Mustangs Play At Memphis And Cincinnati

Nov. 4, 2015

SMU (21-3, 11-1) at Memphis (14-11, 5-7)
Date & Time	Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.
Location	Elma Roane Fieldhouse – Memphis, Tenn.
Live Stats	Live Stats
Live Video	Memphis Tiger Network
Match Info	Match Notes (.pdf)
SMU at Cincinnati (15-8, 7-5)
Date & Time	Sunday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. ET/12 a.m. CT
Location	Fifth Third Arena – Cincinnati, Ohio
Live Stats
Live Video	Bearcats TV
Facebook	/SMUMustangs \| /SMUVolleyball
Twitter	@SMUMustangs \| @SMUVolleyball
Instagram	/SMUVolleyball

The Mustangs play the second half of a four match road stretch this weekend, playing at Memphis Friday at 7 p.m. and at Cincinnati Sunday at 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT. SMU has won a program record tying 11 straight matches since dropping its conference opener, including wins at home against the Tigers and Bearcats. With an 11-1 record in the American Athletic Conference, 21-3 overall, the Mustangs hold a three match lead in the conference standings.

Senior setter Avery Acker leads the nation, averaging 12.30 assists per set, and has the Mustangs hitting .243 as a team, second in the league. Abbey Bybel is one of three players on the team with at least 200 kills, leading the team with 261. Defensively, the Mustangs are 12th in the country, holding opponents to a .151 attack percentage.

Janelle Giordano ranks second nationally with 141 total blocks and third in blocks per set, averaging 1.64. Morgan Heise, who earned her fourth conference Player of the Week award with 42 assists in two three-set wins, ranks fourth in the NCAA with 5.86 digs per set.

Memphis is 14-11 overall, 5-7 in The American, losing its last three matches, including a 3-0 loss in Dallas. Catlin Lily leads the team with 259 kills, but is hitting just .178. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .198 while opponents are hitting .181. SMU is 10-5 against Memphis, winning six of the last seven, but just 1-4 in Memphis.

Cincinnati is 15-8 overall, 7-5 in The American, and has won six of its last eight matches. The Bearcats are currently in a three-way tie for third in The American, one match behind second-place Temple. Jordan Thompson leads the team with 331 kills, hitting .297, and Carly Nolan has 268 kills. As a team, the Bearcats are hitting .232 with 13.57 kills per set. SMU is 5-0 all-time against Cincinnati, playing all five matches since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013.

RECEIVING VOTES
SMU is receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll for the fourth straight week and sixth time this season after a pair of wins to take a three-match lead in the American Athletic Conference. Based on the number of votes, SMU would rank 28th in this week's poll. The Mustangs received votes for the first time in program history last season, appearing in the polls three times.

RANKED OPPONENTS
SMU is the only American Athletic Conference program to defeat a ranked opponent, doing so twice in the last two seasons. The Mustangs beat then-No. 18 San Diego at the UC Santa Barbara Invitational, and outlasted then-No. 24 Oklahoma 3-2 to win the SMU DoubleTree Classic last year. SMU has faced three ranked opponents this season, matching the 2011 squad for most matches against ranked teams.

BLOCK PARTY
Janelle Giordano leads The American and is second in the NCAA with 141 blocks, averaging 1.64 per set. She has been named to the conference weekly honor roll four times, and was named Defensive Player of the Week after setting a school and league record for most blocks in a three-set match with 12 against Cincinnati. Kristen Stehling matched the conference record with a career-high 13 blocks in the win at New Mexico, and has 72 blocks this season. Katie Hegarty also has 63 blocks. As a team, SMU is leading the American Athletic Conference with 2.63 blocks per set.

CHASING RECORDS
Morgan Heise ranks fifth all-time at SMU with 1,536 career digs. The junior has 504 digs this season, and set a single-season record at SMU with 626 digs a year ago. Sidney Stewart holds the record with 2,218 digs from 2008 to 2011. Heise passed Beth Karasek (2001-04, 1,416) for fourth all-time at SMU, and needs 53 digs to pass Kathryn Wilkerson (2007-10, 1,588) for third at SMU.

SMU ALL-TIME DIGS LEADERS1.     Sideny Stewart (2008-11)    2,2182.    Dana Powell (2008-11)    1,6413.    Kathryn Wilkerson (2007-10)    1,5884.    Morgan Heise (2013-Present)    1,5365.    Beth Karasek (2001-04)    1,416

DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
Morgan Heise leads the American Athletic Conference and is fourth in the NCAA, averaging 5.86 digs per set. She has been named conference Defensive Player of the Week four times this season, and had 26 digs against ECU, third highest in a three-set match at SMU. She recorded a season-high 36 against Arizona, and had 34 against TCU. Heise has 462 digs this season, following up a school-record 626 last year. As a team, SMU leads the conference and is 12th in the nation with 17.34 digs per set.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Avery Acker leads the NCAA with 12.30 assists per set, and is second on the team with 263 digs. She has posted 13 double-doubles, and has the team hitting .243, second in the conference. Abbey Bybel leads the team with 261 kills, and she recorded her 1,000th career kill against Temple. Bybel matched her career high with 17 digs against Arizona, and has eight double-doubles this season. Cailin Bula has 219 kills, and is hitting .270. She scored a career-high 20 kills against Tulsa, the most by an SMU player this season, earning her first conference Player of the Week award.

EVEN DISTRIBUTION
Abbey Bybel leads the team with 261 kills, and is one of three Mustangs with at least 200 kills. Janelle Giordano has 217 kills with a team-high .389 attack percentage, third in The American, and Cailin Bula has 219 kills, hitting .270. Katie Hegarty has 185, and Kristen Stehling has 180 kills, hitting .310. All five attackers had at least 10 kills against TCU, and 11 different Mustangs scored a kill against ECU.

MOODY MAGIC
SMU set a program record with 15 home wins and just one loss last season. The Mustangs are 156-94 all-time in Moody Coliseum, and went 10-2 in 2013 while playing home matches in the Dedman Center on campus. SMU has won at least 10 matches at home in four of the last six seasons, going 63-18 on the Hilltop during the stretch. SMU is 11-1 at home this season, with four home matches remaining.

RECORD-SETTING SEASON
The Mustangs won a program-best 26 matches last season, including a record 15 at home. An SMU-record 11-match win streak highlighted the season. A 3-2 victory over then-No. 24 Oklahoma, the program's first over an AVCA Top-25 team, propelled the Mustangs into the AVCA poll for the first time in school history, receiving votes for three weeks.

RECENT SUCCESS
Over the last five seasons, SMU is 99-58 overall and 64-30 in conference matches, including a 29-9 record in two seasons in the American Athletic Conference. Three players have combined for five All-America Honorable Mention awards, and a Mustang has earned a conference Player of the Year award for their position each of the past two seasons.

SMU VOLLEYBALL TURNS 20
The Mustangs are celebrating their 20th season as an NCAA volleyball program, which began in 1996. SMU held a "Birthday Bash" during its match against Temple in Moody Coliseum on Oct. 9. The Mustangs defeated the Owls 3-0.

Schedule

Mustangs Play At Memphis And Cincinnati

Players Mentioned

Avery Acker

Cailin Bula

Abbey Bybel

Janelle Giordano

Katie Hegarty

Morgan Heise

Morgan Heise

Kristen Stehling

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Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Volleyball at Pittsburgh on Oct 7, 2026 at 6pm CT

Upcoming Event: Volleyball versus Pittsburgh on Oct 11, 2026 at 2pm CT

Upcoming Event: Volleyball versus Miami on Oct 16, 2026 at 7pm CT

Upcoming Event: Volleyball versus Florida State on Oct 18, 2026 at 1pm CT

Upcoming Event: Volleyball at Clemson on Oct 23, 2026 at 5pm CT

Results

Completed Event: Volleyball at Boston College on October 4, 2026 , Win , 3, to, 0

Completed Event: Volleyball at Syracuse on October 2, 2026 , Win , 3, to, 0

Completed Event: Volleyball versus California on September 27, 2026 , Win , 3, to, 1

Completed Event: Volleyball versus #12 Stanford on September 25, 2026 , Win , 3, to, 0

Completed Event: Volleyball versus Yale on September 19, 2026 , Win , 3, to, 0

Mustangs Play At Memphis And Cincinnati

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Players Mentioned

Avery Acker

Cailin Bula

Abbey Bybel

Janelle Giordano

Katie Hegarty

Morgan Heise

Morgan Heise

Kristen Stehling

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