SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA volleyball team will visit Temple at McGonigle Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 5 p.m. CT on Friday before hosting South Florida in a Rowdy Rodeo-themed contest on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Convocation Center.
The Roadrunners (7-14, 1-7 The American) split last week, sweeping UAB (25-22, 25-21, 25-19) ahead of a loss to Tulsa (25-18, 25-11, 25-19).
Sophomore Kai Bailey was solid, recording 18 kills with six blocks. She first managed 12 kills at a .450 clip against the Blazers and later posted six terminations and two blocks in the matchup with the Golden Hurricane.
Classmate Peyton Turner anchored a defense that held opponents to a .182 hitting percentage, charting 28 digs, while freshman Morgen Durgens tallied 32 assists and scooped 14 of the opposition's attacks.
Bailey checks in at No. 3 on The American's blocks per set leader board, boasting 1.04 and is fifth in hitting percentage at .338. Junior Mia Soerensen has worked 73 total blocks for the third-most in the AAC. As a team, the 'Runners are top-five in several statistics, including total blocks (165.5) and digs (1,170).
The Owls (9-12, 2-6 The American) had a similar week, falling to East Carolina (25-21, 25-22, 28-26) and besting Charlotte (25-14, 25-20, 27-25) in straight sets.
Temple tops the league in blocks per set, managing 2.29, and they excel at the service line with 124 aces slotting them second. Taylor Davenport has played a significant role for the team, with 352.5 points leading the AAC and ranking 25th nationally. Davenport's 304 terminations are 30th in the NCAA, and her average of 4.22 per set is 35th.
Lexi Yoza has set the table for 494 Owl kills this season, as Sydney Jones has worked a team-high 24 aces. Defensively, Kaohelaulii Hikialani has posted 182 digs, and Chelci Banks has 54,0 blocks for the squad.
The Bulls (11-8, 7-1 The American) enter the week atop The American standings, following a sweep over Rice (25-21, 25-14, 25-23) and a loss to Florida Atlantic (25-21, 25-17, 25-27, 25-14).
USF holds one of the nation's top setters, with Caroline Dykes working 763 assists for the 16th most in the country. The team's 12.97 average per set slots them 14th on that national leader board and lead the AAC. They also top the conference with 13.77 kills per set, which is 22nd in the NCAA.
Maria Clara Andrade has already surpassed 300 kills on the year, owning the second-most in The AAC, and her 4.30 kills per set average is 26th across the nation. Lia Schneider, meanwhile, is third in the conference with 283 digs, and Imani Hartfield is sixth thanks to a .321 hitting percentage. Additionally, Tizi Puljiz boasts 46.0 blocks to top the squad, and Hartfield is not far behind with 44.0
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