SMU (12-10, 8-4 AAC) at Memphis (10-14, 3-9 AAC)
Memphis, Tennessee| Larry O. Finch Center
Wednesday, November 3, 2021 – 1:00 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats
 
SMU (12-10, 8-4 AAC) at Temple (8-11, 4-6 AAC)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | McGonigle Hall
Sunday, November 7, 2021 – 12:00 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats
SMU NOTES (PDF)
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PREVIEW
SMU will begin a four-game road trip this week as the Mustangs travel to Memphis on Wednesday, November 3 at 1:00 p.m. CT. On Sunday, November 7, SMU will then take on Temple at 12:00 p.m. CT. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.

SMU NOTES
The Mustangs are coming off a 2-0 American Athletic Conference home weekend after taking down Cincinnati and ECU in four sets.

Kaylyn Winkler was the latest Mustang to be named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll. Winkler was third in The American with 1.25 blocks per set in an undefeated 2-0 week for SMU; hit .333 with nine kills and four blocks (three solo) in four sets against Cincinnati (Oct. 29) and registered 11 kills with six block assists against East Carolina (Oct. 31)
 
SMU currently sits in a tie for third-place with Wichita State and Cincinnati in the AAC with an 8-4 league record. The Mustangs only trail Houston (9-3) and UCF (11-1).

Bria' Merchant was selected to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll on Oct. 25. Merchant finished third in The American with 4.43 digs for 1-1 SMU; tallied 14 digs and three assists in three sets against UCF (Oct. 22) and contributed 17 digs, two aces and four assists in a four-set win over South Florida (Oct. 24).

Outside hitter Rachel Woulfe turned in a signature performance and was named AAC Offensive Player of the Week in a 2-0 in Week 8. Woulfe hit .464 with 15 kills in a win at Houston on Oct. 15 and added 22 kills on .413 hitting in five sets at Tulane on Oct. 17 to earn conference offensive player of the week honors.

Alex Glover earned the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week (Week 6). Glover continued a recent run of good form for a 1-1 weekend, leading The American with 1.71 blocks per set and finishing second with a .481 hitting percentage among all conference players. Glover hit an impressive .667 with eight kills and five total blocks (one solo) in a sweep of East Carolina on Oct. 1. Glover turned in seven kills and a .333 hitting percentage with three digs and seven block assists in four sets at Cincinnati on Oct. 3.

Lily Heim was named to the AAC Weekly honor roll (Week 6). Heim played a key role for SMU in leading the conference in team hitting percentage (.279) and was the league leader in assists per set with 12.43; registered 39 assists and seven digs in a sweep at East Carolina (Oct. 1) and logged 48 assists and 11 digs in four sets at Cincinnati (Oct. 3).

Kaylyn Winkler ranks first among all conference players in league play with a .422 hitting percentage, while the Mustangs lead the AAC with 14.39 kills/set against conference teams. SMU also ranks second in conference only matches with 16.50 digs/set.

Hannah Jacobs leads the Mustangs with 241 kills. Rachel Woulfe ranks second on the team with 236 kills. Lily Heim leads the team with 625 assists. Bria' Merchant and Makayla Miller rank first and second in digs with 289 and 229, respectively.

The Mustangs were picked to finish third in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Jacobs was named to the AAC Week 1 Honor Roll after posting the second-most points per set (4.35) in the conference during a 2-1 SMU weekend; hit .611 with 13 kills in a sweep of Pacific (Aug. 27) and added 11 kills on .400 hitting later in the day against Stephen F. Austin (Aug. 27). Jacobs and Lily Heim were named to the All-Tournament team after a stellar opening weekend. Lily Heim was later named to the Bluejay Invitational All-Tournament team.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Memphis (18-6)
The Mustangs have dominated this series. SMU has won 11 of the past 12 meetings, including a 3-2 victory in Memphis in 2019.

SMU swept Memphis 3-0 (25-21, 26-24, 26-24) to begin AAC play. Hannah Jacobs led the offensive attack with 15 kills and hit .591 on the afternoon. Jadyn Bauss secured her second double-double on the season with 11 kills and 11 digs. SMU registered the second highest hitting percentage (.336) on the campaign.

Temple (6-7)
SMU has won the last three meetings against the Owls with two straight sweeps in Dallas in 2018 and 2019. SMU took down Temple in four sets (23-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-19) to begin 2-0 in American Athletic Conference play.

The Mustangs were led by Rachel Woulfe who finished with 16 kills and tied her personal-best with seven block assists. SMU (6-6, 2-0 AAC) dropped a tightly contested first set, but rallied to take the next three sets in front of its home crowd. Jadyn Bauss grabbed her third double-double on the season with 11 kills and 11 digs to lift the Mustangs over the Owls.

A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
Memphis
Memphis has held opponents to a .206 hitting percentage, the fourth best mark in the AAC

The Tigers are third in the AAC with 16.07 digs per set, led by sophomore Bailey Houlihan, who is third in the AAC with 4.48 digs per set
Sabrina Bianco sits fourth in the conference in assists per set (9.93).

The Tigers currently sit ninth in the AAC standings with a 3-9 mark in conference play. Memphis has put together AAC wins over Temple (3-1), USF (3-2), and ECU (3-1).

Temple
Temple is eighth in the conference in hitting percentage. Gem Grimshaw and Miray Bolukbasi are seventh and eighth in the conference respectively in kills per set, while Taylor Davenport is third in the AAC in blocks per set.

The Owls are 10^th in the AAC (1-11). Temple gathered a five-set win over USF to pick up its only conference win on October 15.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Heim | 37 assists, 12 digs vs. North Carolina
Heim | 46 assists, 12 digs at Rice
Bauss | 12 kills, 14 digs at TCU
Bauss | 11 kills, 11 digs vs. Memphis
Heim | 29 assists, 10 digs vs. Memphis
Bauss | 11 kills, 11 digs vs. Temple
Heim | 43 assists, 14 digs. vs. Temple
Bauss | 10 kills, 4 digs at ECU
Heim | 48 assists, 11 digs at Cincinnati
Heim | 40 assists, 14 digs vs. Tulsa
Wheeler |16 kills, 10 digs vs. Wichita State
Hemsley | 41 assists, 21 digs Hemsley | 41 assists, 16 digs vs. USF vs. Houston
Hemsley | 51 assists, 17 digs vs. Tulane
Bauss | 12 kills, 10 digs vs. Cincinnati
Bauss | 10 kills, 18 digs vs. ECU

BOLD: Big Opportunities Live in Dallas
As part of its goal of Shaping Champions and preparing students for life, SMU Athletics proudly announces the addition of its BOLD (Big Opportunities Live in Dallas) Program to its suite of student-athlete development tools, with the goal of helping student-athletes navigate and capitalize on new Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) legislation. BOLD will provide SMU student-athletes with the means to navigate the evolving NIL landscape. The BOLD program will incorporate INFLCR, a comprehensive NIL education and compliance solution, and campus resources from the Cox School of Business, the Dedman School of Law, and the Meadows School of the Arts.

ANOTHER MILESTONE
With the victory over Tulane on March 5, 2021, Head Coach Lisa Seifert moved up the rankings and is now second all-time - across all sports - in wins at SMU.
1. Rhonda Rompola (Women's Basketball) 439
2 Lisa Seifert (Volleyball) 435
3. Carl Neufeld (Men's Tennis) 420

26TH SEASON
SMU is in its 26th season of NCAA competition. The SMU volleyball program was started in 1995 by current head coach Lisa Seifert. The Mustangs went 7-24 in 1996, its inaugural season. In 1999, SMU celebrated its first winning season with a 20-13 record. The Mustangs have played in the Western Athletic Conference, Conference USA and the American Athletic Conference.

Of the 11 current members, SMU is the only program without a losing record in league matches during at least one season. The Mustangs and UCF are the only two programs with multiple conference titles. (SMU-2015, 2016; UCF-2014, 2018, 2019, 2020).

FILLING THE TROPHY CASE
Over the past seven seasons, SMU has added four team trophies to the case, along with seven individual top league awards. SMU won The American championship in 2015 and 2016, and the west division crown in 2019. Avery Acker was named Setter of the Year in 2013. She added Player of the Year and another Setter of the Year in 2015. Kendall Patterson was Freshman of the Year in 2016, when Morgan Heise earned her second Libero of the Year honor. Lily Heim was named Setter of the Year in 2019.

UP NEXT
SMU will travel to Florida for two conference matchups. The Mustangs will take on USF on Thursday, November 11 at 4:00 p.m. CT. On Saturday, November 13 SMU will then turn its attention to UCF at 11:00 a.m. CT.