SAN ANTONIO (SMU)- The (RV) SMU volleyball team picked up its fifth straight win with a 3-1 (30-32, 25-13, 25-19, 25-16 ) victory over UTSA on Saturday night in the Convocation Center.
Two SMU players registered 15 plus kills, and five Mustangs turned in at least five kills. SMU tallied team season-highs in blocks (13) and service aces (15). SMU's recorded the third most service aces in a match in program history.
Emma Clothier turned in a season-high 17 kills on .577 hitting, while adding seven blocks and a pair of service aces.
Jamison Wheeler recorded her second double-double of the year (16 kills, 13 digs), while posting a season-high three blocks.
Celia Cullen passed out 51 assists. The senior setter tied her career-high in kills with four and added six digs and three blocks.
Sina Uluave led the Mustangs with 21 digs for the fourth consecutive match.
Naya Shime added six kills and five digs, while
Alex Glover added five kills and six blocks.
Natalie Perdue turned in eight kills, six digs, four blocks and a career-high four service aces.
Lauren Ohlinger tallied four kills and as many digs, along with two blocks.
Brooke Frazier finished with a career-high four service aces and eight digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set One:
Starting the match for SMU were
Jamison Wheeler, Natalie Perdue, Emma Clothier, Alex Glover, Naya Shime, Celia Cullen, and Sina Uluave. UTSA jumped out to a 14-8 lead and forced an SMU timeout. Back-to-back kills from Clothier and Cullen brought the Mustangs within four after the pause. The Roadrunners built their lead, but three unanswered from SMU brought the set within five and forced a UTSA timeout. After the break, a Clothier kill and Perdue service ace gave the Mustangs two more. After trailing by as many as seven, SMU fought back and took a 25-24 lead. The teams battled back and forth, but UTSA prevailed in the first set 32-30.
Set Two:
SMU responded with five unanswered starting with a pair of service aces from Clothier and a block with Cullen, along with one from Glover and Wheeler, that put SMU up 8-3. Four kills and an assisted block put the Mustangs in front 17-8 and forced a UTSA timeout. The Mustangs rattled off six of the set's final seven points to win 25-13.
Set Three:
SMU countered two early UTSA points with five unanswered, led by two aces from Frazier and a kill from Ohlinger. Frazier would help extend the Mustang lead with two more service aces. UTSA went on a run of its own and took a 14-13 lead after scoring five straight. SMU countered with five of its own. A pair of kills from Ohlinger and Shime put SMU in front 19-15. UTSA fought back and brought the set within one, but a service ace from Ohlinger, a kill from Wheeler, and one from Clothier sealed a 25-19 set three victory for SMU.
Set Four:
SMU countered a two point deficit with five straight points to take a 10-7 lead and force a Roadrunner timeout. Two blocks and a Cullen kill extended the lead to 15-10. Back-to-back kills from Wheeler and Perdue gave SMU a 17-12 edge and forced UTSA to burn its final timeout of the set. SMU rattled off five unanswered out of the pause and finished off the match with a 25-16 victory.
SMU LEADERS:
SMU Kills Leader:
Emma Clothier (17)
SMU Assist Leader:
Celia Cullen (51)
SMU Digs Leader:
Sina Uluave (21)
SMU Blocks Leader:
Emma Clothier (7)
SMU Ace Leader:
Natalie Perdue/
Brooke Frazier (4)
TEAM RECORDS SERIES NOTES:
- With the win, SMU moved to 8-5 on the season.
- Wednesday was the 15th meeting between SMU and UTSA. SMU leads the all-time series 12-4.
TEAM NOTES:
- SMU is on a five match win streak. SMU last won five matches in a row between Oct. 16-30 last season.
- Two Mustangs recorded 15+ kills for the first time this season.
- The Mustangs are undefeated (2-0) when five Mustangs record 5+ kills.
- SMU is 5-0 when leading in kills.
- SMU is 6-1 when leading in blocks.
- SMU is 4-1 when leading in digs.
- SMU is 8-1 when leading in attack percentage.
- SMU is 7-2 when leading in service aces.
- SMU recorded a team season-high in blocks (13).
- SMU recorded a team season-high in service aces with 15. SMU's 15 aces tie for the third most in a match in program history. The last time SMU had 10 or more service aces was against Wichita State (11/23/22)
All-Time SMU Service Aces
1. 17 at Boise State Sept. 29, 2001
2. 16 Prairie View A&M Aug. 25, 2006
T-3. 15 SMU at UTSA Sept. 23, 2023
T-3. 15 Sam Houston State Sept. 12,1997
T-3. 15 Arkansas-Little Rock Sept. 06, 1997
5. 14 Cornell Sept. 10, 2004
T-6. 13 Lamar Aug. 31, 2007
T-6. 13 Grambling St. Sept. 02, 2006
T-6. 13 at Tulsa Oct. 26, 1996
T-6. 13 Wichita State Aug. 31, 1996
T-6. 13 at Southern Miss Oct. 12, 2007
INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
- Emma Clothier recorded double-digit kills for the seventh time this season. Clothier tallied a season-high 17 kills on .577 hitting, while tying her season-high in blocks with seven against the Roadrunners. Clothier added five plus blocks for the fourth time this season.
- Jamison Wheeler recorded her second double-double of the year (16 kills, 13 digs). Wheeler tallied double-digit kills for the sixth time this season and added a season-high three total blocks.
- Celia Cullen tied her career-high in kills with four. The senior setter passed out 51 assists, six digs, and added three blocks. She's led the Mustangs in assists in all 13 matches.
- Sina Uluave led the Mustangs in digs (21) for the fourth consecutive match. She tallied double-digit digs for the ninth time this season.
- Alex Glover added five kills and six blocks. Glover recorded five plus blocks for the second time this season.
- Natalie Perdue and Brooke Frazier both finished with career-highs in service aces (4).
UP NEXT:
SMU is back in action against UTSA Sunday at 2 p.m.
