Temple University Athletics
Friday, November 11
McGonigle Hall
7:00 p.m.
Temple University
vs
Cincinnati
Photo by: Betsy Manning/Temple University
Volleyball Hosts Cincinnati on Friday, ECU Sunday
11.8.16 | Women's Volleyball
PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple volleyball team will host a pair of American Athletic Conference foes this weekend, with Cincinnati coming to town on Friday at 7:00 p.m. and ECU playing the Owls on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PLAY
   Temple has now won six-straight American Athletic Conference games, last time out recording road sweeps at Houston and Tulane. The Owls (11-3) are second in the conference standings, tied with Cincinnati (11-3) and behind only SMU (12-2). The Owls own head-to-head wins over both the Bearcats and the Mustangs, and will play each team once more this season.Â
FOLLOW
  » Watch Live (OwlsTV)
  » Live Stats
CHERRY OUT
  Friday's match will be a "Cherry Out," and all fans are encouraged to don their cherry clothes. Free t-shirts will be given out, while supplies last.Â
LAST TIME OUT: TEMPLE 3, TULANE 0 (AMERICAN)
   Temple hit a season-high .432 en route to a 3-0 sweep (26-24, 25-11, 25-15) on the road at Tulane. The win avenges an earlier 3-2 loss to the Green Wave for the Owls. The cherry and white made just six errors in the entire match, a program low, since the 2012 season when the Owls made only five errors in a 3-0 sweep against Cleveland State.
   Junior Irem Asci had 19 kills on 31 swings to hit .548, while classmate Izzy Rapacz recorded 11 kills, hitting .409 with four blocks. Sophomore Iva Deak notched seven kills on nine attempts to hit .667, while senior Tyler Davis added seven kills, hitting .333. The architect of the offense was junior setter Kyra Coundourides, who dished out 40 assists, adding nine digs in the win.
   Defensively, sophomore Mia Heirakuji picked up a match-best 14 digs. Elsewhere, Asci added nine digs, while junior Dara Peric had seven digs with two aces.Â
LAST TIME OUT: TEMPLE 3, HOUSTON 0 (AMERICAN)
  Temple earned a 3-0 sweep (27-25, 25-22, 15-15) at Houston on Friday night, holding Houston's offense to a .139 attack.Â
   Asci topped the Owls with 14 kills, while Davis had nine and Rapacz added seven kills, 11 digs, and three blocks. Deak ended her night with six kills, hitting .357, tying Rapacz for match-high honors with three blocks. Junior Janine Simmons ended her night with two kills on five swings, with a pair of blocks.Â
   Coundourides tallied 26 assists on the night, also picking up three kills without a miscue. She added nine digs and three aces in the win. Heirakuji topped Temple with 15 digs, while Peric and Asci each added seven.Â
ASCI NAMED TO HONOR ROLL
  Temple's Irem Asci was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. Asci racked up 5.50 kills and 2.67 digs per set, as Temple improved to 18-6 overall. Against Houston, the junior led the Owls with 14 kills, also adding seven digs, an ace, and two blocks. At Tulane, she again led Temple's hitters, racking up 19 kills, hitting a massive .548, adding nine digs in the sweep. For the week, she finished with 33 kills and 16 digs in six sets.Â
SCOUTING THE OWLS
  Junior Irem Asci leads the Temple offense, racking up 4.45 kills per set, ranking her second in the conference and 16th in the nation. Junior Izzy Rapacz (2.84 kills/set) and senior Tyler Davis (2.10 kills/set) attack from the outside for Temple, while senior Kirsten Overton (1.67 kill/set), sophomore Iva Deak (1.63 kills/set), and junior Janine Simmons (1.10 kills/set) shore up the middle. Junior Kyra Coundourides is Temple's top setter, averaging 10.67 assists per set, while sophomore Hannah Vandegrift adds 3.50 assists per frame.
  Defensively, Temple is led by sophomore Mia Heirakuji, who averages 3.53 digs per set. Asci (2.96 digs/set), Rapacz (2.56 digs/set), and Coundourides (2.34 digs/set) beef up the back row for the Owls. At the net, Temple is led by Overton's 88 blocks, while Rapacz has 87 and Deak has 74.Â
  As a team, Temple hits .244 and holds opponents to a .191 attack. The Owls rank first in the American in team hitting (.240) and total aces (115), second in blocks per set (2.21), and third in assists per set (12.81), kills per set (13.61).
SCOUTING CINCINNATI
   Cincinnati is 16-9 overall, 11-3 in American Athletic Conference play. The Bearcats scored a big win over SMU on Friday to briefly take over first place in the conference standings, but fell to Tulsa 3-1 on Sunday.
   The Bearcats are led by Jordan Thompson's 4.85 kills per set, which ranks first in the conference and fifth in the nation. Carly Nolan (3.27 kills/set) and Ciara Hill (2.74 kills/set) also bolster the Cincinnati offense, which is run by setter Jade Tingelhoff. She averages 10.53 assists per frame, while also adding 2.57 digs per set.
   Defensively, Abby Williams leads the team with 3.64 digs per set, while Nolan also adds 2.80. At the net, Lise Alaiwan leads the team with 68 total blocks, while Thompson has 58 and Allison Kimmel has 52.
   As a team, Cincinnati hits .240, right behind the Owls' in the conference rankings, while opponents hit .202 against the Bearcats.Â
OWLS VS. THE BEARCATS
   Temple holds an 8-3 lead in the all-time series against Cincinnati, including winning a 3-0 match at Cincinnati earlier this season.
SCOUTING EAST CAROLINA
East Carolina is 14-10 overall, 4-10 in The American. The Pirates have lost five out of their last six matches.Â
   ECU's offense is led by Sydney Darden's 2.86 kills per set, with the outside hitter also adding 2.58 digs per set, which ranks third on the team. Three other players average 2.00 kills per set or better, including I'Tiana Taylor (2.70), Natalia Montini (2.25) and Ashley McRae (2.06). Sabrina Gonzalez distributes the offense, with 10.25 assists per set, while also ranking second on the team with 3.10 digs per set.
   Elsewhere, Brandee Markwith tops the team with 4.18 digs per set, while Ashton Mares contributes 2.41 digs per frame. At the net, Montini leads with 89 total blocks, while McCrae adds 84.Â
   ECU hits .197 as a team, holding opponents to a .173 attack.
OWLS VS. THE PIRATES
   Temple is 5-0 all-time against East Carolina, including winning the earlier match-up, 3-1, in North Carolina.
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)
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PLAY
   Temple has now won six-straight American Athletic Conference games, last time out recording road sweeps at Houston and Tulane. The Owls (11-3) are second in the conference standings, tied with Cincinnati (11-3) and behind only SMU (12-2). The Owls own head-to-head wins over both the Bearcats and the Mustangs, and will play each team once more this season.Â
FOLLOW
  » Watch Live (OwlsTV)
  » Live Stats
CHERRY OUT
  Friday's match will be a "Cherry Out," and all fans are encouraged to don their cherry clothes. Free t-shirts will be given out, while supplies last.Â
LAST TIME OUT: TEMPLE 3, TULANE 0 (AMERICAN)
   Temple hit a season-high .432 en route to a 3-0 sweep (26-24, 25-11, 25-15) on the road at Tulane. The win avenges an earlier 3-2 loss to the Green Wave for the Owls. The cherry and white made just six errors in the entire match, a program low, since the 2012 season when the Owls made only five errors in a 3-0 sweep against Cleveland State.
   Junior Irem Asci had 19 kills on 31 swings to hit .548, while classmate Izzy Rapacz recorded 11 kills, hitting .409 with four blocks. Sophomore Iva Deak notched seven kills on nine attempts to hit .667, while senior Tyler Davis added seven kills, hitting .333. The architect of the offense was junior setter Kyra Coundourides, who dished out 40 assists, adding nine digs in the win.
   Defensively, sophomore Mia Heirakuji picked up a match-best 14 digs. Elsewhere, Asci added nine digs, while junior Dara Peric had seven digs with two aces.Â
LAST TIME OUT: TEMPLE 3, HOUSTON 0 (AMERICAN)
  Temple earned a 3-0 sweep (27-25, 25-22, 15-15) at Houston on Friday night, holding Houston's offense to a .139 attack.Â
   Asci topped the Owls with 14 kills, while Davis had nine and Rapacz added seven kills, 11 digs, and three blocks. Deak ended her night with six kills, hitting .357, tying Rapacz for match-high honors with three blocks. Junior Janine Simmons ended her night with two kills on five swings, with a pair of blocks.Â
   Coundourides tallied 26 assists on the night, also picking up three kills without a miscue. She added nine digs and three aces in the win. Heirakuji topped Temple with 15 digs, while Peric and Asci each added seven.Â
ASCI NAMED TO HONOR ROLL
  Temple's Irem Asci was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. Asci racked up 5.50 kills and 2.67 digs per set, as Temple improved to 18-6 overall. Against Houston, the junior led the Owls with 14 kills, also adding seven digs, an ace, and two blocks. At Tulane, she again led Temple's hitters, racking up 19 kills, hitting a massive .548, adding nine digs in the sweep. For the week, she finished with 33 kills and 16 digs in six sets.Â
SCOUTING THE OWLS
  Junior Irem Asci leads the Temple offense, racking up 4.45 kills per set, ranking her second in the conference and 16th in the nation. Junior Izzy Rapacz (2.84 kills/set) and senior Tyler Davis (2.10 kills/set) attack from the outside for Temple, while senior Kirsten Overton (1.67 kill/set), sophomore Iva Deak (1.63 kills/set), and junior Janine Simmons (1.10 kills/set) shore up the middle. Junior Kyra Coundourides is Temple's top setter, averaging 10.67 assists per set, while sophomore Hannah Vandegrift adds 3.50 assists per frame.
  Defensively, Temple is led by sophomore Mia Heirakuji, who averages 3.53 digs per set. Asci (2.96 digs/set), Rapacz (2.56 digs/set), and Coundourides (2.34 digs/set) beef up the back row for the Owls. At the net, Temple is led by Overton's 88 blocks, while Rapacz has 87 and Deak has 74.Â
  As a team, Temple hits .244 and holds opponents to a .191 attack. The Owls rank first in the American in team hitting (.240) and total aces (115), second in blocks per set (2.21), and third in assists per set (12.81), kills per set (13.61).
SCOUTING CINCINNATI
   Cincinnati is 16-9 overall, 11-3 in American Athletic Conference play. The Bearcats scored a big win over SMU on Friday to briefly take over first place in the conference standings, but fell to Tulsa 3-1 on Sunday.
   The Bearcats are led by Jordan Thompson's 4.85 kills per set, which ranks first in the conference and fifth in the nation. Carly Nolan (3.27 kills/set) and Ciara Hill (2.74 kills/set) also bolster the Cincinnati offense, which is run by setter Jade Tingelhoff. She averages 10.53 assists per frame, while also adding 2.57 digs per set.
   Defensively, Abby Williams leads the team with 3.64 digs per set, while Nolan also adds 2.80. At the net, Lise Alaiwan leads the team with 68 total blocks, while Thompson has 58 and Allison Kimmel has 52.
   As a team, Cincinnati hits .240, right behind the Owls' in the conference rankings, while opponents hit .202 against the Bearcats.Â
OWLS VS. THE BEARCATS
   Temple holds an 8-3 lead in the all-time series against Cincinnati, including winning a 3-0 match at Cincinnati earlier this season.
SCOUTING EAST CAROLINA
East Carolina is 14-10 overall, 4-10 in The American. The Pirates have lost five out of their last six matches.Â
   ECU's offense is led by Sydney Darden's 2.86 kills per set, with the outside hitter also adding 2.58 digs per set, which ranks third on the team. Three other players average 2.00 kills per set or better, including I'Tiana Taylor (2.70), Natalia Montini (2.25) and Ashley McRae (2.06). Sabrina Gonzalez distributes the offense, with 10.25 assists per set, while also ranking second on the team with 3.10 digs per set.
   Elsewhere, Brandee Markwith tops the team with 4.18 digs per set, while Ashton Mares contributes 2.41 digs per frame. At the net, Montini leads with 89 total blocks, while McCrae adds 84.Â
   ECU hits .197 as a team, holding opponents to a .173 attack.
OWLS VS. THE PIRATES
   Temple is 5-0 all-time against East Carolina, including winning the earlier match-up, 3-1, in North Carolina.
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
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/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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OH/RS
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