Two Matches on Tap for Volleyball This Weekend

Friday, February 5

5:00 P.M.

Temple University

Coppin State

Photo by: Zamani Feelings

Two Matches on Tap for Volleyball This Weekend

2.4.21 | Women's Volleyball

Match Notes (PDF)Temple on ESPN+Live Stats

Temple Hosts Coppin State on Friday and St. John's on Saturday

PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple volleyball team is back in action this weekend, with a pair of home matches on tap. The Owls will play Coppin State on Friday at 5:00 p.m. and St. John's at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both matches are in McGonigle Hall and will be aired live on ESPN+.

OWL ABOUT TEMPLE
The Owls are 2-0 to start the season after a 3-2 win over Morgan State and a 3-1 win over UConn. Temple is coming off of a 12-15 season in 2019, which included a 9-0 start before a mid-season skid. The slump saw the team struggle during conference play and finish fifth overall in the AAC East.

Junior Miray Bolukbasi leads the Owls and the American Athletic Conference this season, racking up 4.56 kills per set. She's earned AAC Honor Roll nods in each of the first two weeks of the season. Also contributing to Temple's offense is junior Peyton Boyd, an AAC Preseason All-Conference selection. She leads the Owls with a .439 attack, which ranks fifth in the conference, averaging 2.88 kills per set. Junior Tyler Lindgren is the Owls' starting setting and she has dished out 9.78 assists per set

LAST TIME OUT: Temple 3, UConn 1 (17-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-19)
Temple moved to 2-0 on the season with a 3-1 victory over visiting UConn on Saturday at McGonigle Hall. Temple hit .252 in the match, working around 11 UConn blocks. Junior Miray Bolukbasi had another strong performance with 23 kills to go along with eight digs. She hit .333 for the match and added an ace.

Junior Gem Grimshaw finished with 12 kills and five digs, while classmate Peyton Boyd had 10 kills, hitting a team-best .421. Junior Tyler Lindgren dished out 43 assists and added five digs. Playing in her first collegiate match, freshman Falanika Danielson finished the day with 25 digs

SCOUTING COPPIN STATE
Coppin State comes into McGonigle Hall with a 1-0 record. The Eagles finished 13-18 overall last season, third in the MEAC Northern Division, before falling to Howard in the MEAC Tournament Semifinals.

Last time they played, Coppin State defeated George Mason, 3-1 (25-16, 26-24, 24-26, 26-24) in its season opener. Miajavon Coleman led all players with 15 kills and five aces while hitting .220 to record 21.5 points for the match. Salma Gonzalez was just behind her with 12 kills and hit .259 while Jordan Celestine added ten kills. Kareemah Hopkins had four kills and dished out a match-high 43 assists and three aces.

TEMPLE VS. COPPIN STATE
Temple is 1-0 all-time against Coppin State, with the only meeting coming in 2013. The Owls took that match 3-1 on a neutral court at George Mason's Tournament.

SCOUTING ST. JOHN'S
St. John's enters Saturday's match with a 1-0 start to the season. The Red Storm were picked as the favorite to win the Big East's East Division. In 2019, the Red Storm finished the regular season ranking fourth in the Big East, but defeated #10 Creighton and #12 Marquette in the Big East Tournament to win the league title. St. John's NCAA run was squashed in the first round against #13 Texas A&M.

The Red Storm boast the Big East Preseason Player of the Year in junior Efrosini Alexakou.She finished the 2019 season ranking second in the conference with 4.23 kills per set. Joanne Persico leads St. John's in her 27th year in the profession, compiling over 500 victories.

TEMPLE VS. ST. JOHN'S
The Owls are 4-1 against St. John's, having won the last three matches in the series. The last time they played was in 2017, a 3-0 Temple win at the Albany Invitational.

The only current Owl who played against St. John's in 2017 is senior Baleigh Jean-Philippe, who saw limited action in one set against the Red Storm. St. John's seniors Jordan McCalla (6 kills) and Kayley Wood (10 kills) are the only two Red Storm players to compete in that match.