Sept. 25, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - After winning the Southern Miss La Quinta Inn Invitational last weekend and clinching its first Conference USA victory since 2006, the UCF (9-5, 1-0 C-USA) volleyball team continues C-USA play this weekend when it travels to SMU and Tulsa. The Knights face the Mustangs Friday at 8 p.m. ET at Moody Coliseum, before challenging the Golden Hurricane Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at the Reynolds Center.
Schedule:
Friday
SMU* - 8 p.m. ET
Sunday
Tulsa* - 1 p.m. ET
Records:
UCF - 9-5, 1-0 Conference USA
SMU - 7-7, 0-1 Conference USA
Tulsa - 13-2, 1-0 Conference USA
Arena:
Friday - Moody Coliseum
Sunday - Reynolds Center
Series:
SMU leads UCF, 3-0
Tulsa leads UCF, 3-1
Live Stats:
www.UCFAthletics.com
Live Video:
Friday - smumustangs.com
Sunday - tulsahurricane.com
SMU Mustangs (7-7, 0-1 C-USA)
The Mustangs welcome the Knights to Moody Coliseum with a 7-7 record on the season and a 0-1 league record after falling to Tulsa in their C-USA opener on Sept. 16. SMU bounced back in its next match, defeating Georgia State, 3-1, before losing two-straight to both UNLV and host Denver at the Denver Invitational. Offensively, Katheryn Wilkerson paces the Mustangs with a 3.15 kills-per-set average and 17 service aces, while Kendra Kahanek ranks second in the league in blocks per set (1.22) to lead the SMU defense.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane (13-2, 1-0 C-USA)
Tulsa enters the weekend with a 13-2 record on the season and a 1-0 record in league-standings after defeating SMU in its C-USA opener. The Golden Hurricane held a 10-match winning streak from Sept. 5-20, before having it snapped Saturday afternoon by host Iowa in the final game of the Hawkeye Holiday Inn Challenge. Tulsa currently leads the league in hitting percentage (.250) and winning percentage (.867), while its top hitter Jennifer Eichler ranks seventh in conference rankings with a 3.25 kills-per-set average. Before facing the Knights on Sunday, Tulsa will entertain Southern Miss on Friday in conference action.
First Time for Everything
Sophomore Lauren Rosenthal (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was named the C-USA Setter of the Week Monday after averaging 13.60 assists per set at the USM La Quinta Inn Invitational, which included 52 assists in the victory over North Texas. She also posted 10 digs and a career-high four service aces against the Mean Green for her second double-double of the season. The sophomore's efficient setting helped the Knights hit .326 as a team on the weekend, which included a season-high .412 attack percentage in the win over McNeese State. The weekly honor was the first for Rosenthal and the first for the UCF volleyball program since joining the league in 2005.
You're a Big Star
Two Knights played their way onto the Southern Miss La Quinta Inn Invitational All-Tournament Team last weekend, the second time this season that UCF placed two players on a squad. Erin Campbell (Kansas City, Mo.) was named the tournament MVP, while Stephanie Serna (San Antonio, Texas) earned a spot on the all-tournament team for the second-consecutive weekend.
Most Valuable Player
Campbell averaged 4.90 kills per set during the three-day tournament, while totaling a team-best 49 kills and a .293 hitting percentage. Her .417 attack percentage in the win over McNeese State was a career-high for the junior. Campbell also tallied 26 digs, four service aces, three block solos and two block assists.
Making It Two-Straight
Serna hit .419 on the weekend and tallied 37 kills, a 3.70 kills-per-set average and five block assists. The senior hit a career-high .579 in the Knights' win over Southern Miss, while hitting .500 or better in two of the team's three matches at the event.
Lucky No. 7
Heading into last weekend's tournament, senior Jenny Heppert (Lawrence, Kan.) needed only seven total blocks to surpass former teammate Jana Mitchell for the No. 4 spot on the UCF career register. The middle-blocker did just that, totaling six block assists and a block solo at the event. Heppert has posted 308 total blocks since joining the squad in 2005. The middle blocker also has a shot at breaking into the UCF all-time top-five in block solos, needing only four more to tie Emily Queisser's No. 5-mark of 54 solo blocks earned from 1992-95. After posting one block solo last weekend, Heppert currently sits at 50 for her career.
Long Time Coming
Over the weekend, the Knights extended their winning-streak to five matches, the first time since 2004 that UCF has won five-straight contests. The Black and Gold also won its first C-USA contest since Sept. 15, 2006 and swept a league-opponent for the first time since 2005. Already matching its win total from 2007 with nine, UCF now needs one more victory to have its first 10-win season since 2003.
Climbing in the Rankings
UCF currently has five different players rank in the top-10 on the C-USA register, with Campbell leading the pack with a No. 3 ranking for her 3.44 kills-per-set average. Joining Campbell on the kills list is Janine Williams (Gainesville, Fla.), who follows close behind with a 3.33 kills-per-set average, good for No. 5 on the chart. Heppert sits at No. 7, averaging 0.40 service aces per set, while Rosenthal and Lauren Williams (Lake Mary, Fla.) hold the No. 9 spot in their respective categories. Rosenthal is averaging 8.24 assists per set, while Lauren Williams is hitting .321 on the season.
Getting In the Groove
Since taking over the starting libero spot in the Knights' match vs. Utah Valley State on Sept. 5, freshman Kathleen Curry (Geneva, Fla.) has been putting up some impressive numbers. Since her first start, Curry is averaging 3.71 digs per set, while posting a 2.68 digs-per-set average on the season. Curry has also registered seven service aces in the last nine matches and has totaled at least one assist in UCF's last seven matches.
Season tickets for UCF's 2008 volleyball campaign at The Venue are currently available by calling the UCF athletics ticket office at 407-UCF-1000. For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
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