SMU (8-4, 4-4 AAC) vs. Texas Tech (7-13, 5-11 BIG 12)
Dallas, Texas | Moody Coliseum
Friday, March 19, 2021 – 6 p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats
 
Saturday, March 20, 2021 – 2 p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats
SMU NOTES (PDF)
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Mobile App | Google Play | Apple App Store

PREVIEW
SMU will host its final home series of the season. The Mustangs will clash with non-conference opponent Texas Tech on Friday, March 19 at 6 p.m.  The rematch is scheduled for Saturday, March 20 at 2 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.

SMU NOTES
The Mustangs rank third in kills per set (13.62) and fourth in hitting percentage (.212) among American Athletic Conference teams. Lily Heim is second in the AAC with 10.92 assists pet set. Jadyn Bauss ranks fifth in the American with 3.70 kills per set and 4.07 points per set. Kaylyn Winkler has been a force at the net and has placed herself fourth in the conference with 1.19 blocks per set. Bria' Merchant  continues her strong performance at the line with 17 service aces this season, which is the third most among all conference players.

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
Meryn Kennedy will be honored following Saturday's match. Meryn has led the team in blocks each of her first three full seasons, ranking in the top 10 of the American Athletic Conference each year. She is now 9th on the SMU career blocks list. The 2020-21 team captain is a multi-year member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Executive Board, and now serves as the Vice President for External Affairs and liaison to the Diversity and Inclusion Council. She completed her bachelor's degree in May 2020 with a Double Major in Fashion Media and Advertising specializing in Strategic Brand Management. She will receive her Masters in Advertising this May.

SERIES HISTORY
SMU and Texas Tech have squared off eight times. TTU holds a 6-2 advantage, but SMU has won two of the last three meetings including a 3-0 sweep on September 3, 2010 inside Moody Coliseum. The Red Raiders won the last matchup 3-0 on November 30, 2017 in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship.  

LAST TIME OUT
The Mustangs swept Tulsa twice last weekend winning both matches 3-0. The Mustangs were paced by Hannah Jacobs  in the first match as she finished with 19 kills. Jacobs also matched her single-game high with three blocks on the night. SMU put together a second victory against the Golden Hurricane after Jacobs had another solid offensive day with 13 kills, accumulating 32 in the series vs Tulsa. SMU limited the Golden Hurricane attack all match long as Tulsa ended with a .009 hitting percentage. Jadyn Bauss grabbed her 10^th double-double on the season after 10 kills and 17 digs. Kaylyn Winkler matched her career-high seven blocks as SMU finished with 11 total blocks on Saturday.

A LOOK AT THE OPPONENT
Texas Tech played the conference portion of its season in the fall, finishing 5-11 and 7^th in the Big 12 standings. This spring, the Red Raiders are 2-1 with a 3-2 win at Houston and a 3-1 victory over Tarleton State. TTU fell 0-3 in the first meeting with Houston on February 25. Alex Kirby ranks second in the Big 12 averaging 9.95 assists per set. Samantha Sanders leads TTU with 251 kills (3.35 kills/set) this year. Three Red Raiders have eclipsed double-digits in digs this season, as Emerson Solano leads the trio and ranks first in the conference with 263 (4.31 digs/set). Texas Tech fell 0-3 at North Texas on Wednesday. 

PRESEASON AWARDS

• Lily Heim - Preseason All-Conference Team
• Hannah Jacobs - Preseason All-Conference Team
• Rachel Woulfe - Preseason All-Conference Team

AAC WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Hannah Jacobs was an offensive force in a series sweep of Tulsa, helping SMU take down the Golden Hurricane in straight sets. She averaged 5.75 points per set to rank second and hit .339 to rank eighth in The American for the week. Jacobs hit. 308 with 19 kills, four digs and three block assists in a three-set win over Tulsa on March 12. She closed the series hitting .391 with 13 kills in a sweep of the Golden Hurricane on March 13.
Jadyn Bauss paced The American with 6.33 digs per set for SMU in two home sweeps of Tulsa; logged 21 digs in a match one win on March 12 before finishing with 17 digs against the Golden Hurricane in match two on March 13

2020-21 HONORS

• Jadyn Bauss - AAC Weekly Honor Roll (Feb. 1)
• Jadyn Bauss - AAC Weekly Honor Roll (Feb. 8)
• Jadyn Bauss - 2020 Fall Honor Roll
• Kaylyn Winkler - AAC Weekly Honor Roll (March 1)
• Kaylyn Winkler - AAC Weekly Honor Roll (March 8)
• Jadyn Bauss - AAC Weekly Honor Roll (March 15)
• Hannah Jacobs – AAC Offensive Player of the Week (March 15)

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
JADYN BAUSS | SOPHOMORE

• 1/29 vs. Rice 17 kills | 14 digs
• 1/30 vs. Rice 12 kills | 11 digs
• 2/4 vs. UTSA 13 kills | 13 digs
• 2/5 vs. UTSA 25 kills | 25 digs
• 2/12 vs. Houston 21 kills |16 digs
• 2/26 vs. Wichita State 10 kills |14 digs
• 2/27 vs. Wichita State 12 kills | 19 digs
• 3/4 vs. Tulane 18 kills | 19 digs
• 3/5 vs. Tulane 14 kills | 13 digs
• 3/13 vs. Tulsa 10 kills | 17 digs

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) 423
3. Carl Neufeld (Men's Tennis) 420
 
25th SEASON                      
SMU is in its 25th 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.

TOP OF THE CLASS
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).

FILLING THE TROPHY CASE
Over the past six 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 Memphis for the final two regular season competitions of the season. The first match is scheduled for Friday, March 26 at 5 p.m. Both teams will rematch on Saturday, March 27 at 12:30 p.m. These games will be broadcast on ESPN+.