#TUVB Hosts Sonesta Hotel Philadelphia Temple Invitational

PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple volleyball team kicks off the 2016 season on Friday, hosting the Sonesta Hotel Philadelphia Temple Invitational. The Owls will welcome Northern Arizona and Hampton to McGonigle Hall for the two-day event.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, August 26
      6:00 p.m. - Temple vs. Northern Arizona
Saturday, August 27
      11:00 a.m. - Northern Arizona vs. Hampton
      6:00 p.m. - Temple vs. Hampton

SCOUTING TEMPLE
   Temple returns 10 players from its 2015 squad that went 24-8 overall, 15-5 in The American. The Owls featured three returning All-Conference selections in senior Kirsten Overton and juniors Irem Asci and Izzy Rapacz. Temple will need to replace two starters from a year ago, setter Sandra Sydlik, and libero Alyssa Drachslin, but the Owls' high-powered offense remains nearly intact from the 2015 campaign.

SCOUTING NORTHERN ARIZONA
   Northern Arizona finished 28-5 in 2015, winning the Big Sky Conference and earning the program's second NCAA Tournament berth. The Lumberjacks set a school record with their 28 wins last season and enter the 2016 campaign as the favorite in the Big Sky coaches poll.
   Three starters remain from the 2015 NAU squad, including All-Big Sky players, Jensen Barton and Lauren Jacobson.

SCOUTING HAMPTON
   Hampton looks to rebound from a 3-22 season, which came just a year removed from back-to-back MEAC Championships.
   First-year head coach, Brandon Duvall, will have 11 returning letterwinners from a year ago, including a pair of starting setters, Brianna Lilly and Alexandra Erhart. The Pirates will be led offensively by Reeana Richardson, who was named to the preseason All-MEAC team.

OWLS VS. THE TOURNAMENT FIELD
   Northern Arizona and Hampton are relatively new opponents for the Owls, as Temple is just a combined 0-1 against both teams. The cherry and white played Northern Arizona just once in the program's history, a loss in 1997. Temple and Hampton will be playing their first ever match against each other in this tournament.

TEMPLE PICKED TO FINISH SECOND
   Three Temple volleyball players earned American Athletic Conference pre-season honors, while the Owls were picked to finish second in a vote of the leagues' coaches. Temple's three selections -- senior Kirsten Overton, and juniors Irem Asci and Izzy Rapacz, were the most for any American squad.
   Temple earned two first-place votes in the coaches' poll, and finished in second place in the final tally with 88 points. The Owls ended last season in second place with a 15-5 conference mark and a 24-8 overall record and return three of their four All-Conference selections from 2015.

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.

FOLLOW ALONG

Match Notes (PDF)

#TUVB Hosts Sonesta Hotel Philadelphia Temple Invitational

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Players Mentioned

Irem Asci

Alyssa Drachslin

Kirsten Overton

Izabella Rapacz

Sandra Sydlik

Temple University Athletics