Volleyball Tops UNH and Sweeps Rutgers to Close Cherry & White Challenge

Saturday, September 10

McGonigle Hall

6:00 p.m.

Temple University

4-3

Rutgers University

4-6

Rutgers

Temple

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Volleyball Tops UNH and Sweeps Rutgers to Close Cherry & White Challenge

9.10.16 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score vs. Rutgers (PDF)Box Score vs. UNH (PDF)Highlights

PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple volleyball team swept both its matches on the final day of the 2016 Hilton Penn's Landing Cherry and White Challenge to nab runner-up honors at the event. The Owls started with a 3-1 win over UNH and then swept Rutgers in the nightcap, 3-0.

Junior Irem Asci and senior Kirsten Overton each earned All-Tournament honors for their play this weekend. Asci led the Owls attack, racking up 52 total kills, while also adding 33 digs, five blocks, and two aces. Overton hit .447 for the weekend, with 25 kills, and led the team with 19 blocks in the tournament.

Temple 3, UNH 1 - Box Score (PDF)

Temple opened day two of the Hilton Penn's Landing Cherry & White Challenge with a 3-1 victory over the University of New Hampshire. The Owls used set scores of 26-24, 25-21, 18-25, 25-15 to even their season record to 3-3. UNH dips to 4-5 with the loss.

Temple held UNH to just a .155 attack, out-digging the Wildcats 72-63 and outblocking them 10-6. Temple finished with a .230 hitting percentage, including going .483 in the fourth set, tallying 15 kills with just one error.

Individually, juniors Irem Asci (16 kills, 20 digs), Izzy Rapacz (16 kills, 19 digs), and Kyra Coundourides (27 assists, 14 digs) all tallied double-doubles. Senior Kirsten Overton came just one block away from a double-double, tallying 12 kills (hitting .706) with nine blocks. Rounding out the box score, senior Tyler Davis had seven kills and three blocks, while sophomore Mia Heirakuji added nine digs.

Temple 3, Rutgers 0 - Box Score (PDF)

Temple finished its 2-0 day with a 3-0 sweep over Rutgers to close out the Hilton Penn's Landing Cherry & White Challenge. The Owls mowed through the Scarlet Knights, 25-13, 25-14, 25-18, to improve to 4-3 on the season. Rutgers falls to 3-5 with the loss.

Temple combined to hit .274 in the match, holding Rutgers to only .034. The Owls forced 22 Scarlet Knight errors, allowing them only 23 total kills on the day.

Individual leaders for the Owls were Asci with 10 kills and five digs, while Deak and Rapcz both recorded eight kills with just one error. Deak finished with a .583 attack, also adding twi blocks, while Rapacz hit .500 with five blocks and seven digs. Coundourides tallied her second double-double of the day with 30 assists and 13 digs, while Overton notched six kills and six blocks. Davis had five kills and Heirakuji added seven digs to round out the stats.

Up Next
Temple returns to action at the 2016 Philadelphi Big 5 Tournament. The Owls will open the action at the Palestra on Friday at 4:30 p.m. against Villanova. Temple will then head to La Salle on Saturday, taking on the hosts at 11:00 a.m. and Penn at 5:00 p.m.

Highlights/Interviews

2016 Hilton Penn's Landing Cherry & White Challenge

Final Standings
1. Cleveland State, 3-0
2. Temple, 2-1
3. UNH, 1-2
4. Rutgers, 0-3

All-Tournament Team

MVP: Grace Kauth, CSU

Gina Kilner, CSU
Aaliyah Slappy, CSU
Irem Asci, Temple
Kirsten Overton, Temple
Sara Carlson, UNH
Lauren Cloyd, Rutgers