Oct. 3, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
DALLAS, Texas - After three consecutive matches at home, the UCF volleyball team returns to the road, heading to Dallas, Texas to face SMU for a Conference USA contest on Tuesday evening. First serve at Moody Coliseum is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern.
UCF enters the contest with 4-6 overall mark and a 2-1 record in league matches. The Mustangs are 5-9 on the year and 1-1 in C-USA contests.
ABOUT UCF The Golden Knights make their Conference USA road debut at SMU on Tuesday. The match was originally slated for Sept. 23, but was postponed due to Hurricane Rita. UCF started conference play in fine fashion last week, winning two of three matches at home. The squad dropped its last contest on Sunday, falling to Memphis, 3-1 (30-26, 16-30, 30-27, 30-28). Maina Heming totaled 15 kills and Lorin Lukas added 10 kills and 10 digs in the losing effort. Leah Alexander, who leads UCF with 261 total assists, tallied 46 against the Tigers. On the season, Heming paces the squad, averaging 3.19 kills per game. Jana Mitchell is hitting .316, which ranks seventh among all C-USA players.
Head coach Meg Colado is in her seventh season at UCF. She has a 130-88 (.596) overall coaching mark and is 115-72 (.615) with the Golden Knights.
ABOUT SMU SMU has lost four consecutive matches and eight of its last nine, including a 3-1 (30-20, 27-30, 30-26, 30-24) C-USA contest at Tulsa on Saturday. Despite the loss, three Mustangs totaled double-doubles for SMU. Rachel Giubilato, who leads the team with 3.75 kills per game, had 15 kills and 11 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. Madison Hill tallied 47 assists. On the year, she is averaging 11.33 assists per game.
UCF AGAINST THE MUSTANGS The Golden Knights have never faced SMU on the volleyball court. UCF has not played in Texas since 1997 when the squad participated in the Ladyjack Invitational, hosted by Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches.
SCHEDULE ISSUES Both of UCF's home matches that were postponed due to Hurricane Rita have been rescheduled. UCF will face Tulsa on Oct. 18 at the UCF Arena. That match was originally slated for Sept. 25 at the Education Gym. The squad's home match with Florida Atlantic will be played on Nov. 13.
SERVING ACE Jenny Heppert recorded one service ace against Memphis to give her 20 for the season. The freshman is first in the conference, averaging 0.83 aces per game. At USF on Sept. 16, she posted six aces, tying the fourth best single-match showing in UCF history.
HEMING SEES DOUBLE Maina Heming leads UCF on the year with four double-doubles. The junior college transfer had a strong start to C-USA play, recording double dips in each of UCF's first two conference matches. She totaled 15 kills and 16 assists versus Southern Miss and followed that performance with 17 kills and 11 assists against UAB.
HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF EFFORT Prior to each UCF home match, school officials will collect donations to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina. All donations will be given to the United Way and directed to those in need following the storm. Members of the volleyball team also collected donations prior to UCF's football game with Marshall on Sept. 24 at the Florida Citrus Bowl. UCF head coach Meg Colado is a New Orleans native and freshman libero Lindsay Randazzo hails from Metairie, La.
UCF SIDELINES Katie Kohnen and Jana Mitchell have been selected by the coaching staff as team captains... With its win over Southern Miss on Sept. 27, UCF improved to 4-3 in home openers under Colado... Schanell Neiderworder is averaging 1.06 blocks per game to rank fourth in C-USA.
ON DECK The Golden Knights continue league play on the road, heading to Greenville, N.C. to face East Carolina on Friday evening... The two schools will be meeting for only the second time on the court. In 1979, UCF played East Carolina at the Eastern Kentucky Invitational in Richmond, Ky. The Golden Knights, who were on their way to a 54-5 season, won the match, 2-0 (15-4, 15-4)... The Golden Knights played a pair of Atlantic Sun matches in North Carolina last season, posting victories over Campbell and Gardner-Webb.