Volleyball Plays at SMU, Tulsa

Thursday, November 9

Dallas, Texas

8:00 PM

Temple University

SMU

Photo by: Nguyen Ho

Volleyball Plays at SMU, Tulsa

11.7.17 | Women's Volleyball

Live Stats (SMU)Live Video (SMU)Live Stats (Tulsa)Live Video (Tulsa; $)Match Notes (PDF)

PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple volleyball team plays a pair of road games this week, looking to rebound from an 0-2 record over the weekend. The Owls will play at SMU on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EST and at Tulsa on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. EST.

THE OWLS
> Temple is 14-8 overall with a 10-4 record in conference play, having lost back-to-back matches (Memphis, 3-2; Wichita State, 3-0).
> The two losses over the weekend marked the first time all season that Temple has two conference matches in a row.
> The sweep suffered against Wichita State was the first for the Owls since October 14, 2016, a 3-0 loss to USF.

TRAVEL WOES
> Due to travel delays leaving Wichita on Sunday, Temple stayed on the road following their last road trip.

IZZY HONORED
> Senior Izzy Rapacz was named Temple's Under Armour/OwlSports Athlete of the Month for October.
> The right side led the Owls to an 8-1 record in the month, averaging a double-double of 16.0 kills and 10.1 digs.

SCOUTING TEMPLE
> Rapacz leads the team with 3.57 kills per set, also averaging 1.09 blocks per set.
> Redshirt Freshman Dana Westfield contributes 2.69 kills per frame.
> Junior Iva Deak (1.85 kills/set) and senior Janine Simmons (1.65 kills/set) and shore up the middle for the Owls.
> Simmons leads the team with 1.12 blocks per set.
> Coundourides averages 10.15 assists per set, with that number rising to 11.57 in conference play.
> Junior Mia Heirakuji tops the Owls' defense with 3.95 digs per set.
> Freshman Katerina Papazoglou adds 1.62 kills and 2.03 digs per set.
> Senior Dara Peric contributes all around with 1.67 kills per set and 2.47 digs per frame.
> As a team, the Owls hit .244, holding opponents to a .190 attack.

LAST TIME OUT: Wichita State 3, Temple 0 (at WSU; 11/5/17)
> Temple fell 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-23) on the road to #21 Wichita State on Sunday.
> Wichita State hit .297 to Temple's .200 and held advantages in digs (57-45) and blocks (9-5).
> Rapacz finished the match with a team-best 13 kills, hitting .370, adding 10 digs for a double-double.
> Coundourides also picked up a double-double with 28 assists and a team-high 14 digs.
> Papazoglou had 10 kills with a pair of blocks.

SCOUTING SMU
> SMU is 18-7 overall with a 12-2 mark in conference play.
> The Mustangs are alone in second place in The American.
> SMU has a balanced offense that sees three players average around 3.00 kills per set.
> Lauren Mills leads the team with 3.45 kills per set, also averaging 3.41 digs per frame.
> Katie Hegarty (3.16 kills/set) and Brittany Adams (2.98 kills/set) round out the top hitters.
> Kendall Patterson is the primary setter, dishing out 10.15 assists per frame, while adding 2.52 digs per set.
> Montana Watts leads the defense with 4.95 digs per set.
> Lexi Nordmann is the team's top blocker, tallying 1.23 per set, while Kelly Brunstein adds 1.03 per set.
> As a team, SMU hits .209, holding opponents to a .182 attack.

LAST TIME THEY MET: Temple 3, SMU 1 (at Temple; 10/22/17)
> Temple topped the Mustangs, 3-1 (26-24, 23-25, 25-21, 25-12) in Philadelphia in October.
> Rapacz tallied a double-double and was just two blocks shy of a triple-double, ending with 19 kills, 11 digs, and eight blocks.
> Papazoglou also went for a double-double, with 10 kills and 13 digs, adding four blocks.
> Coundourides dished out 55 assists with eight digs and four kills.
> Westfield tallied 17 kills, hitting .371.
> Heirakuji finished with a match-best 23 digs, adding five assists.
> For SMU, Kelly Brunstein, Lauren Mills, and Brittany Adams all tallied 12 kills in the loss.
> Kendall Patterson dished out 39 assists with seven digs.
> Montana Watts led all players with 21 digs.

TEMPLE VS. SMU
> The Owls are 6-4 all-time against SMU.
> Temple and SMU have split the season series 1-1 in all four years of American play.

SCOUTING TULSA
> Tulsa enters this weekend 13-13 overall with a 7-7 record against American opponents.
> The Hurricane have won four out of their last five matches, including wins at Houston and Tulane last weekend.
> The Hurricane are led by Emily Thorson who averages 4.03 kills and 2.43 digs per set.
> Emily Hubbard (2.22 kills/set), Callie Cook (2.09 kills/set), and Rachel Moore (2.05 kills/set) also add to the offense.
> Lindsey Ledyard (5.75 assists/set) and Mariah Pardo (4.24 assists/set) split the setting duties.
> Taylor Horsfall leads the defense to the tune of 6.06 digs per frame.
> Cook (0.90 blocks/set) and Ebony Carter (0.82 blocks/set) defend the net for Tulsa.
> Tulsa hits .184 as a team, holding opponents to a .180 attack.

LAST TIME THEY MET: Temple 3, Tulsa 1 (at Temple; 11/20/17)
> Temple racked up a season-high 95 digs, en route to a 3-1 win (22-25, 25-14, 27-25, 25-16) over visiting Tulsa.
> Temple held Tulsa to a .151 attack, while hitting .285.
> Coundourides finished just three kills shy of her first ever triple-double, tallying 46 assists with 19 digs and seven kills.
> Rapacz notched 18 kills, hitting .325, while adding 16 digs.
> Papazoglou finished with 13 kills and 13 digs.
> Heirakuji led the Owls' defense with 25 digs, also adding a season-best eight assists.
> For Tulsa, Thorson had a double-double with a team-best 18 kills, adding 12 digs.
> Cook notched 10 kills and three blocks.
> Horsfall had a match-best 32 digs to lead the Tulsa defense.

TEMPLE VS. TULSA
> Temple leads the all-time series against the Hurricane, 6-1.
> The Owls have won five-straight against Tulsa, sweeping the season series in both 2016 and 2015.

WHAT'S NEXT
> Temple plays UCF on Friday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m. at home.
> The Owls then host USF on Sunday, November 19 at 1:00 p.m.