Volleyball Opens Conference Play On Road Against UTEP And Tulane
Sep 23 | Volleyball
Sept. 23, 2009
DALLAS (SMU) - The Mustangs take the second-longest winning streak in school history into El Paso, Texas this weekend when they open conference play against UTEP Friday night.
SMU is currently riding a seven-match winning streak, including tournament wins in Montana and Dallas, following a win over rival TCU. Led by sophomores Dana Powell and back-to-back C-USA Defensive Player of the Week Sidney Stewart, the Mustangs are ranked in the top-half of the conference in every statistical category.
Powell is 30th in the NCAA and sits atop the conference in kills per set, averaging 4.13, while Stewart is seventh in digs with 4.17 per set. Setter Kelli Becerra is third in assists with 10.32 per frame, while Kendra Kahanek is sixth in blocks with 1.02 per set.
The Mustangs will take on a Miners team that opened C-USA play with a 3-2 loss to Tulane, a contest that started a four-match losing skid. SMU is 16-6 all-time against UTEP, but lost to the Miners on the road last season to take a split.
Following the Friday night match against UTEP, SMU will travel to New Orleans to take on Tulane. The defending C-USA Champions are 5-4 this season, but have faced five teams rated in the top-40, beating LSU and New Mexico. The Green Wave started their conference season with a 3-2 win at UTEP. SMU is 2-8 all-time against Tulane.
SMU will face UTEP at 7 p.m. CDT Friday night, with the Tulane match scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Sunday.
