Trips to Clemson, Georgia Tech Up Next for No. 7 SMU Volleyball

#7 SMU (14-4, 6-2 ACC) at Clemson (8-12, 2-6 ACC)
Friday, Oct. 23 • 5 p.m. CT
Jervey Gymnasium • Clemson, S.C.
ACCNX • Match Notes • Live Stats • SMU Mobile App

#7 SMU (14-4, 6-2 ACC) at [rv] Georgia Tech (13-5, 5-2 ACC)
Sunday, Oct. 25 • 12:30 p.m. CT
McCamish Pavilion • Atlanta, Ga.
ACC Network • Match Notes • Live Stats • SMU Mobile App

BEGINNING A FOUR-MATCH ROAD STAND
• SMU Volleyball begins a four-match road trip, starting this weekend with matches at Clemson and Georgia Tech.
• The Mustangs enter the week tied for third in the ACC standings at 6-2. Georgia Tech is a spot back at 5-2 in conference action.
• Under Coach Erger, SMU is a combined 4-0 against the Tigers and Yellow Jackets.
• The last time SMU visited Atlanta, the Mustangs won their first-ever ACC match against Georgia Tech on Sept. 27, 2024, sweeping the Yellow Jackets in Jervey Gymnasium.
• The Mustangs are 5-1 on the road this season, with a perfect 4-0 mark in ACC play.
• SMU enters the week No. 7 in the latest AVCA poll. Georgia Tech is receiving votes in this week's rankings.

WEEK 8 NOTABLES
• After a five-set loss to Miami, the Mustangs rebounded nicely by sweeping Florida State their last time out.
• Despite the loss, Favor Anyanwu tied a career-high with 16 kills, hitting .355 and adding seven blocks against Miami. Setter Hannah Beauford dished out 50+ assists for the third time this season, logging her second career double-double with 51 assists and a career-best 14 digs. Suli Davis logged her fifth match of the season with 20+ kills and the 15th of her career against the Hurricanes.
• The Mustangs improved to 6-0 all-time against the Seminoles with Sunday's win. All six wins came during the Erger era.
• SMU now has an 18-2 set score record against the Seminoles. The Mustangs have swept Florida State in four of the six matches played.
• The win was SMU's seventh sweep of the season.
• SMU held Florida State to a .086 team hitting percentage, the second-lowest opponent efficiency allowed this season, the fifth time the Mustangs have held an opponent to .100 or less in 2026 and the 26th time under Coach Erger.
• Jadyn Livings led the Mustangs with 11 kills on a .360 attack percentage, her second match in double figures this season.
• The Mustangs' middles combined for 15 kills on a .538 clip with only one attack error. They also combined for 20 points against the Seminoles.

VANDEWEGHE STEPPING UP
• Since the injury to the nation's leader in hitting efficiency, Natalia Newsome, freshman Elle Vandeweghe has stepped up big for the Mustangs.
• Vandeweghe averaged 2.00 kills per set while hitting a team-best .519 this week. She also added 1.00 blocks per set. • She registered a career-high eight kills in both matches last week.
• The 6-5 middle blocker saw some time earlier in the season as a right side but logged her first two starts at the middle position against Miami and Florida State.

D1 COMMITTEE IN-SEASON RANKINGS
• The NCAA DI women's volleyball committee announced SMU Volleyball as No. 6 in its in-season top 16 rankings on Sunday (Oct. 18) during the Texas vs. Florida match on ESPN.
• The in-season reveal shows fans which teams could potentially earn seeds when the tournament bracket is officially revealed on Sunday, Nov. 29. These 16 teams would host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament in December, with the top 4 teams hosting the third and fourth rounds.
• The Mustangs are one of three ACC teams to make the rankings. SMU also has wins over three of the 16 teams the committee selected.
• Sunday's top 16 rankings use the same criteria used to select and seed the 64 teams for the NCAA volleyball championship: RPI, KPI, results vs. common opponents, significant wins and losses, head-to-head competition, win-loss record, strength of schedule, and regional advisory committee rankings.

ROAD SUCCESS UNDER ERGER
• Under Coach Erger, the Mustangs have been just as, if not stronger, on the road as they have been at home.
• Since 2022, when Coach Erger arrived on the Hilltop, the Mustangs are 47-13 in true road matches.
• Since joining the ACC in 2024, the Mustangs are 20-3 in true ACC road matches. SMU has beaten every ACC team on the road except North Carolina in just over two full seasons of league play.
• 14 of the Mustangs 20 road wins in ACC play have been sweeps.

ANYANWU 6 AWAY FROM 500 CAREER KILLS
• With 23 combined kills last week against Miami and Florida State, the junior middle blocker Favor Anyanwu is six away from 500 for her career.
• Anyanwu has 155 kills this season, hitting .363.

YEAR ONE TO YEAR TWO
• After an All-American season in her first year at SMU, Favor Anyanwu has turned it up a notch in all facets of her game.
• Anyanwu has increased her per-set averages in kills, aces, digs and blocks:

2025 Stats
1.86 k/s
1.45 b/s (Finished 16th in the NCAA)
0.35 d/s
0.00 sa/s

2026 Stats
2.31 k/s
1.57 b/s (6th in NCAA currently)
0.96 d/s
0.15 sa/s

ANYANWU IN ACC PLAY
• Anyanwu has been a force in ACC play, ranking on the team in total kills with 71, averaging 2.54 per set. She is also hitting .438.
• Defensively, she has upped her game even more, adding 1.64 blocks per set with 46 rejections. Her 1.64 blocks per set in conference matches is the third-highest in the Power 5 (minimum 15 sets played).

BEAUFORD AT THE NET
• Redshirt-freshman setter Hannah Beauford averages 0.91 blocks per set in her first season of play at the Mustangs. Her 0.91-mark ranks tied for first in the country.

1. Isabel Ostvig (UMBC) 0.91
Hannah Beauford (SMU) 0.91
3. Madi Maxwell (Long Beach State) 0.87
4. Tristen Raymond (Pepperdine) 0.86
5. Gaby Zovko (UNCW) 0.84
*Minimum 50 sets played

SMU VS. CLEMSON
• SMU and Clemson are even at three wins each in the overall series. Under Coach Erger, the Mustangs are 2-0 against the Tigers.
• Clemson won the first three meetings of the series; however, SMU has swept the Tigers in the last three matchups.
• The Mustangs are 1-1 in Clemson, S.C.

SMU VS. GEORGIA TECH
• The Mustangs hold a 4-2 series advantage over Georgia Tech.
• SMU has won the last three matchups against the Yellow Jackets and is 2-0 during Erger's tenure.
• The Mustangs are 1-2 all-time on the road against the Yellow Jackets.

OTHER RANKINGS: KPI: 7th, SOS: 5th

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Favor Anyanwu

Hannah Beauford

Suli Davis

Jadyn Livings

Natalia Newsome

Elle Vandeweghe

Footer