Temple University Athletics

Tuesday, November 28
Morgantown, W.V.
4:30 p.m.

Temple University

vs

Campbell University

Temple Volleyball
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Volleyball Takes on Campbell in Tuesday's NIVC Opener

11.27.17 | Women's Volleyball

PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple volleyball team will take on Campbell in the first round of the 2017 National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. The match will be hosted by West Virginia at the WVU Coliseum.

THE OWLS
> Temple finished the regular season 19-9 overall and 15-5 in American Athletic Conference play.
> The Owls finished second in the American, surpassing SMU in the final week of the regular season.
> The Owls closed American play with a two match sweep of UConn, winning 3-0 at home and 3-2 on the road.

POSTSEASON PLAY
> Temple is making a return to the postseason for the first time in 15 years.
> The Owls have four previous postseason appearances, all coming in the NCAA Tournament.
> The last time the Owls played in the postseason was 2002 when the team advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

MOVING ON
> A win would advance Temple to the second round, playing the winner of West Virginia and Maryland Eastern Shore, on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at West Virginia.
> The third round of the tournament will run from December 1-3.
> Semifinals will take place from December 4-9.
> The Championship will be held on Tuesday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m. and will air on ESPN3.

SCOUTING TEMPLE
> Senior Izzy Rapacz leads the team with 3.56 kills per set, also averaging 2.52 digs and 1.11 blocks per set.
> Redshirt Freshman Dana Westfield contributes 2.78 kills per frame.
> Junior Iva Deak (2.03 kills/set) and senior Janine Simmons (1.64 kills/set) and shore up the middle for the Owls.
> Simmons leads the team with 1.18 blocks per set.
> Coundourides averages 10.36 assists per set, with that number rising to 11.48 in conference play.
> Junior Mia Heirakuji tops the Owls' defense with 4.01 digs per set. 
> Freshman Katerina Papazoglou adds 1.79 kills and 1.85 digs per set.
> Senior Dara Peric also contributes all around with 1.33 kills per set and 2.47 digs per frame.
> As a team, the Owls hit .246, holding opponents to a .192 attack.

LAST TIME OUT
> Temple closed the 2017 regular season with a 3-2 (25-18, 26-24, 20-25, 24-26, 15-12) win on the road at UConn. 
> Rapacz finished her afternoon with a double-double of 19 kills and 18 digs, also adding six blocks.
> Westfield racked up 11 kills. 
> Deak had 10 kills without an error, adding nine blocks.
> Simmons finished with nine kills and seven blocks.
> Coundourides also had a double-double, ending with 47 assists and 14 digs, adding four blocks. 
> Heirakuji led the Temple defense with 31 digs.

SCOUTING CAMPBELL
> Campbell enters postseason play with a 20-11 overall record.
> The Camels finished 10-6 in the Big South, taking third.
> Campbell has been idle since November 17 when they fell to Winthrop in the first round of the Big South Tournament.
> The Camels are led by Allena Heath's 4.17 kills per set, which ranked her tops among all Big South players.
> Jessica Stocking adds 3.28 kills and 2.63 digs per set.
> Madison Linxwiler chips in with 2.25 kills and a high 0.79 blocks per set.
> Summer Schuitema is the primary setter, averaging 9.51 assists and 3.19 digs per set.
> Kayla Schanback leads the defnse with 4.45 digs per set.
> As a team, the Camels hit .209, holding teams to a .180 attack.

LAST TIME OUT
> Third-seeded Campbell was upset by sixth-seeded Winthrop 3-1 (17-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-19 in the quarterfinals of the Big South Tournament.
> Stocking led the Camels with 16 kills, while Schuitema dished out 35 assists.
> Schanback recorded 17 digs to lead the defense.

TEMPLE VS. CAMPBELL
> This will be the first ever meeting between the Owls and the Camels.

ABOUT THE NIVC
> The NIVC has its roots in another NCAA Division I event that ran for several years before the turn of the century.
> The Women's Invitational Volleyball Championship debuted in 1989, with 20 teams, in response to demand for another postseason opportunity within the sport.
> The teams played at one site, in four five-team pools, with each pool winner advancing to a single-elimination bracket.
 > After two years, the event was renamed the NIVC.
> Previous event champions were: Wisconsin (1989, 1995), Houston (1990), Kentucky (1991), Washington State (1992), LSU (1993), and Cal-State Northridge (1994). 
> The new incarnation of the NIVC was announced at the AVCA Convention in December of 2016.
 
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