Friday, November 4
Cincinnati, Ohio
6 p.m.
SMU
at
Cincinnati
Mustangs Play At Second-Place Cincinnati And East Carolina On Road Trip
Nov 2 | Volleyball
| SMU (18-6, 11-1 The American) at Cincinnati (15-8, 10-2 The American) | |
| Date & Time | Friday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT |
| Location | Fifth Third Arena – Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Live Stats | Gametracker |
| Live Video | Bearcats TV |
| Match Info | Match Notes (.pdf) |
| SMU at East Carolina (14-8, 4-8 The American) | |
| Date & Time | Sunday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT |
| Location | Minges Coliseum – Greenville, N.C. |
| Live Stats | SIDEARM Stats |
| Live Video | Pirates All-Access |
| SMU Volleyball on Social Media | |
| /SMUMustangs | /SMUVolleyball | |
| @SMUMustangs | @SMUVolleyball | |
| /SMUVolleyball | |
The SMU volleyball team puts sole possession of first place in the American Athletic Conference on the line Friday as it takes on second-place and preseason favorite Cincinnati in Fifth Third Arena at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT. The Mustangs then play at East Carolina Sunday at 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT in Greenville, N.C.
The Mustangs have a one-match lead over the Bearcats after 12 conference matches. SMU is 11-1 in the league, 18-6 overall, and beat the coaches' pick to win the championship with a five-set victory in Moody Coliseum on the first weekend of conference play, bouncing back after falling in the fourth set. SMU edged out the Pirates with a 3-1 win in the first league match of the season, winning the third and fourth sets by a combined four points.
Friday's match pits The American's top offense against its top defense with Cincinnati hitting .259 against league opponents, while SMU is holding opponents to a .165 attack percentage in conference matches. Morgan Heise anchors the defense, averaging a league-best 5.25 digs per set. The senior is the all-time leader at SMU with 2,220 digs, and has 467 this season. Janelle Giordano leads the league with 123 blocks, averaging 1.38 per set, and also became the program's career record holder with 184 total blocks. Katie Hegarty leads the offense for the Mustangs, averaging 3.83 kills per set, fourth in the conference, and Kendall Patterson is second in the league with 10.64 assists per set. The freshman has SMU hitting .228 in conference matches, fourth in The American.
Cincinnati is 15-8 overall, 10-2 in The American, led by Jordan Thompson, who is averaging a league-best 4.81 kills per set with a .293 attack percentage. Carly Nolan is scoring 3.24 kills per set, and the Bearcats are third in the league with 13.54 kills per set against conference opponents. Setter Jade Tingelhoff leads the league with 10.43 assists per set, and has the Bearcats hitting .238 overall and .259 in conference matches. SMU is 7-0 all-time against Cincinnati. All seven matches were conference matches played in the last four seasons, with four in Dallas and three in Cincinnati.
East Carolina is 14-8 overall, 4-8 in The American, and has lost three of its last four after a three-match win streak. Sydney Darden leads the team with 218 kills, averaging 2.99 per set, and former women's basketball player I'Tiana Taylor has 215 kills, averaging 2.76 per set. Overall, the Pirates are tied with the Mustangs, holding opponents to a .163 attack percentage, but ECU is allowing a .214 attack percentage during conference matches, which ranks seventh in the league. SMU is 11-4 all-time against ECU, and the Mustangs have won 10 straight in the series, which started in 2005. The streak included nine straight-set victories before the Pirates won a set in Dallas earlier this season. SMU is 4-2 in Greenville, N.C., winning each of the last three road matches in straight sets.
NATIONAL LEADERS CHASING RECORDS
Janelle Giordano and Morgan Heise rank among the active career leaders in their respective stat categories, while shattering career records at SMU. Heise broke her own single-season record with 721 digs last season, and has 2,220 career digs, ranking third among active Division I liberos. The senior passed Sidney Stewart SMU, who set a record with 2,218 digs from 2008-11. Heise had 625 digs as a sophomore, and was named conference Libero of the Year each of the last two seasons. She has 467 digs this season, averaging a league-high 5.25 per set, 11th in the NCAA, and has been named The American Defensive Player of the Week four of the last six weeks.
Giordano set a program and conference record with 188 blocks last season, third in the NCAA, and passed Courtney Manning with 584 career blocks. Manning had 579 blocks from 2009-12. Giordano is second among active leaders behind only BYU's Whitney Young Howard, who has 589 blocks. The senior had a season-high 11 blocks against Tulane, and has 123 blocks this season, best in The American and 19th in the NCAA.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Lisa Seifert was named AVCA Region Coach of the Year and American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Mustangs to a 27-6 record, a 17-3 mark in The American, the program's first conference championship and an NCAA appearance. She guided five players to all-conference honors, including Player and Setter of the Year, Avery Acker, and back-to-back Libero of the Year, Morgan Heise. Three players were named to the all-region team, and Avery Acker earned her third All-America Honorable Mention award, as well as CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year accolades. Seifert was also named Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2003. Seifert earned her 350th career win with a 3-1 victory against Connecticut Oct. 7, 2016.
FAST START
The Mustangs won their first five conference matches before falling in five sets against Temple, and SMU is in sole possession of first place in the conference at 9-1. The five-match win streak to start the conference schedule was the best since SMU won its first six league matches in 2003, going 8-1 before its second loss. SMU lost its first match of the season last year before winning 16 straight, the longest win streak in program history. The Mustangs went on to finish 17-3 in The American to win the championship.
FRESHMAN CLASS
SMU added five freshmen to its 2016 roster. The signing class includes a player at every position, including 6-3 middle blocker Meryn Kennedy, who finished with 135 blocks and 194 kills while hitting .464 as a senior at Allen High School.
The Mustangs also signed Ashley Homan, a 6-0 outside hitter from Brenham High School, the same program which produced All-American Caroline Young. Ashtyn Richey, a 6-1 right side from Prosper High School, gives SMU a third 6-footer in the class, which also includes Kendall Patterson, a setter from Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas, and Montana Watts, a libero from Boyd High School in McKinney, Texas.
MOODY MAGIC
SMU set a program record with 15 home wins and just one loss in 2014, and went 14-2 at home last season. The Mustangs are 174-99 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 six of the last eight seasons, going 91-22 on the Hilltop during the stretch. Since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013, SMU is 28-5 at home in conference matches. The Mustangs are 5-2 at home this season, 3-1 in league play.
RECENT SUCCESS
Over the last seven seasons, SMU is 153-70 overall and 98-36 in conference matches, including a 46-12 record in three seasons in the American Athletic Conference. Five players have combined for eight All-America Honorable Mention awards, and a Mustang has earned a conference Player of the Year award for their position each of the past three seasons, with Avery Acker earning the program's first conference Player of the Year award. Acker (setter) and Morgan Heise (libero) each have two player of the year awards at their positions.
KATIE HEGARTY
Katie Hegarty scored at least 10 kills in 21 of 24 matches this season, including 11 of 12 conference matches, and has led the Mustangs in scoring 17 times. The junior is fourth in the conference, averaging 3.83 kills per set. She recorded a career-high 23 kills against Little Rock, and has 341 kills this season. She scored 20 kills against TCU and 14 against then-No. 8 North Carolina. Hegarty eclipsed 20 kills for the fourth time this season with 22 against Tulane. Hegarty also has four double-doubles, and posted the first triple-double in American Athletic Conference history and sixth in program history with 22 kills, 12 digs and a career-high 10 blocks against the Green Wave.
KENDALL PATTERSON
Freshman setter Kendall Patterson is averaging 10.64 assists per set, second in The American and 44th in the NCAA. Facing a pair of top-40 teams, including then-No. 8 North Carolina, in two of three matches at the Horned Frogs Classic, Patterson averaged 12.00 assists. She had a season-high 54 assists in a 3-2 win against Cincinnati, and has 11 matches with at least 40 assists, including 40 in a 3-0 win against Little Rock. In conference matches, Patterson is averaging 10.83 assists per set, second in the league, and has the Mustangs hitting .228, fourth in the league, with 13.42 kills per set.
KRISTEN STEHLING
Kristen Stehling has 297 blocks in her career, ranking ninth in program history. Stehling has 68 blocks this season, and is one of five attackers with at least 100 kills, scoring 182 with a .254 attack percentage. The middle blocker has scored at least 10 kills six times this season, including four times in conference matches. Stehling scored a season-high 13 kills against Montana and again against Cincinnati.
LAUREN MILLS
Lauren Mills has 221 kills this season, second on the team. She scored a career-high 15 kills against East Carolina before recording 19 kills at USF. The junior has reached double figures in kills 11 times, including eight conference matches, and has nine double-doubles. Mills recorded a career-high 20 digs against UTSA at home earlier this season, and posted at least 10 digs in 12 matches this year, including seven conference matches. She is second on the team with 259 digs, averaging 2.91 per set, and also has 13 service aces.
BRITTANY ADAMS
Brittany Adams has 135 kills, averaging just under two per set, and the sophomore is averaging 2.07 kills per set in conference matches. Adams is one of five SMU attackers to score at least 125 kills this season. She also has 84 digs and 37 blocks. Adams scored a career-high 17 kills against Temple, and has reached double figures in kills three times this season. She also recorded a career-high 12 digs against the Owls for her first double-double.
ASHLEY HOMAN
Freshman Ashley Homan got her first start of the season against Sam Houston State and scored a team-high 11 kills with a .435 attack percentage. The outside hitter has 47 kills in 29 sets this season, scoring 22 in 11 sets at the Horned Frogs Classic. She also has nine blocks, 12 digs and an assist.
Players Mentioned
Setter
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Opposite Hitter
/ Volleyball
Libero
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ Volleyball
Opposite Hitter
/ Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Libero
/ VolleyballSaturday, September 12
Saturday, September 12
Friday, September 11
Thursday, September 10
