's 3.46 kills per set. Three other USF players average over 2.00 kills per set in Denise Belcher (2.54), T'ara Austin (2.33), and Elyse Panick (2.03), while Clara Payne leads the team with a .348 attack, adding 1.88 kills per set.Â
   Alexa Mendoza averages 10.6 assists per set to run the offense, also adding 2.95 digs per set, which ranks third on the team. Amy Van Sant leads the Bulls with 4.27 digs per set, while Panick adds 3.49 digs per set. At the net, Payne tops the team with 67 total blocks, including six solo, while Joli Holland adds 48 total stuffs.Â
   USF holds its opponents to just a .169 attack, while also out-digging and out-blocking teams by a slim margin.Â
OWLS VS. THE BULLS
   Temple is 4-10 all-time against USF, but the Owls have won four-straight in the series. Last season, Temple swept both matches against the Bulls, 3-0. Â
SCOUTING UCF
   UCF enters this weekend with a 13-5 overall record, including a 4-2 mark in conference play. The Knights are coming off a split, sweeping Houston 3-0, but falling to Tulane, 3-0.Â
   Jale Hervey leads the UCF offense with 4.20 kills per set, attacking at a .255 clip. Kia Bright (2.49 kills/set), Alli Sabol (2.38 kills/set) and Taylor Gallart (2.13 kills/set) also aid the Knights' attack. UCF splits setting duties between Miranda Watkins (6.06 assists/set) and Farah Rajaee (5.52 assists/set).
   Defensively, Jordan Pingel leads the back-row with 4.41 digs per set, while Bright adds 3.10. Jeanne Westney tops the team with 82 total blocks, including 18 solo, while Taylor Wickey has added 48 blocks.Â
   As a team, UCF hits .243, holding opponents to a .188 attack.Â
OWLS VS. THE KNIGHTS
   Temple holds a slim 5-4 lead in the all-time series, but have won three in a row. The Owls won both matches against the Knights last season, sweeping them, 3-0.Â
TWO TEMPLE MATCHES TO AIR ON AMERICAN DIGITAL NETWORK
   Two Temple volleyball matches will be part of the American Digital Network's 18-game fall schedule. The Owls will air live on ADN for matches against UCF (away) and SMU (home). ADN is covering a total of three volleyball matches this fall.
Match Notes (PDF)
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballEp. 29: Last Episode of First Semester from David & Amelia
Wednesday, December 17
MBB Press Conference vs. Saint Francis (Adam Fisher)
Sunday, December 14
MBB Press Conference vs. Saint Francis (Derrian Ford & Gavin Griffiths)
Sunday, December 14
Ep. 28: Vice President/Debbie & Stanley Lefkowitz '65 Director of Athletics Arthur Johnson
Friday, December 12
