Mustangs Travel To Take On Memphis And Temple
Oct 9 | Volleyball
Oct. 9, 2013
| SMU (11-6, 3-1) vs. Memphis (9-7, 1-2) | |
| Date & Start Time | Friday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. |
| Live Stats | |
| Live Video | All-Access |
| Location | Memphis, Tenn. |
| SMU (11-6, 3-1) vs. Temple (11-4, 2-1) | |
| Date & Start Time | Sunday, Oct. 13 at 12 p.m. CT |
| Live Stats | Sidearm Stats |
| Live Video | All-Access |
| Location | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Match Notes | Match Notes (.pdf) |
| /SMUMustangs | /SMUVolleyball | |
| @SMUMustangs | @SMUVolleyball | |
| SMU App | iPhone App | Android App |
Caroline Young leads the Mustangs and is third in the league with 3.48 kills per set, and her 4.15 kills per set in American matches is the highest in the conference. Through four matches, SMU is in the top four in five of seven categories both overall and in conference matches only, ranking second in hitting percentage, .228, and third in kills per set, 13.23.
SMU is second in the conference in attack percentage both overall, .228, and in conference matches, .213. Three Mustangs rank in the top 10, led by freshman Janelle Giordano, who is hitting. .293. Young is seventh with a .275 attack percentage, and Maddie Lozano is eighth, hitting .265.
The matchup against Memphis is the first of three former Conference USA schools SMU will face in the new American Athletic Conference this season. The Mustangs were 6-4 against the Tigers while the two schools were members of C-USA, and SMU won five of the last six matches in the series. Memphis has won all three matches played on its home court.
This season, the Tigers are 9-7 overall and 1-2 in the American. Catlin Lilly leads the team with 197 kills, and Viktorija Teivane has 187. Teivane is also second on the team with 192 digs, behind Aleksandra Petronijevic, who leads the conference with 5.57 digs per set and averages 5.42 in American matches.
Temple enters the weekend with an 11-4 record, 2-1 in the American. The Owls are led by Gabriella Matautia, who is averaging 3.69 kills per set and is one of just seven players in the league with more than 200 kills. As a team, the Owls are hitting .187, while holding opponents to a league-low .158 attack percentage.
HISTORICAL WIN
SMU recorded the first conference win in the history of the American Athletic Conference, defeating Connecticut 3-0 in 1:25, eight minutes faster than Houston swept Rutgers on Friday, Sept. 27. Caroline Young had 15 kills, SMU hit .317 as a team, and three players had at least 10 digs. SMU held UConn to a .178 attack percentage, and had 44 digs to 32 by the Huskies.
ON THE MARK
The Mustangs are the American Athletic Conference's second-most efficient hitting team, with a .228 attack percentage. In conference matches, SMU is hitting .213. Three Mustangs are in the top 10 individually, led by freshman Janelle Giordano, who is hitting .293, and she is one of seven players hitting above .300 in American matches. Caroline Young climbed to seventh, raising her attack percentage to .275, and is fourth in conference matches at .351. Maddie Lozano ranks eighth, hitting .265.
GET SET
Avery Acker is third in the American Athletic Conference and 43rd in the NCAA, averaging 10.82 assists per set. She has 617 on the season, and recorded a career-high 57 in a four-set win against Davidson. In league play, the sophomore is averaging a conference-best 11.23 assists per set. She has finished with at least 50 assists in four matches this season, including one American match. The sophomore also has a team-high six double-doubles, including the first two conference matches, scoring a season-high 17 digs at Rutgers with 51 assists. The sophomore is second on the team with 137 digs and has 30 blocks.
OFF THE BLOCK
The Mustangs are fifth in the American Athletic Conference with 2.18 blocks per set. With 34 in 13 sets against American teams, the Mustangs are averaging 2.65 in conference play. Maddie Lozano is second in the league with 1.13 blocks per set, and is third with 69 total blocks. Freshman Janelle Giordano is seventh in the conference with 52 blocks. Caroline Young has 39, and Avery Acker has 30. SMU has 135.0 blocks on the season, including a season-high 13.5 against San Francisco.
LEGENDARY LOZANO
Maddie Lozano is third on the team in attack percentage among Mustangs with at least 100 attempts, .265, and second in kills, 139. She is in the top 10 in the American Athletic Conference in both hitting percentage and blocks per set, averaging 1.13 with 69 blocks. Lozano has 201 in just her second season on the Hilltop, and is closing in on the top 10 all-time at SMU. She needs 14 to pass Kelly Larkan (214, 2001-05).
ALL-AMERICAN ACE
Caroline Young leads the Mustangs in kills, 216, aces, 21, and points, 257.0. She ranks third in the American with 3.48 kills per set, and leads the league with 4.15 per set in conference matches. Her 21 aces are tied for second overall. The junior also has 92 digs, including a season-high 15 at Rutgers for her second double-double of the season, and 39 blocks. As a sophomore, Young earned All-America honorable mention, and she is on pace to climb into the top 10 all-time in kills at SMU.
THE DIFFERENT JERSEY
While the Mustangs are averaging just 13.16 digs per set this season, Morgan Heise is averaging more than 25 percent of the team's digs. The freshman libero has 218 digs, ranking 10th in the American with 3.51 per set. She posted at least 10 digs in 13 matches, including 11 of the last 12, with a season-high 18 at College of Charleston. She has 51 digs in American matches, averaging 3.92 per set. She earned her first all-tournament award, taking home Best Libero honors at the SMU Invitational with 36 digs in 10 sets.
FRESHMEN PRODUCTION
The Mustangs have three freshmen in the regular rotation, with Janelle Giordano and Morgan Heise starting every match. Kristen Stehling has played in 15 matches with five starts, and has scored 77 kills as one of four players to see time as a left side hitter. She also has 34 digs and 13 blocks. Morgan Heise has played every set at libero for SMU this season, and ranks 10th in the American with 3.51 digs per set. Janelle Giordano has also started every match, splitting rotations with senior middle blocker Maddie Lozano. Giordano has 52 blocks, seventh in the league, and is fourth in the conference with a team-high .293 attack percentage.
START OF A NEW ERA
Joining the American Athletic Conference for its inaugural season, the SMU volleyball team is competing in its third conference since the program's inception in 1996. The American consists of 10 teams during its first season, highlighted by preseason favorite Louisville, a team that went 30-4 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. The league includes former BIG EAST members Temple (19-11), Connecticut (19-12), Rutgers (18-12), USF (17-15) and Cincinnati (12-20), as well as former Conference USA members Memphis (20-13), UCF (18-15) and Houston (9-19).
A TEMPORARY HOME
SMU will play its home matches in the Dedman Center on campus while the renovation project is completed on Moody Coliseum, the home of SMU volleyball and men's and women's basketball. The Dedman Center, located directly south of Moody Coliseum, serves as a multi-sport and recreational activity facility for SMU students and members of the community. The $47-million renovation project will be completed in time for SMU's December Commencement ceremony, and the Mustangs will return for the 2014 volleyball season.
